All That I Am

All that i am is Anna Funders first foray into fiction and is a beautiful and enjoyable read. Based on real events and people the books explores the inner workings of the Nazi party and the lives of a number of brave souls who activly opposed them. The book begins with Hitlers coming to power and details the time leading up to world war II. Told through the viewpoints of Ruth Becker now living in Sydney in the present day and revolutionary and poet Ernst Toller who is writing his Memoirs in 1939 in New York.

The book takes you on an amazing journey into the life and times of a group of intellectuals who all had one thing in common to expose the truth of what was happening in there homeland. There actions make them a target and even when they forced to flee from Germany to live in exile they find this existance difficult with limited freedoms to voice there political views.

Funder creates a strong feeling of fear for the characters in there endevours to try and stop Hitler and show the world the truth. Themes of loneliness, desperation and dislocation jump from the pages along with bravery and determination. The characters stay long in the mind well after the last page. For anyone who has an interest in European history this book is highly recommended.

All That I Am is a story told by Ruth and Toller and their recollection of memories of a time as a political activist, in the 1930, before and during Hitler’s ruling. Joined with two other members, Hans and Dora, they risked their lives by speaking publically against Hitler and his policies, and warning people of their loss of rights, independence and freedom of speech should Hitler come to power. It was quite interesting to see Hitler’s reaction to the group, and the deceitful ways it took him to silence them.

Unfortunately I felt structure of the book was huge disappointment. The first half of the book felt like a blur, It was running at a very fast pace, with all historical facts were thrown at you. At this point, I did feel a bit disorientated and frustrated as I believe I’ve missed some vital information that may help me understand the rest of the storyline. Also with the two narrators, alternating chapter by chapter and the switching from past to present was extremely confusing and hard to follow.

All in all I think it was a good book and the characters had a very interesting history to know, and it is oblivious the Author has a vast knowledge for this era. But there were a few things that were a bit fuzzy for me to fully enjoy the book.

As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I am an avid reader of any fiction set around WW2, so I was very excited to receive a copy of this book from a friend – with her highest recommendations. And I can see why she liked it so much – this is a brilliantly written novel based on extensive research and presented with an attention to detail that paints a vivid picture of Europe and its political happenings in the late 1920s and early 30s. Told through the eyes of its two main characters, Ruth Becker and Ernst Toller, it tells of Hitler’s rise to power despite growing awareness and opposition from his political opponents in Germany. Funder has a real gift of making politics come to life and allow the reader to relate to a bygone era as no textbook would ever be able to. I just wish I had been able to read such an evocative and engaging novel rather sitting through dry and boring history lessons at school!

Funder uses cues from the present to prompt an elderly Ruth to remember her past and share her life story with the reader in the form of short snippets of events involving her younger self. I loved the easy way this is accomplished – and most of all, I found myself wishing that I could meet this amazing old lady in person and share her stories over a cup of tea. Ruth’s self-deprecating sense of humour is totally disarming, and despite the seriousness of the topic I found myself laughing out loud several times as she voices her opinion on life and events happening to her in her old age. By getting to know the “old” Ruth, the young Ruth of 1930 becomes a flesh and blood person with real thoughts and feelings.

“All that I am” tells the reader about a part of history which is often overlooked when dealing with the issue of WW2 – the resistance of German people to Hitler’s rise to power, often at the expense of their own lives. It was quite an eye opener to realize how many people became political refugees due to their convictions, and that even in exile Hitler’s opponents were not safe. Strangers in their country of refuge, unable to return home, these brave souls suffered and died for their courage to resist the rising power of the Nazis long before war was actually declared – and long before anyone else realized the dangers of Hitler’s rise to power. As Ruth so succinctly says, in her own words: “I had very good eyes once. Though it is another thing to say what I saw. In my experience, it is entirely possible to watch something happen and not see it at all.”

“All that I am” is a must read novel for anyone who is interested in the topic of WW2 and would like a different perspective to reflect on and learn from. Based on real life characters and events, this novel brings to life a part of history often overlooked in the more graphic images of the war. With this story, Funder gives credit to those Germans who resisted the rise to power of the Third Reich, and shows the human side of politics. A brilliant novel which I highly recommend to anyone interested in history.

This book starts really well and then for the next 50 pages it's really quite confusing going between various time periods and from two different peoples perspective all done in first person. If it hadn't been for the fab first pages I would have put it down and not finished what turned out to be one of those storys that stick in your mind when others have faded to a distant part of your memory. I also like books that teaches you something and I didn't know about the left in Germany before the war or the refugee situation in the UK at that time. You know a book has been good when you are seething from the injustice done and tearful when someones once meaningful and passionate life is no more.

Happy reading.