Summary of The OppermansÂ
âThe Oppermansâ by Lion Feuchtwanger chronicles the story of a wealthy family in Berlin, confronted with the rise of the Nazis in the early 1930s. The brothers Opperman know how to live a good life in Berlin: Martin manages the family business, Edgar is a celebrated surgeon, and Gustav is the intellectual âbon vivantâ of the family, devoting his life to the arts and his girlfriends. They share a deep disdain for the upcoming Nazis, whom they view as uncultured barbarians. However, their Jewish roots expose them to the realities of discrimination and persecution.
Reasons to read The OppermansÂ
âThe Oppermansâ is an intimate portrait of daily life in Berlin during the early 1930s. Lion Feuchtwanger was a best-selling German author and one of the earliest German opposers of Nazism. His books were banned and somehow never fully regained the public attention that they deserve. A visionary book, âThe Oppermansâ was written shortly before the Nazis seized power. Soon after, several events described in the book came true. Other notable books by Feuchtwanger are âSuccessâ and âJud SĂźĂâ.
Original title: Die Geschwister Oppermann
Year of publication: 1934
Nr of pages: 416
