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Title:
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Stasiland |
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Authors:
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Funder, Anna |
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Genre:
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Non Fiction |
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Pages:
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288 |
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Year:
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2002 |
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Language:
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English |
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Description:
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During its forty-year-history, the former East Germany was the perfect police state. The secret police, known as the Stasi, had organised a large army of citizen informers. Funder, an Australian author, sets out to establish how it felt to live in "the most perfected surveillance state of all time". Her careful portraits of the people she meets, shine a dazzling light on one of the world's most paranoid and secretive regimes, and its effects on contemporary society.
Comments from Groups: Well structured with narrator and personal stories and history. A book to get your teeeth into. Taupo 004 This book left a powerful impact on the group and provoked lots of discussion. Everyone rated it very highly. Christchurch 031 Fascinating insight into a totalitarian regime. Good mixture of interviews, background information, analysis and personal involvement. Jervois 001 Serious subject matter but read almost like a novel. Rivetting. Upper Hutt 003 Very good journalistic investigation. Well written - almost poetic in places. ..Raised profound issues. Dunedin 029 Much discussion on East Germany, Berlin Wall, injustices for people. Sad and tragic experiences for people. Very good read. Invercargill 003
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Categories:
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Non fiction, Award winner, Historical, Germany |
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Reviews
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By: DUNED 006
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2025-07-07 11:37:00 |
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Everyone found this book fascinating, chilling, informative, and well-written. We had a long discussion as a result of it. |
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By: DUNED 100
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2024-06-12 14:11:33 |
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Almost everyone in our group found this fascinating and it sparked a wide ranging discussion. |
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By: WELL 134
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2022-01-25 13:45:24 |
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Several of our group found this book hard work - content, style and names, particularly of the men. Three of us who are particularly interested in history, could view the book in the light of what happened to people in East Germany during the years of the Stasi. It also reminded us of 'Burying the Typewriter' which we read last year, another regime of fear and misery for the populace. |
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By: DUNED 044
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2022-01-25 13:36:17 |
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A hard read, but found very interesting by those of us who finished the book. |
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By: CHCH 005
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2022-01-25 13:35:25 |
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While some people thought it was lacklustre, it generated much discussion. |
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By: GREYT 001
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2022-01-25 13:33:36 |
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A powerful and chilling read. Great insight into just a little of how life was under the G.D.R. Funder's writing was often beautiful, but she was still able to convey the harsh, brutal life lived by many under the Stasi regime. 4.5 was unanimous. |
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By: NORTH 003
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2022-01-25 13:29:47 |
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2 members did not like the book, but everyone else was glad to have learnt so much about East Germany, and the pre-wall, post-wall era. Some members wondered if it could ever happen here. |
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By: TURA 003
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2022-01-25 13:27:37 |
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The guys really liked the book. |
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By: AUCK 065
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2022-01-21 14:55:28 |
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An amazing book. None of us had any idea of life in the East and found it fascinating to see both sides; informed against, and informers. A book everyone should read. |
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By: PALMN 029
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2021-07-19 15:40:53 |
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Really interesting to hear the stories from the other side of the wall and to put history in more perspective. Anna Funder really tries to bring all our senses into the story, with visceral descriptions of sight, sound, and smell. It is hard not to compare the past to current situations in the world and to think what kind of choices we would make, or are making. |
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