Reviews for A hero of our time

The average rating for A hero of our time based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-03-30 00:00:00 Brad Beaty The author of this book, Richard Lourie, who is an old family friend, is best known for his impressive connections with Russia, but obviously he has also been involved with international issues. He has written numerous books, both fiction and non-fiction. The title of this novel refers to the "starvation diet" which developed during WW ll in Holland. The crux of the tale is the overwhelming hunger and starvation among the populace, especially one family. It influenced their every thought and action, often spurring actions which they previously found inconceivable andd intolerable. This account was told by an elderly man, Joop, who reveals his experiences to the younger brother he hasn't seen for 60 years when he visits from America. According to Lourie's fictional account, this informant who turned Anne Frank and her family in to the Nazis was a mere adolescent, motivated by sibling rivalry, a desire to receive positive recognition from his father and a diet containing mainly tulip bulbs, rather than obsessive anti-Semitism or greed. The build-up to the divulgence is unique and compelling. Although this is a small, quick read, Lourie's narrative of Anne Frank's fictional betrayer as a selfish, misguided youth is grim and deftly written. Despite its brevity, I thought it was profound.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-02-13 00:00:00 Pamela J Drislane A Hatred For Tulips, September 1, 2007 By gerryb (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews If Breughel were a minimalist 21st century writer this might have been one of his books. It an easy and pleasurable read, almost casual in style, bit rich in incidental detail. The profoundly horrific dilemmas of being human that it deals with emerge stealthily but potently. It turns out Anne Frank's probable betrayer was not particularly monstrous but a confused and impressionable kid named Joop from a hungry family. The money he gets for informing may help save them from starvation and the Anne Frank's fate seems much more distant. The contrast of the breezy writing style and the gravity of the material make the book all the more memorable. There are other nuances in the plot which turn out to be quite important but I will leave them for other readers to discover. I recommend this book very highly.