Isadore Levinsky is a survivor. No stranger to concentration camps, he’s been freighted by boxcar to yet one more, possibly his last, before death by rifle or neglect. He’s survived this far because he’s done what any person would do under the circumstances: everything possible, irrespective of the consequences for others. At the nearly deserted Natzweiler-Struthof camp, Levinsky matches wits with fellow prisoner Otto Beck, a self-proclaimed pacifist, gentile and admitted liar. Beck has decreed that all food and water will be shared equally. He’s rallied the men and challenged his Nazi overseers, willingly taking their beatings and abuse. But is Beck a charismatic con man or a liberator? Previously convicted for treachery, Beck is architect of an escape plan specifically designed to assist his Nazi captors. Can Levinsky and the men survive Beck and find their way to freedom?
A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance is a story that resonates with our own times. Uplifting and inspiring, the story draws us into a dark past we must never forget, while shining a ray of hope for our future.
Fighting for his own survival, Isadore Levinsky is not afraid to stand on others to push himself further, to ensure he remains breathing. Transported from one concentration camp to another, he is used to making sure he is first in line for food and water, keeping himself as strong as he can.
This time, though, something is different. He is no longer the only person strong enough to keep fighting, and the man he finds himself face to face with does not hold the same principles. Rather, Otto Beck is determined to see everyone survive, and walk out of the camp free men. But Levinsky finds trusting Beck difficult. Out of all the men present, Beck is the only one who is not Jewish, but rather a German pacifist, and he keeps his escape plan close to his chest, asking the men to simply trust him, and follow in his lead.
The interactions between Levinsky and Beck are certainly interesting. Despite Beck's abilities to easily create a sense of trust and hope, raising the downtrodden spirits of the imprisoned men, Levinsky remains wary. With his easy way of talking, Beck appears instantly trustworthy, and I instantly liked him as a character. And, although Levinsky raises some very valid points about how wise it is to put so much trust in Beck, despite him withholding the details of his plan, he becomes the secondary interest in this novel very quickly. His objections to following Beck's orders is one thing, but he is incredibly unwilling to share things like food evenly, preferring to take a larger portion to ensure his own survival, even if it means others going without. His attitude towards his fellow prisoners makes him come across as an incredibly selfish individual, and paints Beck in an even brighter light, with his stories of freedom and fantasies of escape. The need for hope is apparent in this novel, and it becomes a driving force for a lot of the prisoners, giving them the courage and spirit to stand up and keep pushing forwards, despite their dire situation.
A certainly interesting aspect of this novel is Beck's determination, not only to free his fellow prisoners, but also to help the German soldiers to 'escape' the camp. As he converses with them, he begins to plant seeds of doubt, his clever way with words bringing forth thoughts that hadn't previously crossed the soldier's minds. His careful manipulations of those around him paint him as an incredibly intriguing character, and his lies paint an entirely different reality, distorting the facts until no one is entirely sure what to believe, spreading doubt and confusion through the camp. This is a very clever novel, for Beck's manipulation of everyone around him to get them where he wants them creates a tense atmosphere of mistrust, and his ability to so easily manipulate people, although quite scary, is very clever.
This book is a quick read, not only because it's fairly short, but also because the story is gripping and keeps your attention throughout. I definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys a story of hope, with an escape plan and some psychological manipulation thrown in to keep the story twisting and turning, and the truth hidden from both reader and characters until its reveal is absolutely necessary.
Thank you so much for hosting J. P. Rieger today, with such a lovely review of his compelling story, A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club