Every Man Dies Alone, Hans Fallada
Every Man Dies Alone, Hans Fallada
6 Rating(s)
List: $30.99 | Sale: $21.70
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Every Man Dies Alone

Author: Hans Fallada, Michael Hofmann

Narrator: George Guidall

Unabridged: 20 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 04/16/2010

Categories: Fiction, Classic


Synopsis

"The greatest book ever written about the German resistance to the Nazis."—Primo Levi This unflinching masterpiece based on a true story of resistance is more timely than ever, as fascist forces in the 20th century find their home in the rhetoric of the modern right wing political agenda. Entering its 15th year of English translation, the brilliant Hans Fallada's account of what The New Yorker called “a visceral, chilling portrait of … everyday German life during the war" follows a working-class couple in Berlin and grieving the loss of their son, launch a campaign to oppose the Nazi regime. Based on a true story from the files of the Gestapo, this sweeping saga of resistance is more relevant than ever in modern times, with the rise of right wing rhetoric echoed in global politics, and seen in increased book bannings and the reversal of womens' and LGBTQ+ rights in the US. In the end, it’s more than an edge-of-your-seat thriller, more than a moving romance, even more than literature of the highest order—it’s a deeply stirring story of two people standing up for what’s right—even against impossible odds. A New York Times Book Review “Notable Book of The Year” 2009 • The New Yorker’s Favorite Fiction Books of 2009 • A Globe & Mail Best Books of the Year selection 2009 • Barnes & Noble Review’s Top Ten Fiction Books of 2009 • Amazon Top Ten Novels of the Year So Far • NPR’s On Point Radio Top Ten Summer Reads • The San Francisco Chronicle Best Books of the Year • Minneapolis Star Tribune Top Books of the Year • The New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice • The New Republic’s Top 5 Fiction Books of 2009 • Washington City Paper’s Top 10 Books of 2009 • The Scotsman Best Fiction Books of 2009 • The Sunday Telegraph Best Books of 2009 • Best Books of the Year, Shelf Awareness

About Hans Fallada

Hans Fallada (1893-1947) was the pen name of German author Rudolf Ditzen, whose books were international bestsellers on a par with those of his countrymen Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse. He opted to stay in Germany when the Nazis came to power, and eventually had a nervous breakdown when he was put under pressure to write anti-Semitic books. He was cast into a Nazi insane asylum, where he secretly wrote The Drinker. Immediately after the war he wrote his last two novels, Nightmare in Berlin and Alone in Berlin, but he died before either book could be published.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Violet on March 07, 2016

"Then he picked up the pen and said softly, but clearly, "The first sentence of our first card will read: Mother! The Führer has murdered my son."....At that instant she grasped that this very first sentence was Otto's absolute and irrevocable declaration of war, and also what that meant: war betwee......more

Goodreads review by Kiran on March 16, 2025

Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin (aka Every Man Dies Alone) was a tantalizing yet tragic tale of resistance and moral fortitude in WWII Germany under fascist Nazi rule, based on a true story. Despite the narrative's relatively unsurprising progression (with only a few plot twists), I found myself utte......more