"Every Man Dies Alone" Hans Fallada

Countries: Second World War Era Germany

One of the first anti-Nazi books to be published in Germany, it`s hard to believe that this book wasn't translated to English until 2009.

When you think of a tortured artistic soul, it`s hard to think of a more apt illustration than German writer Hans Fallada. His short life was a struggle. Marked by grief, addiction, suicide attempts, illness, isolation, crime, pain, and being committed to a Nazi insane asylum, he still managed to produce several masterpieces, including my favourite Every Man Dies Alone, which was written in 24 days and published just one week before Fallada`s death.

Inspired by the true story of Otto and Elise Hampel, the novel follows the life of Otto and Anna, a simple, unassuming, hardworking couple who live in a Berlin apartment building filled with interesting characters. The death of their only son in WWII war sets about a spiraling chain of events as Otto and Anna launch an unlikely clandestine campaign, a kind of civil disobedience, to undermine the Nazi authorities.

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