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Caging Skies cover art

Caging Skies

Written by: Christine Leunens
Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
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Publisher's Summary

An avid member of the Hitler Youth in 1940s Vienna, Johannes Betzler discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa behind a false wall in their home. His initial horror turns to interest - then love and obsession. After his parents disappear, Johannes is the only one aware of Elsa's existence in the house and the only one responsible for her fate.

By turns disturbing and blackly comic, Christine Leunens' captivating and masterful novel examines this world of truth and lies, laying bare the darkest corners of the human soul.
©2019 Christine Leunens (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Historical Fiction World Literature Literary Fiction
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Profile Image for Anna Lee-Diemert

Gripping and miserable story

JoJo Rabbit is loosely based on the first part of Caging Skies, but the tone and emphasis of the stories are different. Most of the movie's lighter subplots and jokes are added. The only commonalities are the theme of self-deception and Johannes' relationship with Elsa. He is a bit of a monster, but convincing given the traumatic circumstances. The story has a depressing relentless tone - long passages of Johannes' warped thinking and long passages on how hard survival was in post-war Vienna. That said, it pulls you in. This is probably one of my fastest listens.

The narrator uses a subdued, sleepy rhythm that complements the story. I enjoyed it, although I can imagine some listeners zoning out. There were no annoying character voices or mispronunciations.

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Profile Image for Craig Dewar

not a comedy

I'm a big fan of Taika Waititi so when I heard he was making a whimsical movie about WW2 based on this book I decided to give it a read. I was looking forward to a light, funny read,
that is not the case. This is a dark, depressing look at what was really happening in Vienna near the end of the war.

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6 people found this helpful