The Director - Daniel Kehlmann
I read this in mid-February and never got around to writing up a review of it. Since it's now been longlisted for the International Booker Prize I thought I should have something on the blog, so here is a transcription of my notes from my reading journal.
I only read this because a Booktok friend hasn't stopped talking about it for weeks, and I'm glad I finally relented.
Historical fiction doesn't often work for me, especially when it's about a real person who I know nothing about. This doesn't read like historical fiction, though. I was halfway through the book before I realise that G.W. Pabst actually existed (something I'm mildly ashamed of as a self-professed lover of classic cinema).
I suspect that not knowing anything about Pabst or his life made this more impactful than it might otherwise have been, as I wasn't expecting any of the developments. The opening had me ready to read about an immigrant director's journey through Hollywood. I wasn't expecting a powerful novel about life under Nazi rule and the moral struggle of artists attempting to continue their craft while being forced to work under the Reich's propaganda machine. This is a book I'm going to be thinking about for a while.
After reading this I watched one of Pabst's films, Paracelsus, and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm going to seek out more of his work, and will also likely read more Kehlmann.