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All for Nothing
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
14 posts | 7 read | 13 to read
Winter, January 1945. It is cold and dark, and the German army is retreating from the Russian advance. Germans are fleeing the occupied territories in their thousands, in cars and carts and on foot. But in a rural East Prussian manor house, the wealthy von Globig family tries to seal itself off from the world. Peter von Globig is twelve, and feigns a cough to get out of his Hitler Youth duties, preferring to sledge behind the house and look at snowflakes through his microscope. His father Eberhard is stationed in Italy - a desk job safe from the front - and his bookish and musical mother Katharina has withdrawn into herself. Instead the house is run by a conservative, frugal aunt, helped by two Ukrainian maids and an energetic Pole. Protected by their privileged lifestyle from the deprivation and chaos around them, and caught in the grip of indecision, they make no preparations to leave, until Katharina's decision to harbour a stranger for the night begins their undoing. Brilliantly evocative and atmospheric of the period, sympathetic yet painfully honest about the motivations of its characters, All for Nothing is a devastating portrait of the self-delusions, complicities and denials of the German people as the Third Reich comes to an end. Like deer caught in headlights, they stare into a gaping maw they sense will soon close over them.
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cathysaid
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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@EmilyM My book has returned home safely. Thank you to all in my #LMPBC group. I‘ve already looked over many of your comments and they are so perceptive...makes me evaluate the novel all over again! And thank you for reading (what I now realize was) such a long book. Made longer by my supplementary material 😳😬. I truly enjoyed being in a group with all of you and reading books to which I might never have been exposed. ❤️

sprainedbrain This was a great round! I enjoyed all of your books for different reasons. 😃 5y
EmilyM That was fast! I appreciate all of the research you did--it was helpful! 5y
cathysaid @sprainedbrain Inhave apparently lost the email Suellen sent us with addresses 🙄 Can you email me with yours? catmcclure at Yahoo.com 5y
cathysaid @sprainedbrain Got it. Thank you! 5y
48 likes5 comments
review
cathysaid
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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Pickpick

My #LMPBC book...it took a few hours of reflection to decide that ultimately, I enjoyed it. Not a light or happy read, but the author‘s talent for capturing/creating a mood with carefully chosen detail and internal dialogue shines. Best read (IMHO) in smaller chunks. But no spoilers! Coming your way on Monday @sprainedbrain

(I take the “markup” over the top...I certainly don‘t expect that from others!)

#GroupT @EclecticBookLover @EmilyM

cathysaid @sisilia I thought you might be interested... 6y
sisilia @cathysaid Yay, glad that you enjoyed it 😃 6y
sprainedbrain I‘m excited about this one! 6y
See All 6 Comments
sprainedbrain Cathy, the book arrived safely! ☺️ 6y
sisilia This is wonderful! I love the mark-ups and the extras 😍 I read it with my bookclub earlier this year; we all loved it 5y
50 likes6 comments
blurb
cathysaid
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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1. Hubs is grilling. Excellent weather today in the South. ☀️🌻🍹

2. All for Nothing. It‘s my #LMPBC book that needs to go in the mail pronto!

3. Hopefully 10. New meds and crappy job situation currently distracting me. 🤬

@Samplergal #FridayFun

AlwaysForeverReading Chinese...I think...thirteen Reasons Why (hopefully...five books is the goal for April. 6y
Samplergal Thanks for playing! Yes beautiful weather here in SoFlo. Enjoy your weekend! 6y
cathysaid @ProfReader My April will more likely be around five books as well. 6y
AlwaysForeverReading @cathysaid Let me know if you meet your goal. (edited) 6y
42 likes5 comments
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sisilia
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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Walter Kempowski‘s personal library, ladies & gents 😍
I‘m still having a book hangover, so am now sweeping the internet for anything Kempowski

Image is from Reinhard Simon website

erzascarletbookgasm 😍 sigh 6y
Nute Desired! 6y
kspenmoll Gorgeous!!! 6y
See All 6 Comments
Tamra That‘s lovely, I could do this! 6y
charl08 Ooh. Jealous. 6y
DivineDiana Gasp! 6y
75 likes6 comments
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sisilia
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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NYRB Classics Reading Society - Meeting no.6

cathysaid What did they think of the book? 6y
sisilia @cathysaid We love it 🎉🎉🎉 This could be our best read for 2019 💕 6y
AlaMich I love that you have a IRL book club for NYRB!! 6y
See All 6 Comments
cathysaid Yay! I love NYRB but have, on the rare occasion, found them inaccessible. But I‘m liking this one so far. Reading a couple of chapters at a time so as to savor it. (edited) 6y
sisilia @AlaMich Slowly getting traction from the readers in Singapore 😀 It‘s a niche bookclub but I like it to be special 💕 6y
sisilia @cathysaid Enjoy! 💖 6y
92 likes6 comments
review
sisilia
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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Pickpick

What I love about this book is how Kempowski presented this wartime story in such a natural way; it‘s our nature to be in survival mode when we face such hardship. Is a person a saint when s/he helps others? Is one an evil to take advantage of others, or less an evil when it‘s for his/her own survival? The story is a wonderful depiction of how the average Germans viewed things during WWII ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

85 likes4 stack adds
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sisilia
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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I still have 150 pages left and the bookclub meeting is tomorrow 😱

I‘ve enjoyed the story so far. People in and out the Georgenhof, all are nervous about their fates in wartime Germany. This is going to be a 5-stars read for me 🤩

cathysaid This is my picK for #LMPBC book club! I‘m really enjoying it as well. Deliciously descriptive prose ❤️ 6y
sisilia @cathysaid 🙌🏻 Excellent pick! 6y
Tamra Gosh, I‘m surprised at the low Litsy rating. What accounts for it do you think? 6y
sisilia @Tamra I‘m surprised, too! It‘s only 1 review so far, though.. and it‘s a so-so 6y
Tamra @sisilia I didn‘t scroll down, so good point. Yours will boost it right up there. 😄 6y
68 likes1 stack add5 comments
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sisilia
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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Japanese homework vs Kempowski

AlaMich I got an email from NYRB mentioning this. It sounds interesting...have you started it yet? 6y
sisilia @alamich Yes, I‘m 3 chapters in and loving it. I‘m reading for my IRL bookclub; one of my buddies gave it 5 stars 6y
AlaMich @sisilia I will definitely check this out! Thanks 😊 6y
79 likes3 comments
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cathysaid
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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Today‘s accompaniment with #LMPBC reading is a Filthy Martini 🍸

Pricel101 Love this! #booksandbooze 🍸😄 6y
darklydreaming Yum!! You‘ve inspired me to make a Caesar 🙌 6y
cathysaid @Pricel101 And I love #booksandbooze ! Sound like the perfect club... 6y
cathysaid @darklydreaming That sounds far more healthy than “Filthy Martini” 6y
81 likes1 stack add4 comments
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cathysaid
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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How‘s everyone doing with their #LMPBC reads? #GroupT

@sprainedbrain @EclecticBookLover @EmilyM

I‘m enjoying this one more than I expected. I thought it might be too heavy on the history but it really isn‘t. Knowing the historical background helps understand the perspective through which Kempowski examines this quirky cast of characters. (And he‘s got quite the dry wit 🤣). Hope you are all enjoying your choices!

EclecticBookLover Almost done with mine! I'm really enjoying it. First book I've enjoyed in a long time. 😊 6y
cathysaid @EclecticBookLover Now I‘m really looking forward to it! I‘ve had a hard time concentrating on much lately as well. It‘s so frustrating. 6y
pocketmermaid Whatever‘s in that cup looks really good. 👍 6y
See All 10 Comments
EclecticBookLover I hate it when that happens! Lately I haven't been able to find something that's good and holds my attention. I think this book is finally getting me through my drought. 6y
EmilyM I'm going to read mine next, after finishing A Woman is No Man. 6y
EmilyM @cathysaid Can you write down, in the book, the web address of whatever website you found that was helpful in understanding the context? 6y
cathysaid @EmilyM I printed the pages that helped me. Summed up the political/refugee situation at the end of WWII in a few paragraphs. I‘ll include it with the book. 6y
cathysaid @pocketmermaid Rum and coke! (edited) 6y
EmilyM @cathysaid Sounds good! 6y
sprainedbrain I haven‘t started mine yet, but plan to soon! 6y
43 likes10 comments
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DannyOlda
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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Just picked this up at Bookstore 1, my favorite book shop in Sarasota

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charl08
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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Birthday haul!

Sarah83 Happy birthday 🤗 8y
Alfoster Yay you!🎁🎁🎉🎉! 8y
rockpools Happy birthday! 🎉🍰🎉 8y
See All 13 Comments
DebinHawaii Happy Birthday!!! 🎉🎂🎁🎈 8y
Books_Wine_Repeat Happy birthday! 🎉 8y
vivastory Happy Birthday 🎊 🎂 👏 📖 8y
britt_brooke Happy Birthday!! 8y
MemoirsForMe Happy reading and happy birthday! 🤗🎂🍰🎉🍾 8y
LeahBergen Happy Birthday! 📚 That's a great haul. 8y
Jas16 Happy Birthday! 8y
charl08 Thanks! I plan to read all day :-) 8y
jpmcwisemorgan Happy birthday!!! 8y
CherylDeFranceschi Happy Birthday! 🎉🎂 8y
63 likes13 comments
review
MLRio
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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Mehso-so

A strange, sad book. Very Prussian in its fastidious and unfeeling execution. (I'm still in love with the cover art, mostly.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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MLRio
All for Nothing | Walter Kempowski
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