Friedrich (1961)

The story of two young boys growing up as friends in Germany in the early 1930s. One of them is Jewish, and of course their lives take very different paths.

*sigh* I think my mental and emotional tolerance for Holocaust literature is overtaxed. This was a compelling read, but so stark and bleak. And of course in some ways that's only right, but that's *all* this book offered. No hint that there were people trying to help others escape, no commentary on the bleakness at all. I think that if this were a novel written for adults, I'd not have an issue with it, but as a middle school book it just seems too grim and with no payoff for it. ( )

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The nameless narrator recounts a series of memories that illuminate Friedrich's story as a Jew in German society during the thirties and early forties. There is no concentration camp or ghetto in this narrative, but rather the gradual discrimination that the family endures, never believing that there is a real threat; never in this century could people revert to the savagery of the middle ages.

The narrator explains what he did, what he thought, how the friendship grew & changed, but never seemed to feel guilty or really torn for not doing much to make a difference. There were no lessons learned,no predictable character growth which sets this apart from much young adult fiction out there. I liked the fact that the protagonist and his family had no names, as they didn't do anything truly honorable, and it's the Schneiders who will be remembered. One would expect the story to be narrated from Friedrich's point of view, but Richter's choice of making his friend tell the story is much more poignant, lending insight into how such events were even possible.

There were no scenes to make your stomach turn, fortunately, but enough information to ignite fury. Ultimately, this novel shows the persecution of the jews from a gentile perspective, of a gentile who disagrees with what's happening but doesn't have the motivation to object or pass up the benefits of joining along (the more common story). Nothing extraordinary to aspire to here--more humdrum real life and boy does it suck sometimes.

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You can check out my review over on my blog! http://ahjustscrewit.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-talk-friedrich-by-hans-peter.html ( )

Read during Summer 2002

A very powerful story of pre and WWII Germany. It starts as a series of vignettes of two families; One Christian and one Jewish, who live in the same apartment house. The two boys are the same age and they and their families become friends but the prejudice that would fuel the Nazi party and the Holocaust is already starting. I find often that the children's books about the Holocaust are often more compelling since they can be so straight forward. Horrible in a way that teaches but does not lecture and is not sensational.