13. März 2005, 14:36

I have read the book "Luegen in Zeiten des Krieges" ("Wartime Lies") by Louis Begley. This is the authentic story of the author, how he survived as a Jewish 9-year-old boy the Second World War in Poland.

The story begins in South-Eastern Poland before the war and shows the life between Jewish and Polish people and children and how it changes during the occupation step by step. The boy's family is rather wealthy, but first the have to leave the house, then the town. The boy escapes with his beautiful but strict aunt Tanja to Lwow, Warsaw and at the end to a small village. And they have always to learn carefully their lies, who they are and where they come from, for the other Polish people.

The novel is more about, how the Polish and also Ukrainian people collaborate with the Germans and how cruel and greedy they act for her own advantage without humanity. Not many Polish help the boy with his aunt, when they have learnt, that they are hiding Jews. Then often only money and jewellery help before a new escape.

All this is written in a special style - almost like a documentation. Only what happened is written, without describing any emotions or feelings. So, for example, there is written, how people are shot, just like this would be the most common and normal thing of the world.

It's a book about the everyday-life in occupied Poland and therefore rather interesting.