posted on: 10.04.2010 Woven between the stories of fellow
Berliners and their own struggles with the war, Fallada tells
the full tale of Otto and Anna. What's beautiful about his
storytelling is that he doesn't give any more meaning to the
postcards than what they deserve. The cards never achieved their
desired affect. They didn't incite others to rise up against
Hitler. They didn't bring comfort to those who read them. If
anything, the cards induced panic and fear in all who found
them. But for Otto and Anna, the "ridiculously small" act of
leaving the cards throughout Berlin allowed them to remain
decent, even if doing so would cost them their lives. Every Man
Dies Alone is an interesting peek at another perspective of
World War II - the Germans who did not agree with Hitler but
were powerless to stop him. The book is quietly thrilling and
suspenseful, offering a glimpse into the distrust and paranoia
that permeated Germany at the time. Though written in 1947, the
book wasn't translated into English until 2