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Doppelgänger
Marc J. Seifer
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Seifer’s novel has admirable ambition and he crosses genres ably in his quest to tell a large-scale story. Using an impressive amount of research, the author paints a wide panorama which includes an inside look at Nazi Germany as a Jewish family struggles to maintain their small prestigious airline in an anti-Semitic environment. But this book is not just rooted in the past. There is also a modern story, a search by the protagonist, news reporter Rudy Styne, to uncover a master hacker who is attempting to take over the internet as he is also moved to discover who is German double is and who his biological parents really are. Yes, there are a number of diverse paths in this complex tale, but have faith! Seifer deftly brings all the threads together in a satisfying way that enriches the reader, not only because he or she gets to learn a lot about real history, namely how both world wars were conducted from the German perspective, but also experience the complex emotional strain of a family doing their best to maintain their assets and survive in a hostile environment. Compilation of comments from New York City book editors.
In Doppelgänger, Marc Seifer runs a story of the 20th century through German eyes together with a contemporary U.S. murder mystery set in the cyber-world. He masterfully ties the two stories together through Abe Maxwell (b. 1906) who is about 98 years old in the contemporary story. Seifer tied Abe to both Rudy Styne, the hero, from the U.S., and to Rolf Linzman, Rudy’s sometimes protagonist, of Germany.
In striking contrast to Herman Wouk who used the mythical Berel Jastrow to be his “Enduring Jew” in The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, Seifer uses Abe Maxwell. This makes for a much more meaningful understanding of this motif because Wouk’s character is converted into a “parable” whereas Seifer’s remains a full-fledged hero whose life, although improbable, remains possible. Richard Vangermeersch, Professor Emeritus from the University of Rhode Island.
- Additional reviews for Doppelgänger.
(Adobe®
Reader)
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