Berlin

This book is a labour of love by those who compiled this remarkable graphic novel from the many different places it was originally published in as it came out in parts. It really evokes Berlin between the World Wars in a gripping and visceral way. Clever story telling and brilliant illustrations. The production values of the book itself are excellent too. Well worth the price.

I’ve spent the past 35 years reading graphic novels and comics of all genres and this has to be one of my favourites.I didn’t think Berlin would appeal to me - I’ve never been to the city & I’d never even heard of the author. But I’d read great things about it so I thought I’d give it a go. Berlin is an opus of more than 500 pages set in the late 1920s in the titular city, teeming with journalists and junkmen, artists and runaways, fiery rabble-rousers and burnt-out cases from the First World War, perceiving the city with their own nervous systems. At first glance the art work didn’t appeal to me but after a few pages I realised just how spectacular it is. Lutes is incapable of drawing a lazy panel. His scrupulous style, which is reminiscent of Herge, makes everything from the font of a store sign to a parlor wallpaper pattern worthy of study. Immerse yourself in every frame and panel and you'll get an opportunity to be transported back to another time and place. It’s about the lives of everyday people set in a bygone era - which might not appeal to those seeking escape in fantastical superhero stories but if you’re into history, a great story and a heartfelt and emotional journey I would recommend this. It truly is a spectacular and brilliant masterpiece.

One of the best graphic novels I’ve read. Every frame and panel is beautifully composed and drawn. The author makes black and white his strength. Ink never looked this good. The characters and backgrounds are precisely observed. The novel has numerous storylines that intersect cleverly. The narrative is poignant, gripping and historically fascinating. I think Berlin is close to being a graphic novel masterpiece. No wonder it took the author ten years to create.

'Berlin' by Jason Lutes took around twenty years to produce. It's a remarkable piece of work as far as Graphic Novels go and although the artwork is persistently in black & white, it's staggering how this works so effectively. If your curious about the history of Germany but more so, the inner history of Berlin from the 1920's into the 1930's, then you really cannot go wrong getting hold of what is one of the best Graphic Novels in existence. I thought for the price, it is a real bargain but it's also extremely well written with real intelligence and I wouldn't be surprised if at some future point the experience of reading it would be transferred into a film. As it is presently, 'Berlin' is fascinating and an amazing warning about how changes in history became disastrous over time. Highly recommended.

This is a brilliant reconstruction of life in one of the world's greatest cities during the four years before President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor on 30 January 1933. Behind the vibrant, liberal facade created by the middle class the smouldering embers of the First World War burst into flames. The two million dead, resentment at the treatment of ordinary soldiers by their officers, abandonment of disabled veterans, and the humiliation and poverty inflicted by the Treaty of Versailles are the bellows. We see the citizens becoming more polarised, some gravitating towards the Communists, others to the Nazis as they seek remedies for their deprivations. The characters whom Jason Lutes draws out of the crowd become real people, far from the stereotypes of Germans we are often presented with. A reader can become involved in their lives, fearing for those who have not opted to idolise Hitler. 'Berlin' also takes us well beyond Germany's capital city. It brings us to the present and to the poorly understood grievances which are polarising our own world. Let's hope fervently that the fate of Berlin and its inhabitants will not be repeated.

This is quite simply the best graphic novel of all time. He recreates Berlinfrom 1920s/ early 1930s from the jazz to the politics. Strongly recommended!

Jason Lutes has really captured the feel of Weimar era Berlin. Thought provoking and very relevant for our times. You can see the influence of Herge on his drawing style.

Fantastic book the artwork is excellent really captures the social disorder that ran rife in Weimar Germany up to Adolf Hitlers rise to power

I already read this graphic novel in it's digital format. It took me a long time to finished reading it on a laptop screen. Now, that thankfully I'm earning decently, I decided to get myself a real hard copy. Hope to rekindle my memory again of the multi layered narratives from this book. Thank you.

I was skeptical at first. I teach literature and graphic novels have made it into the curriculum during my tenure, but I read a good review of this book in the NYRB and was compelled to check it out. It was worth the cost for the hardcover large edition. The writing is very good, and obviously concise as dictated by the GN format, but somehow the author makes a literary impact. Without the drawings, the writing might not be literary but there is a synergy in the two that works for me. The characters are well drawn in words and ink strokes and the setting, from 1918-1930s Berlin (if I'm remembering right) is compelling. It was a heady time in Germany and the author captures the vigor of the times, the idea that anything might happen, and the hard times facing many in Berlin society. The book captures the disturbing social movements that drew some in society into their whirlwinds and buffeted others, or worse. The book presents a variety of types, some of them interwoven in plot action: gays, journalists, poets, aristocracy, artists, the unemployed, Nazis, and so on. It's a plausible and engaging rendition of a very interesting particular time and place.

E' un bellissimo libro per chi ama Berlino e la sua storia.

Es una gran historia que tardó 20 años o más en hacerse, en una versión íntegra. Novela gráfica muy fina.

Das Buch kam schnell und in gutem Zustand an, danke schön! Wir sind noch nicht sehr weit im Lesen, aber es sieht interessant aus und gut gezeichnet. Es war ein Weihnachtsgeschenk für meinen Mann, den er sich gewünscht hat, obwohl manche Rezensenten gesagt haben, dieser grafische Roman sei nicht immer gut gezeichnet.