Afbeelding auteur

John Donoghue

Auteur van The Death's Head Chess Club

14 Werken 179 Leden 15 Besprekingen

Over de Auteur

Bevat de naam: John Donoghue

Werken van John Donoghue

Tagged

Algemene kennis

Geboortedatum
1964
Geslacht
male
Nationaliteit
UK
Beroepen
Naval Officer, Royal Navy

Leden

Besprekingen

Una apasionante novela sobre un torneo a vida o muerte entre un prisionero judío y un sargento nazi. Emil Clément, conocido en Auschwitz como El Relojero, pasa desapercibido hasta que los nazis descubren que sabe jugar al ajedrez e instauran un torneo para subir la moral de los oficiales. Pronto corre la voz de que Emil es imbatible pero cuando llega a la partida final, los nazis no van a permitir que un judío les plante cara… Años más tarde, en 1962, Emil, es un jugador de ajedrez profesional, y se encuentra en Ámsterdam donde deberá volver a enfrentarse a un exoficial de las SS, rememorando todo lo que sucedió años atrás. Una novela apasionante y conmovedora ambientada en la segunda guerra mundial sobre una amistad imposible entre un prisionero judío y un oficial nazi que explora los límites del perdón, la culpa y el arrepentimiento. «Y creo que Herr Clément jugó al ajedrez en Auschwitz por ese motivo, porque, para él, era una forma de reivindicar su humanidad.»… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
Natt90 | 1 andere bespreking | Apr 26, 2023 |
un bellissimo romanzo, adatto al mese corrente. I nemici possono essere perdonati, i nemici possono diventare amici.
 
Gemarkeerd
TheGirin | 6 andere besprekingen | Sep 19, 2018 |
law-enforcement, crime, humor
Read 2 times. Last read July 22, 2018.

What do law enforcement personnel the world over have in common? A defiant and deviant sense of humor! Danger to self, too, but to get through it all it's the humor. As one who worked alongside the peacekeepers for a lot of years in the states, I really enjoyed the skewed humor. Even if you have never listened to a bunch of law enforcement folks sit around and share tales, I think you'll enjoy this a lot!
 
Gemarkeerd
jetangen4571 | Jul 22, 2018 |
I received this book from Real Readers in exchange for a review which follows.

Set in Auschwitz which was liberated 70 years ago means it's publication is timely.


It tells the story of two men in Auschwitz, Emil a Jewish prisoner and Paul Meissner an SS officer sent there after being injured to improve the moral of the German troops. Meissner decides to set up a chess club and when he discovers that Emil is a master chess-player decides that a game between the Jew and the Germans is the ideal thing to prove the supremacy of the Germans.

Interspersed is the events surrounding a chess tournament in 1962 which will leave those involved changed for ever.


This is a fascinating book and very brave in its premise to explore the nature of humanity of those on both sides in the concentration camp.

It deals with issues such as forgiveness and are there things which cannot be forgiven, the nature of friendship when your past is invading your present. However in amongst the darkness there are glimmers of hope and compassion.

The scenes in Auschwitz are at times extremely harrowing but not unrealistically so and you are left in no doubt as to what happened there and I found myself willing the characters to survive the horrendous conditions. The relationship between Emil and his bunk-mate Yves shows that it's not always straight-forward as Yves is angry at Emil's attempts to save him from the worst of the punishments.


I really enjoyed the way that the game of chess is used to show the intricacies of life both inside and outside the camp.

Well done to the author.

… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
Northern_Light | 6 andere besprekingen | Dec 20, 2016 |

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Statistieken

Werken
14
Leden
179
Populariteit
#120,383
Waardering
3.9
Besprekingen
15
ISBNs
45
Talen
4

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