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Hotel Sacher A Novel edition by Rodica Doehnert Alison Layland Literature Fiction eBooks

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Hotel Sacher A Novel edition by Rodica Doehnert Alison Layland Literature Fiction eBooks

Here are my credentials: I have read the entire book, not the blurb; I have been to Vienna and spent several weeks there, drinking rich coffee and eating Sachertorte; I have actually made Sachertorte using the real ingredients--it takes pretty much all day and generates muttered curses, but worth the effort; and I'm a historian and understand not only the political history of the Belle Epoque in the Austro-Hungarian world but also its social, economic, and artistic worlds, which often appear as a foggy, chilly, seedy, grey environment heavily overlaid with gold leaf, jewels, silks, and whipped cream... lots of whipped cream.

So make of that what you will.

The first scenes and chapters of the book reminded me of a lush but slightly askew Klimt painting, where you catch glimpses of first one character, then another utterly different and far removed from the first, as scenes shift from opulence to grittiness. Readers who prefer linear progression and an immediate introduction to the "main characters," with a fairly concrete idea of what the storyline will be. might not like this very different "now you see it, now you don't" narration. It captivated me from the beginning, when Love in her elegance, wanting a cigarette, and Death, wondering if tonight he could manage a "two for one" feat, made their amazing appearances. The rest of the novel proceeded in this fashion, sometimes teasing, but more often offering tastes of deep emotional interactions and thoughts, interesting--and unexpected--interactions between unlikely folks, and other examples of a highly colored canvas of fin de siecle Vienna.

Kudos to Anna Sacher for her determination and guile and perseverance in an age when she stepped outside her position logically and with a minimum of ridiculousness and, thank all the readers' gods, not a trace of feistiness. Same to the haughty, complacent, privileged and slightly smug von Traunsteins, who avoid being cliches of Austro-Hungarian nobility less than two decades away from their annihilation in the guns of August. And for Marie, sold to the wealthy predators of the underbelly of Vienna, much as children were in other cities of this era. Lots to love about the people crowding this novel, high, low, and in the middle.

The language also alternates between prosaic when required and positively baroque when called for. I have to applaud the translator; I speak and read German, and I could hear the echoes of the original language in the translation, which was clever enough to know the difference between literal and literary.

The novel does not skimp on descriptions, either, but I didn't think they were either gratuitous or inserted to demonstrate the author's grasp of her subject. Rather they served the purpose of all good and judicious descriptive passages--set the scene, appeal to all five senses, although not all at once, and put you in the middle of the story. These descriptions also make certain you are in no danger of thinking you are in London or New York or Berlin that last decade of the 19th century, the sort of "one size fits all" failing of many writers who lack the skills of this author. And yes, I know some readers balk at expositions, descriptions, and whatever else they think interferes with the plot moving forward. In my opinion, I'd rather spend time in another era, like this one, smelling the roses and enjoying the rich desserts, than barreling along to the conclusion, whatever it may be.

Thus I definitely recommend this jewel, one of the very few I have unearthred from the First Reads collection in many months.


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Hotel Sacher A Novel edition by Rodica Doehnert Alison Layland Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews

I chose this book as my Prime free read for August. My experience with these free reads has been pretty good with most selections rating a 3 or 4 star. I'm giving this historical fiction novel a 5 star rating. Reading this book felt like watching Downton Abbey only set in Austria rather than England. You had the nobility, some noble in their intentions but many arrogant in their privilege. You had an aspiring business woman, actually several, working people. You had illicit love affairs, hidden secrets, a kidnapping etc. The book is told in three sections covering about 20 from the turn of the 20th century to the conclusion of the Great War. It took me about 5 days to read the book. I couldn't put it down.
The hotel is the hub that connects the many people involved and intertwined it is NOT really focused on the widow specifically. It seems the author's intent was to write an epic spanning decades, relating the sagas of intertwined classes from the late nineteenth century through and beyond WW1.
Translated books always need extra grace.
Due to cultural and lingual differences, a reader ought to keep an open mind. References and word usage, familial behavior or ethnic misunderstandings have often resulted in low ratings.
The personification of Love and Death is an interesting aspect. It is used throughout the book.

I'm glad to see the joining against abusive use of the system, and I hope other reviews will follow. I save 5 stars for absolute excellence. This was a really good book.
Get ready to drool as you start reading this book! The preface treats the reader to a recipe of "The Original Sachertorte". Note Due to this being a European book, the quantities are in grams. If you don't know how to convert Google will aid you ) Oh my, oh my, I wanted to stop reading and start cooking but resisted.....

The year is 1892, the place is Vienna, Austria. Love and Death are meeting and not for the first time. This book is written in three sections entitled books. In the first 'book' we are introduced to many characters. Anna Sacher finds herself widowed at the tender age of 33 with two young children to raise. Her father-in-law wants to sell the hotel, Hotel de l'Opera, but Anna wants to run it herself, a feat that was not deemed appropriate back in those times. Guests, newly weds and founders of the Aderhold Press in Berlin are honeymooning in the hotel. Marie Sadler, a young kitchen worker, mysteriously disappears. Where is she? What is the significance of a signet ring and blue money pouch? Who is her real father? Where do the Trownsteins come into the story? What about Inspector Lechner and Wurtner?

This story is VERY well written with ZERO foul language, a pleasant surprise after some of the other recent First reads. Now, was everyone faithful to their wedding vows? No! Were there any bedroom scenes? Yes, just a few but nothing of great detail. Set amongst the aristocracy of the late 1800's, early 1900's this story has a slim element of fact in it but for the most part it is fictional so don't get too wound up in the details rather enjoying the book for what it is. The storyline is relatively fast paced and due to all the different stories going on at the same time, you need to pay attention. (I read this in one sitting so that made it easier to follow. ) In some ways, the book does not have a happy ending and I did find it a little depressing towards the end. However due to it being so well written editorially wise I could not give it less than 4 stars.

I chose this book for August's First reads. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so. Thanks, Liz
Here are my credentials I have read the entire book, not the blurb; I have been to Vienna and spent several weeks there, drinking rich coffee and eating Sachertorte; I have actually made Sachertorte using the real ingredients--it takes pretty much all day and generates muttered curses, but worth the effort; and I'm a historian and understand not only the political history of the Belle Epoque in the Austro-Hungarian world but also its social, economic, and artistic worlds, which often appear as a foggy, chilly, seedy, grey environment heavily overlaid with gold leaf, jewels, silks, and whipped cream... lots of whipped cream.

So make of that what you will.

The first scenes and chapters of the book reminded me of a lush but slightly askew Klimt painting, where you catch glimpses of first one character, then another utterly different and far removed from the first, as scenes shift from opulence to grittiness. Readers who prefer linear progression and an immediate introduction to the "main characters," with a fairly concrete idea of what the storyline will be. might not like this very different "now you see it, now you don't" narration. It captivated me from the beginning, when Love in her elegance, wanting a cigarette, and Death, wondering if tonight he could manage a "two for one" feat, made their amazing appearances. The rest of the novel proceeded in this fashion, sometimes teasing, but more often offering tastes of deep emotional interactions and thoughts, interesting--and unexpected--interactions between unlikely folks, and other examples of a highly colored canvas of fin de siecle Vienna.

Kudos to Anna Sacher for her determination and guile and perseverance in an age when she stepped outside her position logically and with a minimum of ridiculousness and, thank all the readers' gods, not a trace of feistiness. Same to the haughty, complacent, privileged and slightly smug von Traunsteins, who avoid being cliches of Austro-Hungarian nobility less than two decades away from their annihilation in the guns of August. And for Marie, sold to the wealthy predators of the underbelly of Vienna, much as children were in other cities of this era. Lots to love about the people crowding this novel, high, low, and in the middle.

The language also alternates between prosaic when required and positively baroque when called for. I have to applaud the translator; I speak and read German, and I could hear the echoes of the original language in the translation, which was clever enough to know the difference between literal and literary.

The novel does not skimp on descriptions, either, but I didn't think they were either gratuitous or inserted to demonstrate the author's grasp of her subject. Rather they served the purpose of all good and judicious descriptive passages--set the scene, appeal to all five senses, although not all at once, and put you in the middle of the story. These descriptions also make certain you are in no danger of thinking you are in London or New York or Berlin that last decade of the 19th century, the sort of "one size fits all" failing of many writers who lack the skills of this author. And yes, I know some readers balk at expositions, descriptions, and whatever else they think interferes with the plot moving forward. In my opinion, I'd rather spend time in another era, like this one, smelling the roses and enjoying the rich desserts, than barreling along to the conclusion, whatever it may be.

Thus I definitely recommend this jewel, one of the very few I have unearthred from the First Reads collection in many months.