Christoph Fischer Gets 5 Stars from the Bookish Owl

You already know that Christoph Fischer is one of my favorite authors as I have featured him several times on this blog. Hence, I simply had to reblog this from his own website; His book Sebastian a must-read for anyone interested in WW I as well as the human condition during desperate times.

http://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/review-sebastian-the-three-nations-trilogy-2-by-christoph-fischer/

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The following is a review of Sebastian by the Bookish Owl.

Publication Date: May 2013 by CreateSpace
Format Acquired: Digital copy from the author

Sebastian is the story of a young man who has his leg amputated before World War I. When his father is drafted to the war it falls on to him to run the family grocery store in Vienna, to grow into his responsibilities, bear loss and uncertainty and hopefully find love.

Sebastian Schreiber, his extended family, their friends and the store employees experience the ‘golden days’ of pre-war Vienna and the timed of the war and the end of the Monarchy while trying to make a living and to preserve what they hold dear.
Fischer convincingly describes life in Vienna during the war, how it affected the people in an otherwise safe and prosperous location, the beginning of the end for the Monarchy, the arrival of modern thoughts and trends, the Viennese class system and the end of an era.

As in the first part of the trilogy, “The Luck of The Weissensteiners” we are confronted again with themes of identity, Nationality and borders. The step back in time made from Book 1 and the change of location from Slovakia to Austria enables the reader to see the parallels and the differences deliberately out of the sequential order. This helps to see one not as the consequence of the other, but to experience them as the momentary reality as it must have felt for the people at the time.
Thank you Christoph for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review! 

The second book in Christoph Fischer’s Three Nations trilogy is even better than the first. My information about World War I is very limited, going only as far as the knowledge that it was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Reading Sebastian made me learn a lot of things about World War I and while I couldn’t understand some of the political aspects due to perhaps my age and disinterest in politics, Sebastian was definitely a fascinating learning experience.

‘“Us old ones, we have already lived our lives, now let the young ones lead theirs.”’

Here’s the thing about this book; there is a wide variety of characters with their own personalities that are so different from each other that it was never a tedious read. Their individuality made it easier for me to empathize with them especially when it came to Sebastian. I loved how the author put a subtle twist of irony in the plot; Sebastian was a Jew, albeit a non-practicing one, who survived the war due to his mother’s Christian friends supporting them while Margit was a Christian living in Jewish charity. It really showed the stark reality of war, while nations may be fighting and grappling for power, individuals set aside their own differences due to a sense of duty towards another human being. It was a very small plot-bunny but beautiful nonetheless.

‘”Sometimes in life you have to compromise and realize that something which is merely good enough is good and enough. Keep reaching for the stars and see what it will get you.”’

Christoph created such realistic people that I could totally understand where they were coming from even if I live in such a wholly different era from them. Vera and Piroska were two characters so brilliantly written that they felt like actual breathing figures instead of ink on paper. I thought that Vera was a very weak woman with loads of self-pity while Piroska was just plain hateful with her brainwashing and paranoid disposition. It is weird that I both loved and hated these characters. Although I disliked them initially, their complexity was very endearing.

‘”Fear of bad news is sometimes worse than knowing the worst has come true.”’

While I couldn’t comprehend most of the political elements Sebastian had to offer, the author’s research was really commendable. He was able to paint a clear picture of Austria during World War I and it wasn’t difficult to visualize the lives Sebastian and his family led during these trying times.
Christoph Fischer’s Sebastian is a bittersweet piece of historical fiction filled with flawed characters that made my heart melt and realize that desperate times make us more humans. The Three Nations trilogy was much better with the second book and I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the series. I can’t wait to see what Christoph Fischer has up his sleeve!

FINAL VERDICT:

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Congratulations, Christoph!