Berlin Boxing Club
Ratings1
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings1
Average rating3.5
Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin, don't care that Karl has never been in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth.
So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but now it seems like the perfect chance to reinvent himself.
But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. And as Max's fame forces him to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, Karl begins to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?
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This novel is one of the many historical fiction books that I have read over the years. Personally, I love historical fiction because it gives a human element to history. Anyone could, but often does not, read a history book, but a historical fiction novel is much more accessible to those who are not necessarily history fans. In this case, The Berlin Boxing Club was a book that I enjoyed, despite it being not as developed as I could have hoped for.
One of the best aspects of this book is that it can be read by male readers. I could easily see boys getting wrapped up in this book as it tells the hero's journey of a boy who has to fight for himself and his race. Another aspect, to go along with the aspect of the hero's journey, is seeing how Karl grows throughout the novel. We see him in the beginning of the text not like the Jews, and even go so far as to stereotype them similar to Hitler, grow to a man who loves something more than just himself, and sees himself grow to want to become a symbol of his Jewish community. This made his journey all the more believable, and I enjoyed watching him grow and change. Another element to consider is how the historical aspect is developed in a novel that deals with Historical fiction. In this one, I am happy to say that I did not find any problems with it. The author was able to balance both the historical accuracy, and the narrative quite well.
On the other hand, there are some things that annoyed me. One is that the characters are not as developed as they could be. All the ingredients are there, but it is like the author stirred them in a mixing bowl, put it in the oven, and when he brought them out they weren't quite done. Perhaps it is the writing style, but I thought that this could have been done better. Then there is the idea that this book is primarily about boxing. I found it fascinating, but other readers should be warned that if you do not like that topic, this may not suit you. The romance here, like the characters, felt underdeveloped, compared to everything else. It is only there when needed, and I wish we had gotten a better description of Karl's love interest.
It is for these reasons that I give it a three out of five. It is a good book, certainly, but the under developed characters tend to hurt the story more than I'd like.
