Fiction

The Passenger: A Novel

The Passenger: A Novel

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  • Create Date：2021-05-19 00:51:20
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz
  • ISBN：1250811287
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Summary

Hailed as a remarkable literary discovery， a lost novel of heart-stopping intensity and harrowing absurdity about flight and persecution in 1930s Germany

Berlin， November 1938。 Jewish shops have been ransacked and looted， synagogues destroyed。 As storm troopers pound on his door， Otto Silbermann， a respected businessman who fought for Germany in the Great War， is forced to sneak out the back of his own home。 Turned away from establishments he had long patronized， and fearful of being exposed as a Jew despite his Aryan looks， he boards a train。

And then another。 And another 。 。 。 until his flight becomes a frantic odyssey across Germany， as he searches first for information， then for help， and finally for escape。 His travels bring him face-to-face with waiters and conductors， officials and fellow outcasts， seductive women and vicious thieves， a few of whom disapprove of the regime while the rest embrace it wholeheartedly。

Clinging to his existence as it was just days before， Silbermann refuses to believe what is happening even as he is beset by opportunists， betrayed by associates， and bereft of family， friends， and fortune。 As his world collapses around him， he is forced to concede that his nightmare is all too real。

Twenty-three-year-old Ulrich Boschwitz wrote The Passenger at breakneck speed in 1938， fresh in the wake of the Kristallnacht pogroms， and his prose flies at the same pace。 Taut， immediate， infused with acerbic Kafkaesque humor， The Passenger is an indelible portrait of a man and a society careening out of control。

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Reviews

Gina ，

A terrifying portrait of a Jewish man fleeing the Nazis in late 1930s Germany。 His anxiety leaps of the page and grabs you by the throat; his loss of everything material， his security and eventually his identity would beggar belief if this had not really happened。 Essential reading。

Nigel Blease ，

Such a sad thought provoking book。 Give a real sense of Otto Silbermann’s struggle to understand what was going on and that it would get better。

Liz ，

I think I would have rated this 3 stars if I hadn’t understood the entire back story of the author。

Faith ，

“Taut， immediate， infused with acerbic Kafkaesque humor， The Passenger is an indelible portrait of a man and a society careening out of control。” This time the blurb actually captures the book。 The book was written in 1938 by the 23 year old author who died 4 years later when the ship he was on was torpedoed。 He had intended to revise the book but never had the opportunity。 This edition of the book， published posthumously， is the original version with some revisions。 In 1938， Otto Silbermann is “Taut， immediate， infused with acerbic Kafkaesque humor， The Passenger is an indelible portrait of a man and a society careening out of control。” This time the blurb actually captures the book。 The book was written in 1938 by the 23 year old author who died 4 years later when the ship he was on was torpedoed。 He had intended to revise the book but never had the opportunity。 This edition of the book， published posthumously， is the original version with some revisions。 In 1938， Otto Silbermann is a German Jew with Aryan features and a Christian wife。 He owns a successful business but Jews are being arrested and he is forced to flee。 However， he waited too long to escape。 He is unwelcome in Germany but other countries won’t let him in。 So he finds himself trapped in a succession of train trips， going back and forth among German cites， dodging capture while interacting with his fellow passengers。 He bristles at being turned away by his wife’s relatives who don’t want to put themselves at jeopardy， only to find himself using the identical excuse when he is approached for help by an elderly friend。 Otto is alone， swindled， robbed and， worst of all， losing the identity he once had。 This is an amazingly prescient， contemporaneous account of life in Germany at this time。 It is also a well-written psychological portrait of Otto with the elements of a thriller。 It’s a shame the author didn’t get to write more books。 。。。more

Marilyn ，

“Berlin， just after Kristallnacht: Nazis everywhere， Jews being hounded， picked up， beaten， and arrested， their stories ransacked and vandalized， every Jew in Greater Germany now terrorized。” This was the time and place the novel， The Passenger， written by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz and translated by Philip Boehm with a preface by Andre Aciman occurred。 This novel was different and almost more terrifying than others about the Holocaust for me because it was written by “someone living through thi “Berlin， just after Kristallnacht: Nazis everywhere， Jews being hounded， picked up， beaten， and arrested， their stories ransacked and vandalized， every Jew in Greater Germany now terrorized。” This was the time and place the novel， The Passenger， written by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz and translated by Philip Boehm with a preface by Andre Aciman occurred。 This novel was different and almost more terrifying than others about the Holocaust for me because it was written by “someone living through this harrowing period of history in real time。” It was written with urgency and fright， with historical accuracy， and with feelings of foreboding doom and horrors by a Jewish man as he tried to make sense of what his life had become almost over night。The Passenger was a fictional account based on truth of a Jewish protagonist， Otto Silbermann’s flight and survival during the early days of the Holocaust in 1938 in Berlin， Germany。 Otto had been a respected businessman and member of his community with lots of friends。 As loud pounding was heard coming from the front door of his apartment， Otto escaped out the back door of his apartment。 He surmised rather quickly that the Nazis had come to arrest him in their ruthless search for Jewish men。 Otto was on his own。 The one thing he had on his side was that he looked more Aryan than Jewish。 Otto sought refuge on the trains。 He crisscrossed his German homeland between Berlin and Hamburg， between Hamburg and Munich， then back to Hamburg or Berlin， all the time seeking information and help and even escape。 Otto tried to cling to the ways his life had been just days before。 It was hard for Otto to grasp and take hold of this nightmare his life had turned into。 His new existence was haunting and unsettling。Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz was just 23 years old when he penned this story。 He left instructions with his mother to get it printed if anything happened to him。 His insight and incredible pace in which he wrote this incredible story was masterful。 Unfortunately， Ulrich’s story had laid buried and lost in German archives until just recently。 Ulrich was ultimately able to escape from Germany to Sweden and make his way to England。 When he settled in England in 1939， Ulrich was interned as a German “enemy alien”。 He was transported to Australia and remained there until 1942 when he was finally allowed to come back to England。 Sadly， while Ulrich made the voyage back to England， his ship was torpedoed by a German submarine。 Ulrich was 27 years old when he and 362 other passengers were killed by the German submarine。 The original manuscript was discovered only recently and translated。 The Passenger was fast paced， thrilling and terrifying all at the same time。 The account presented by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz gave a first hand account of how terrorizing it must have felt to be Jewish during the early rise of the Nazis and the start of Jewish persecution。 This book was a remarkable and gripping discovery in the history of literature。 Being based on the personal experiences and truths of the times and circumstances of the author， the reader was presented with a compelling， heartfelt and even humorous account of what it was like in those early days that followed The Night of Broken Glass。 I highly recommend this book。I was fortunate enough to have won a copy of The Passenger by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz in a goodreads give away。 Thank you to the publisher， Henry Holt & Co。 for affording me the opportunity to read this remarkable story in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more

Barb Wright ，

A prescient story of Nazi Germany written by a young Jewish author in 1938。

Debra ，

Berlin November， 1939Jewish shops have been looted and synagogues destroyed。 Jews are being rounded up。 Otto Silbermann， a respected businessman， decides to flee out the back door when he hears pounding on his front door。 He cannot believe this is happening。 He served his country in the Great War。 He boards a train。 It is the first train he boards but it will not be his last。 He is a man on the run， boarding one train after another。 Fleeing。 He goes across Germany， observing， escaping， learning， Berlin November， 1939Jewish shops have been looted and synagogues destroyed。 Jews are being rounded up。 Otto Silbermann， a respected businessman， decides to flee out the back door when he hears pounding on his front door。 He cannot believe this is happening。 He served his country in the Great War。 He boards a train。 It is the first train he boards but it will not be his last。 He is a man on the run， boarding one train after another。 Fleeing。 He goes across Germany， observing， escaping， learning， escaping。 Through it all， he observes indifference， he has been turned away from a business partner， betrayed， he has gone through a period of not believing to accepting what is going on。This is a powerful novel about life in Nazi Germany。 About a man whose life is falling apart。 A man who cannot believe this is happening。 A man who tries to flee but is stuck riding the trains as the borders have been closed。 Sounds like a nightmare， right？ Imagine， everything in your life changing。 Places you frequented， no longer let you in。 Your business is no longer wanted。 Your business partner ends your professional relationship but give you only a portion of what you are owed， friends - who has friends anymore， now when people do not want to be seen associating with you。 This book has a depressing and heavy feel to it。 This book played out in black and white for me。 The vibe is: This cannot be real; this can't be happening - and yet it is/did。 We observe as one man feels it all - as it begins to sink in。I appreciated how the author tackled disbelief。 I asked Ma once why her family did not flee Poland。 Why didn't they get out when they could？ She said that they did not want to leave their land， but the main reason was disbelief。 They never thought it could get that bad。 They thought they would be saved。 When they realized how bad things were - it was too late。This resonated for me in this book。 This is a powerful book。 It is tense， heavy， and also reminds readers of the author’s own journey。 The author wrote this impressive book in one month in 1938， when he was just twenty-three。 This novel was recently discovered and edited。 The author lived a short life and he also had to move from one county to another with his mother before being interred on the Isle of Man as "enemy aliens。" He as then deported to Australia in 1940 and was permitted to return to England in 1942 but the boat he was on was torpedoed by a German Submarine。 He was 27 years old。***Hailed as a remarkable literary discovery， a lost novel of heart-stopping intensity and harrowing absurdity about flight and persecution in 1930s GermanyThank you to Maria at Henry Holt who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more

Michael ，

210511: propulsive， harrowing， pathetic。 this is an excellent portrayal of how an ordinary， middle-class， apolitical life can be caught up in horrors of persecution， in betrayal， in hatred， in no escape。 our protagonist is unprepared， his usual abilities denied， all because of some arbitrary mark on his passport。 he becomes an eternal passenger inside the bounds of Germany- no one will let him leave， no one will take him in。 each train ride finds him losing more and more possibilities。 he tells 210511: propulsive， harrowing， pathetic。 this is an excellent portrayal of how an ordinary， middle-class， apolitical life can be caught up in horrors of persecution， in betrayal， in hatred， in no escape。 our protagonist is unprepared， his usual abilities denied， all because of some arbitrary mark on his passport。 he becomes an eternal passenger inside the bounds of Germany- no one will let him leave， no one will take him in。 each train ride finds him losing more and more possibilities。 he tells himself he should have left earlier but then could not imagine this happening in the twentieth century， in the middle of civilised Europe。。。 and now he knows it is too late。。。 。。。more

Jazz ，

The Passenger is an outstanding literary work unbelievably written back in 1938！ It is a moving， panoramic view of strange events prior to the second world war as observed by a Jew。Otto Silbermann， a well established businessman， a law abiding citizen， a soldier who fought for Germany in the Great War， in possession of wealth， family and friends is above all a German Jew。 Overnight his patriotism， his establishments， are swept away as the storm troopers come knocking at his door and Silbermann f The Passenger is an outstanding literary work unbelievably written back in 1938！ It is a moving， panoramic view of strange events prior to the second world war as observed by a Jew。Otto Silbermann， a well established businessman， a law abiding citizen， a soldier who fought for Germany in the Great War， in possession of wealth， family and friends is above all a German Jew。 Overnight his patriotism， his establishments， are swept away as the storm troopers come knocking at his door and Silbermann forcibly flees through the back of his home leaving all his posessions behind。 Regardless of his Aryan outlook， he flees across Germany fearing the stamp of J on his identity。 As the walls of securities around him shatters， Silbermann， consumed by fear， collapses into the arms of despair。The Passenger was a breathless， thrilling and at times a nerve-racking experience for me。 The most unique thing about this book is that Boschwitz himself was deeply affected by the events of Kristallnacht and hence painted a compelling character in a thoroughly precise atmosphere。 The authenticity of the sudden forfeiture of survival and the fears and mental dilemma of the Jews was richly evident and genuine。 I could actually sense the tension， fear， confusion and agitation of Silbermann as he switched stations。 This is a very emotional， enlightening and a brilliant work of literature。With such striking passages and extraordinary tale of an ordinary man， I wonder how marvellously thrilling the original of this translation would be。 I highly recommend this book。Thank you HenryHolt Books for my copy！ 。。。more

Lynn Feinson ，

Powerful Kafkaesque story of a Jewish businessman trying to flee Nazi Germany。 And the author’s own story is fascinating

Jake ，

It's a really great book。 The characters feel real and authentic， and I found the main character （Otto Silbermann） to be quite relatable。 I enjoyed the book a lot more because of this。HOWEVER， the ending is awful。 It was WAY too abrupt。 It felt like there was at least one page missing （which is funny because there was actually a blank page after the ending and before the afterword。 They could have used that space！）。 I also found the ending to be confusing due to its abruptness。 I have no idea wh It's a really great book。 The characters feel real and authentic， and I found the main character （Otto Silbermann） to be quite relatable。 I enjoyed the book a lot more because of this。HOWEVER， the ending is awful。 It was WAY too abrupt。 It felt like there was at least one page missing （which is funny because there was actually a blank page after the ending and before the afterword。 They could have used that space！）。 I also found the ending to be confusing due to its abruptness。 I have no idea what it could possibly mean。 I found the ending to be so bad that it ALMOST ruined the book for me， but THANKFULLY the vast majority of the story is super gripping and well-written that I still recommend this book。If you read the book， please let me know what you think of the ending:（view spoiler）[ The ending of the book is that Otto was thrown in prison。 He desperately wants to leave。 His cellmate then replies （this is the last line in the entire book）: "'I see what you're up to，' said Schwarz （Otto's cellmate）， convinced。 'Come on and let's shout together: Jews out。。。'"。What is this even supposed to mean？！？！？！？！？！ I feel like I'm missing one last page！ Feel free to leave a comment or message me on what you thought of the ending。 I'm genuinely curious what other people think about it （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Joy ，

Kristallnacht or 'The Night of Broken Glass' in November 1938 which saw Jewish businesses ransacked， homes vandalized， arrest and killings in Nazi Germany is chillingly depicted here。 We follow the descent of Jewish German Otto Silbermann from a wealthy comfortable existence as a married merchant with good community standing to a frantic frenetic search for an escape from SS SA party members and his country。 In the turn of a moment， everything has changed。 Those not implicated shrug or take adva Kristallnacht or 'The Night of Broken Glass' in November 1938 which saw Jewish businesses ransacked， homes vandalized， arrest and killings in Nazi Germany is chillingly depicted here。 We follow the descent of Jewish German Otto Silbermann from a wealthy comfortable existence as a married merchant with good community standing to a frantic frenetic search for an escape from SS SA party members and his country。 In the turn of a moment， everything has changed。 Those not implicated shrug or take advantage of the desperate situation Jews suddenly find themselves in。 Anybody can denounce them or turn them in。 Questions of why didn't we leave sooner。 Answer: we never imagined things would get this bad。 The foreword by André Aciman and afterword by revisor and translator Philip Boehm are useful for understanding the social climate of that time as well as learning about the extraordinary life circumstances of author Ulrich Boschwitz。 Even his German manuscript has had a labyrinthine journey。Writing this in 1938 in Paris， Boschwitz seems almost prescient in foretelling how horrific things could further get for Jewish people in Germany such as when the waiter of a cafe casually suggests that there should be an easy way to identify a Jew such as getting them all to wear a yellow armband。 At this point in time， Jewish people already have a big red J on their German passports identifying them。 Otto Silbermann has a relatively easier time of it than his other Jewish counterparts due to not having distinctly Jewish facial features， he is able at times to pass himself off as Aryan and gets pressed into these prosaic conversations or chess games with unsuspecting party members on the train。 One guileless artless woman flirts with him on the train and then asks him why the Jews don't fight back upon learning of his predicament。 Part of the banal horror of the situation is that while his life and other Jews' have been utterly upturned， their rights and personhood trampled， Germans are going about their everyday lives unperturbed。This literary form of having Silbermann take train journeys crisscrossing Germany but ultimately reaching the despairing conclusion that his escape efforts are futile is very effective。 We as readers feel the noose tightening and the options dwindling。 Poor Silbermann becomes extremely sleep deprived as no hotel or guest houses are willing to accept Jewish guests。 His Christian brother-in-law also turns him away for fear of being implicated。 He exists in limbo in a liminal state。 Interestingly， when he bumps into an older Jewish acquaintance who latches onto him like a limpet for safety， Silbermann shakes him off because this acquaintance's very Jewish features and loud voice would draw unwanted attention。 Silbermann also wrestles with the catch-22 problem of not breaking the law by bringing large currency out of Germany and the host country requiring the refugee to have the monetary means to support themselves。 This too reminds all of us why we currently have international asylum agreements， because during this ignominious period and later during the 'final solution' when desperate Jews were fleeing， countries throughout Europe and the United States were slamming their doors shut。https://www。history。com/topics/holoca。。。 。。。more

Lorie ，

It's a story of a Jewish man forced to leave his home as the Nazis are starting to arrest Jews。 He Keeps taking train rides to avoid getting caught。It was interesting and sad to read what was happening to the Jewish people at that time。 It's a story of a Jewish man forced to leave his home as the Nazis are starting to arrest Jews。 He Keeps taking train rides to avoid getting caught。It was interesting and sad to read what was happening to the Jewish people at that time。 。。。more

Sarah Schuelke ，

This book is so necessary to read if you are a fan of WW2 books。 Getting a fresh view of how Germans were reacting to the Nazis。 Seeing the perspective of someone living and trying to survive what they thought would be just temporary。 It is amazing and very true for our current situation。

Rich Gee ，

Fascinating tale of a German Jew trying to flee Germany in 1938 while loyal to both his religion and his country。 The author portrays Germans as both innocent and farcical and nefarious。 A good read from a forgotten author killed well before his time。

Adele ，

I received an advanced copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review。 I have read WWII historical fiction， but this is the first historical fiction I've read about Germany just prior to the outbreak of the war。 What a startling account of Otto Silbermann's mindset as he lived the life of The Fugitive， his only crime being Jewish。 This is a short novel that speeds along as quickly as Silbermann's train rides。。。recommended reading for anyone interested in the culture o I received an advanced copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review。 I have read WWII historical fiction， but this is the first historical fiction I've read about Germany just prior to the outbreak of the war。 What a startling account of Otto Silbermann's mindset as he lived the life of The Fugitive， his only crime being Jewish。 This is a short novel that speeds along as quickly as Silbermann's train rides。。。recommended reading for anyone interested in the culture of the times in 1930's Germany， or how a society can turn on a segment of itself。 Although written in 1938， the prose was fresh and could just as well been written in 2021， with （unfortunately） a modern message。 。。。more

Tony Parsons ，

11/1938， Berlin， Germany。 Otto Silbermann （Jewish respected businessman） & Becker were once soldiers & then became business partners。 Silbermann provided the funds & built the company from the ground up through hard work。 The 2 of them worked together for 20 yrs。The Jewish shops have been ransacked/looted， & the synagogues destroyed。 As storm troopers’ pound on his door， Otto sneaks out the back door of his own home。 He wasn’t worried about Elfriede Silbermann （wife）。Otto boarded a train & never 11/1938， Berlin， Germany。 Otto Silbermann （Jewish respected businessman） & Becker were once soldiers & then became business partners。 Silbermann provided the funds & built the company from the ground up through hard work。 The 2 of them worked together for 20 yrs。The Jewish shops have been ransacked/looted， & the synagogues destroyed。 As storm troopers’ pound on his door， Otto sneaks out the back door of his own home。 He wasn’t worried about Elfriede Silbermann （wife）。Otto boarded a train & never to look back。Inside 1 suitcase is Otto’s vast $41，500 marks he acquired。 His journey from city/city aboard several trains brings him in contact with all walks of life， as well as the constant threat of the Nazi regime。I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors。 Therefore， I am under no obligation to write a positive review， only an honest one。 An awesome book cover， great font & writing style。 A very professionally written Nazi Germany book。 It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment。 There were no grammar/typo errors， nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences。 Lots of exciting scenarios， with several twists/turns & a huge description list of unique characters， settings， facts etc。 to keep track of。 This could also make another great Nazi Germany movie， or better yet a mini-TV series。 There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars。 Thank you for the free author （s）; Metropolitan Books; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; hardcover book Tony Parsons MSW （Washburn）t 。。。more

Newreader Nancy ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Unusual book。 Showed how the tensions leading up to WWII could make Jewish German's lose touch with reality and behave in unusual manner。 Otto Silberman couldn't face losing his business and leave Germany early。 By the time he realized that as a Jew he would be rounded up by the German's he couldn't leave as he didn't have a visa to leave the country。 He travelled for days on trains from one city to the next as he couldn't decide what to do。 Unusual book。 Showed how the tensions leading up to WWII could make Jewish German's lose touch with reality and behave in unusual manner。 Otto Silberman couldn't face losing his business and leave Germany early。 By the time he realized that as a Jew he would be rounded up by the German's he couldn't leave as he didn't have a visa to leave the country。 He travelled for days on trains from one city to the next as he couldn't decide what to do。 。。。more

Megan ，

The Passenger was a tremendous novel。 Written by Ulrich Boschwitz following the Kristallnacht pogroms， this novel examines identity， justice， and humanity of a snapshot of different German people。 The story follows Otto Silbermann， a German Jew， in the aftermath of a raid on his apartment。 Silbermann flees and eventually ends up on a train。 He rides all over the country， trying to decide what to do next， how to escape the horrendous crimes being committed against Jewish people。 Along the way he The Passenger was a tremendous novel。 Written by Ulrich Boschwitz following the Kristallnacht pogroms， this novel examines identity， justice， and humanity of a snapshot of different German people。 The story follows Otto Silbermann， a German Jew， in the aftermath of a raid on his apartment。 Silbermann flees and eventually ends up on a train。 He rides all over the country， trying to decide what to do next， how to escape the horrendous crimes being committed against Jewish people。 Along the way he meets all sorts of people， yet Silbermann becomes more and more agitated and the reader sees the psychological despair he falls into。 Silbermann is German， fought in WWI for Germany， loves his country， and is devastated at the gross betrayal of his country。 “Who or rather what am I now anyway？ he asked himself。 Am I still Silbermann， Otto Silbermann the merchant？”There are so many books about WWII， the Holocaust; however， this book is unique as it was written by a Jewish man who was processing the pogroms， in real time。 Boschwitz offers his readers something that I haven’t come across much in other books covering this history—a true psychological reflection of what a Jewish person went through when everything was taken away from them。 Boschwitz’s writing is superb。 The reader feels Silbermann’s agitation， his pain， and his confusion。 You are swaying along side him on the trains， observing the other passengers， wondering if they can be trusted。 This was quite frankly， an excellent novel。 Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more

J。 Harding ，

A great read。

Anthony Lipmann ，

My ears pricked up when I had heard Nick Robinson on BBC's Radio 4 'Today' programme （not an arts or literary slot） interviewing someone from Pushkin Press about the release of this title - 'The Passenger' - by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz。 I just caught the words， 'Germany 1938'， 'Kristallnacht'， 'sent to Australia'， 'torpedoed'。。。I knew only one vessel was sent to Australia from Britain in 1940 （HMT Dunera） as my father and his brother were on it。 I did not know the young author of 'The Passenge My ears pricked up when I had heard Nick Robinson on BBC's Radio 4 'Today' programme （not an arts or literary slot） interviewing someone from Pushkin Press about the release of this title - 'The Passenger' - by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz。 I just caught the words， 'Germany 1938'， 'Kristallnacht'， 'sent to Australia'， 'torpedoed'。。。I knew only one vessel was sent to Australia from Britain in 1940 （HMT Dunera） as my father and his brother were on it。 I did not know the young author of 'The Passenger' was one of the 2542 assorted Jewish refugees （mainly）， Nazis， and Italian POWs who were being transported after classification as 'enemy aliens'。 Boschwitz had by this time written the key work of his life in 1938 before his escape to Britain but it had not received much traction， even though it was translated into English at the time。 It describes without advantage of what was to come the descent into darkness for Jews trapped in Germany。 Its central character is a ship scrapper， Otto Silbermann and the book describes the sudden collapse of all normality into the orchestrated vilification of Jews and removal of all social standing。 Kristallnacht， the book shows， was the turning-point， the legitimization of hatred。 But the book's success is to show how this is felt by its subject， not in recollection but in its midst as the noose tightens around all vestige of ordinary German life。 Otto， like relatives of mine， had fought in the 1st World War， their patriotism was not at issue， they had successful businesses， but were now outcasts。 My father was released from internment into the Australian Army and returned to England in 1947 at the age of 30。 My uncle stayed on in Australia building a new life and business。 Boschwitz was released to return to England in 1942 but was torpedoed off the Azores and died aged 27。 。。。more

Marcia ，

4。5*

Anke Smith ，

This book hits hard。 It shows the whole panorama of the horrors that followed after Kristal Nacht。 How in earth could have anyone of sane mind have even imagined at what was to come？So many Jewish German Citizens were beyond blindsided as were many ‘ordinary’ Germans。 The book is wonderful in giving a view into the different personalities that exist everywhere and that there is never a black or white but that the grey shades rule。 It also shows how intimidation and paranoia can take down a whole This book hits hard。 It shows the whole panorama of the horrors that followed after Kristal Nacht。 How in earth could have anyone of sane mind have even imagined at what was to come？So many Jewish German Citizens were beyond blindsided as were many ‘ordinary’ Germans。 The book is wonderful in giving a view into the different personalities that exist everywhere and that there is never a black or white but that the grey shades rule。 It also shows how intimidation and paranoia can take down a whole country and even silence those who are horrified at what they witness。 The hero in this story is also portrait humanely in strenght and flaws。 I will never understand what drives people but I know that not taking a stand for those that are discriminated against is not an option。 。。。more

Gregory Stevens ，

Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book with a black-and-white cover。This book was exceptional。 It takes place during the rise of the Nazi party。 Jews are having property taken and arrested with no charges。 I felt the fear and frustration and confusion of Otto Silbermann。 I can't imagine living under those conditions。 The story of how the book was found was just as interesting。 Careful with this one。 It made my blood boil。 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book with a black-and-white cover。This book was exceptional。 It takes place during the rise of the Nazi party。 Jews are having property taken and arrested with no charges。 I felt the fear and frustration and confusion of Otto Silbermann。 I can't imagine living under those conditions。 The story of how the book was found was just as interesting。 Careful with this one。 It made my blood boil。 。。。more

Tom ，

Just excellent。 95% interior monologue as The Passenger， Silbermann， rides the rails， worries， loses things on the trains， in his life， his business， no way out。 Frightening， horrific encounters with strangers， old colleagues， old friends， family， and good surprising encounters with strangers and friends and acquaintances and police。 All just so powerful， so perfectly presented。 Utterly brilliant。

Cj Zawacki ，

The Passenger was written by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz， and translated by Philip Boehm。 Boschwitz died in 1942 after escaping Nazi Germany to Sweden。 Moving to London， he was classified as an " enemy alien" and interned on the Isle of Man with thousands of other German refugees at the start of the war。 Deported to Australia with other Jewish refugees and moved into a prison camp。 He was reclassified as a "friendly alien" after the attack on Pearl Harbor and freed。 Returning to England with othe The Passenger was written by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz， and translated by Philip Boehm。 Boschwitz died in 1942 after escaping Nazi Germany to Sweden。 Moving to London， he was classified as an " enemy alien" and interned on the Isle of Man with thousands of other German refugees at the start of the war。 Deported to Australia with other Jewish refugees and moved into a prison camp。 He was reclassified as a "friendly alien" after the attack on Pearl Harbor and freed。 Returning to England with others， his ship was torpedoed by a German submarine and killed at twenty-seven。 In the last letter to his mother， he requested his manuscript be rewritten if anything should befall him。 Years later a niece found his original German typescript in an archive and is now translated by Philip Boehm。What the story consists of is a first-person depiction of a Jewish businessman name Of Otto Silverman。 Married to a Christian wife， a successful businessman until Storm Troopers knock on his door。 barely escaping out a backdoor， Silverman beings a journey traveling across Germany on trains， seeking an existence from the nightmare of a society closing in on his every move。 This is a very insightful novel of the terror many had to have faced after Kristallnacht when the Nazi Movement became a reality。 。。。more

Zeb Kantrowitz ，

This book was written in 1938 at a time when Jews in Germany were finding that it was almost too late to get out of the country。 Boschwitz himself was able to get out to England， but after the war started he was shipped to Australia as an "enemy alien"。 In 1942 he was being repatriated to England when the ship he was on was torpedoes and Ulrich died with all 361 passengers。 His edited manuscript was with him on the ship， so only his original draft survives。On of the problems with translation is This book was written in 1938 at a time when Jews in Germany were finding that it was almost too late to get out of the country。 Boschwitz himself was able to get out to England， but after the war started he was shipped to Australia as an "enemy alien"。 In 1942 he was being repatriated to England when the ship he was on was torpedoes and Ulrich died with all 361 passengers。 His edited manuscript was with him on the ship， so only his original draft survives。On of the problems with translation is that you many times lose context （especially in a seventy year old book） and nuances that were standard at the time but are unknown to us today。 A lot of this book is autobiographical or happened to people that Boschwitz had met during his detention。 The body of the book reminds me of Sartres' "No Exit" （he would have loved that comparison）， no matter where the character Otto Silberstein goes he can't get out of the country or hiding that he's Jewish。It's probably a little more meaningful to anyone who has family or themselves been driven out of their home country by some dictator who needs a scapegoat for his ineptitude。 You hear the fear in the voices of all the characters as they speak about the National Socialists even though most of them admit to being members of the Party。 This is a worthwhile read for anyone who wants to see how people can cope with almost anything。 。。。more

Cheryl ，

I suppose this was one way to escape the Nazis， but train after train after train would make me batshit crazy after a while！

Tom ，

Prophetic， thought-provoking and very sad

Claire ，

This book has a devastating and fascinating history。 The Jewish author， who fled Germany just before the outbreak of WWII， wrote and rewrote this novel， only to have the manuscript lost upon his sudden and tragic death。 70 years later， it is found， finished and published as per his wishes。 The book is a rarity， in that this novel about Jewish persecution is written by someone with first hand experience。 It brings a gravity to the words that I haven’t felt in world war fiction。 The story itself i This book has a devastating and fascinating history。 The Jewish author， who fled Germany just before the outbreak of WWII， wrote and rewrote this novel， only to have the manuscript lost upon his sudden and tragic death。 70 years later， it is found， finished and published as per his wishes。 The book is a rarity， in that this novel about Jewish persecution is written by someone with first hand experience。 It brings a gravity to the words that I haven’t felt in world war fiction。 The story itself is a whirlwind journey of Jewish man， Otto Silbermann， as he travels to escape discrimation and imprisonment in the lead up to the war。 It reads like a panicked， chaotic inner monologue， his every thought and worry splashed across the page。 And while it felt a little disjointed and repetitive， the style captures the distress and deeply unsettled nature of the time。 A Jew with the fortune of Aryan looks， Silbermann is awarded luck that isn’t granted to his friends。 His reactions to their plight bring a complexity to the story and a dark understanding of the phrase， ‘every man for himself’。 A wealthy business owner， Silbermann struggles with financial loss and loss of respect。 He clings to his money as if it’s the key to freedom - a thought-provoking and cruel side to this history。 I will say a few of the sweeping generalizations about women I don’t think have aged well with this book。 But it’s still a fast-paced， unique and compelling portrayal of Jewish pre-war Germany。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Passenger: A Novel

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Passenger: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Passenger: A Novel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0