Aimée & Jaguar: A Love Story, Berlin 1943 by Erica Fischer
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Book Reviews of Aimée & Jaguar: A Love Story, Berlin 1943
Book Review: Not as romantic as the film, but a worthy read.
Summary: 4 Stars
If, like me, you picked up "Aimee and Jaguar" because you enjoyed the film -- be prepared that the book is quite a different animal.Rather than a straightforward narrative film, the book is a histography -- more like a documentary using letters and interviews to reconstruct the story of Lilly and Felice. While not terribly satisfying for those seeking an experience similar to the film, it is nonetheless a worthy read, and satisfying for those seeking to find out 'what is true' in the film as well as more information on what happened to Felice after she was captured by the Gestapo.
I tend to agree with the previous reviewers who were startled at the epilogue. I think information on her difficult relationship with Lilly would have been more honestly conveyed in a prologue and to simply denouce her simultaniously as Nazi sympathizer and Jew-wannabee seems unnecessarily harsh. As for her opinion that Felice would have likely left Lilly had she lived, there does seem some evidence that their relationship might not have had staying power (hinted at in the film as well), such as Felice's relative youth (21) and various attempted and successful daliances with other ladies while she and Lilly were together -- Lola for certain and quite possibly Inge as well. I don't think it's entirely unfair for the author to state her opinion on the longevity of their relationship, but it is in poor taste, particularly in the context of a general denoucement of Lilly's character.
Overall, a quite a good book. Recommended.
Book Review: Recommended but with reservations
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm not entirely sure what the author's purpose was in writing this book, because it certainly wasn't approached with any objectivity. The story is a touching one, very moving and ultimately heartbreaking, and the love Lili and Felice shared seemed to me intense and sincere. But in the epilogue the author admits she dislikes Lili, and feels she can more easily identify with Felice, basically because they are both Jewish. She feels somehow insulted that Lili aligned herself more closely with Jewish people after the war, and it is here that the author's attitude really left a bad taste in my mouth. In the book Lili relates that after the war other Germans distanced themselves from her because she had helped Felice and others. By looking askance on Lili because she was a German woman married to a Nazi and who could therefore never really have been a victim is showing exactly the same kind of prejudice, just in a different form. As far as Fischer self-righteously refusing to recognize Lili as a victim, all I can say to that is that Lili lost the woman she loved, so I'd have to disagree. Also, by taking Felice into her home, and later sheltering other Jewish women, Lili did much more than most people during that time, people who in most cases simply chose to look the other way.In sum I'd say this book is definitely worth seeking out - but I'd rather it had been written by someone without an obviously prejudicial axe to grind.
Book Review: -
Summary: 4 Stars
I basically read through this book in one sitting - it is emotionally gripping and interesting from a historical standpoint as well. Though I am left with a few unanswered questions and am frustrated at certain blanks in the narrative, the sincerity of the story makes up for this (if the exact chronology were easier to follow, I would have given the book five stars). The format of the book also works well; the mix of diary entries, historical back-ground, poems, letters, and personal testimonies permits the reader to piece together herself the many elements of this touching story. Not only is _Aimee & Jaguar_ difficult to put down, it is also difficult to leave down: there is a strong temptation to pick up the story of Lilly and Felice again and re-read the lines of discovery, love, and loss.Book Review: Moving, yet exasperating
Summary: 4 Stars
Before the praise, the criticism. As someone who is perhaps overly fond of straightforward chronological narrative, I was quite frustrated with Fischer's inconsistencies. The story of Felice and Lily is told beautifully; I can only wish that she had invested an equal effort in constructing an intelligible parallel account of the destruction of the Jews. Some of the grand emotion of the story was spoilt for me by Fischer's inability to better integrate Nazi history into the text.That said, it is a captivating, moving, heart-rending story that is a welcome addition to the still-growing number of Shoah narratives.
Book Review: The
Summary: 4 Stars
People who consider love as the golden key should read this book. It doesn't matter what race you are, it is just the matter what kind of a person YOU ARE...Love can be given to a girl by another girl as well as it can be given to any creature in the world... Because that's LOVE..