Peter Neumann (4) (1987–)

Cover: Meh. It’s a lovely painting, but it’s flat. It doesn’t stand out nor attract attention.

So, the famous backlog I was about to clean? I didn’t. I had to put everything on hold for a long while, alas. Now, this is attempt #2 at it.

Jena 1800 is a good(ish) book. It starts with a bang—the French soldiers are on the prowl and the Prussian outposts are as good as gone—which sets the mood right away. War! Political instability! Uncertainty! The setting couldn’t be more show more promising. Being dropped into the thick of it right from the start is something I appreciate.

However, the enthusiasm dies down pretty soon. First of all, the story reads like a gossip mag at times; I didn’t pick up a book about philosophy and German idealism just to delve into people’s love life, you know? Read your, er, target audience a bit better show less

Very informative. A potential 4* but the constant jumping back and forth during the timeline annoyed me. Hence 3*.