The Moon Is Down by John SteinbeckMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The first thing you need to know is how much I dislike reading Steinbeck (yes, I know I am in the minority)! Except for this story about a little village in Norway that gets taken over by the Germans.
I first saw it as a movie on Panamanian TV, complete with subtitles. The characters were relatable from the newly widowed lady to the village doctor and gentle mayor, to the lonely German soldier and his commander, to the villager who help the Germans during and after the invasion. I was so impressed with the movie that I had to find the novella when I returned to States. Again I was impressed. Again I cried.
So why write a review of a book I read over 40 years ago? Because I have found it available in electronic format and am trying to decide if I want it from Amazon.com for my Kindle or Audible.com as my copy was 'loaned' away eons ago. Yes, it was propaganda of the early 40s. Yes, it was damn good propaganda as it gave a humanity to all of the characters. Read or listen to the story for yourself and see if you can understand why I want it back in my library!
2 comments:
something is amiss! the version i read pretty much followed the movie! that version talked about the "Germans" rather than a nonspecific group...and it had one of my favorite parts of the movie where the german commander tries to talk the mayor into saving his life by telling the villagers to stop their sabotage activities or he (the mayor) would be exicuted. it is the mayor's reply that struck me most!
Steinbeck is fantastic and I'm glad you have a passion for at least one of his stories.
Post a Comment