We’ll Always Have Casablanca by Noah Isenberg

Reviewed by Jeanne

2017 marked the 75^th anniversary of the release of “Casablanca,” the iconic film starring Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Claude Raines, and Paul Henreid. Isenberg’s book, published to coincide with the milestone anniversary, is subtitled The Life, the Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie. While that may sound like hyperbole, there is certainly an argument to be made that the film deserves the title and all the accolades.

For one thing, it’s a pop culture touchstone.  Even those who have never seen Casablanca recognize quotations from the film:  “Round up the usual suspects.” “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” “Of all the gin joints in all the towns, in all the worlds, she walks into mine.”  “Here’s looking at you, kid.” Arguably the most famous one of all, “Play it again, Sam” is a bogus quote.  Ilsa says, “Play it once, Sam, for old time’s sake.  Play it, Sam.  Play As Time Goes By.”  Rick’s later line is “You played it for her, you can play it for me. . .  Play it!”

Then there’s the incredible cast. Interestingly enough, the cast did reflect the movie setting in that  there were only three American-born actors in the main cast; everyone else was an immigrant or refugee, giving a sense of authenticity to the piece.  Many of the actors had intimate knowledge of the situation, having fled Europe to escape the Nazis.  Conrad Veidt who played the villainous Major Strasser had been a major film star in Germany before he and his Jewish wife left for England. Veidt said he knew Strasser’s type well:  a man who had betrayed his friends and his country to become a somebody. He plays the character just that way.

Isenberg spends the first section of the book documenting the movie’s genesis.  Perhaps oddly, the idea germinated when a young man and his bride honeymooned in Europe; it began its literary life as a play entitled Everybody Comes to Rick’s.  Isenberg concentrates on the personalities involved, and all the fingerprints that ended up on the script.  Each person who tweaked the script had a different idea of how the movie should work, keeping in mind all the time the rigid movie code of the day.  A number of lines were altered or cut as being too suggestive. It’s also why Ilse has a line which implies that her husband is dead because otherwise she and Rick might be seen as adulterers. 

The book did begin to drag a little for me when the author started discussing other projects that referenced Casablanca, but didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the book.  However, I very much liked reading how the movie itself was received in other parts of the world: in some cases, the references to the Third Reich and Nazis were cut, shortening the movie considerably, as one might imagine.

Isenberg did credit other sources for some of his material, especially Round Up the Usual Suspects:  The Making of Casablanca by Aljean Harmetz.  First published in 1992, Harmetz was able to personally interview more of those connected with making the film.  I’m adding that book to my reading list.

In short, this is a book best read with a copy of the movie close at hand so you can check out the various scenes and characters. Some scenes may play a bit differently when the background is known, but it doesn't really detract from the film for me.  Sam can play it as many times as he likes.

17 Carnations by Andrew Morton

Reviewed by Jeanne

Andrew Morton is a British journalist best known for his celebrity biographies, most notably of the current British Royal Family.  His best known book is arguably Diana: Her True Story which caused quite the sensation when it was published in 1992. Now he has set his sights on Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson in 17 Carnations: The Royals, the Nazis, and the Biggest Cover-up in History.

Morton begins his story with an account of Edward, Prince of Wales’ youth in the staid and stuffy household of his father, George V.  The young prince was the pin up boy of his day, dreamed about by ladies young and otherwise, trend-setter, global sex symbol, and charmer.  Edward (called David by his family) chaffed under all the restrictions.  He wanted to be free to do as he pleased, and not weighed down by Duty.  As with many princes before him, part of this freedom had to do with the ladies and he engaged in a series of affairs that were open secrets in high society, though the British press of that era kept a discrete silence on the matter.

Then enter Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee who captured David’s attention.  The fact that she was currently married to her second husband just made her all the more enticing.  And to the shock of most, this infatuation showed no signs of waning.  Things came to a head after George V died.  David became Edward VIII but showed no signs of giving up on Wallis.  In fact, he wanted to marry her, which was totally unacceptable at the time.  Neither the government nor the new king would yield on that point, and so David gave up the throne for the woman he loved.

Of course, there was more to the story than that.  For several years there had been concerns about the prince’s attitude toward Hitler and the Nazis. He seemed fairly sympathetic to them, in fact, and was not at all in favor of war with Germany despite growing provocation from Hitler.  Mrs. Simpson had a number of pro-German contacts as well, including her association with Joachim von Ribbentrop who sent her 17 carnations (or roses) on several occasions.  Many in government heaved a huge sigh of relief when Edward abdicated, but the now Duke of Windsor was still able to create difficulties for England.  He and Wallis embarked on what amounted to a state visit to Germany in 1937 and met with Der Fuhrer.  Even after World War II began, there were rumors that the Windsors were in contact with the Germans and the release of various official papers after the War showed that concerns about the couple were widespread at certain levels.

Morton does a relatively good job with illustrating the Prince’s charisma and strong appeal.  His affairs and courtship of Wallis is also serviceable.  There were some interesting perspectives presented; at a few points Morton even seems somewhat sympathetic to Wallis, seeing her as someone who wanted to be a powerful mistress but not a wife entrapped by the confines of Court. However, Morton clearly portrays them both as being utterly clueless at times (best interpretation) and totally self-absorbed, petty, and childish at others. The Royal who, in my opinion, comes off particularly badly is Elizabeth, the present queen’s mother.  She detested Wallis and made no secret of her disdain for the couple, and seemed prone to tantrums.  It crossed my mind that some of Morton’s view may have been influenced by his connection with Diana but I have no proof of that. 

However, the last third of the book is an attempt to justify the subtitle of the book (“the biggest cover-up in history”) and what had been an entertaining book turned very dry.  This rather sordid little episode was too well known to be a real cover-up and while Morton finds many people who believed that the Windsors bought into Hitler’s plan to install them as King and Queen after conquering England, he doesn’t find the smoking gun proof.  The big cover-up?  That the U.S. and other countries turned over documents to England that could have proved been considered embarrassing or worse. To paraphrase Casablanca’s Captain Renault, “I’m shocked, shocked to learn that governments don’t always make public potentially compromising documents!”

The first part of the book is interesting. Morton does an especially good job at conveying how popular and influential the Prince of Wales was prior to the abdication.  I hadn't realized quite how charismatic he was, a virtual rock star of the era. The sections concerning Winston Churchill are also well done:  Churchill was both fond of and admiring of Edward, despite the young man’s views on Germany and the approaching war. Where the book fails is in producing any great revelations.  Even a casual reader about the Royal Family would know most of the story already, except perhaps for some specific anecdotes.  What the book lacks is perfect proof: while various German official documents indicate Duke and Duchess would be interested in becoming monarchs, there’s nothing from the couple themselves. Other German sources indicate they may kidnap the Duke and Duchess, which certainly doesn’t sound as if the authors are certain of the Windsors.  Even the main title is vague.  While it is known that Von Ribbentrop sent Wallis seventeen flowers, the significance of the number or flower isn’t known. There’s a bit of speculation but that’s it.

For those who have read little or nothing about the Royals and the Nazis, this book can be informative.  However, I didn’t find that it had much new to offer, and that may have been my problem:  I kept waiting for some amazing revelation which never came.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Reviewed by Meygan

Before I begin my book review, I want to explain why I chose to reread this book. At the Bristol Public Library, we skim through the pages to make sure no important documents are left behind before we reshelf the books. One day, in my hand I held a copy of Anne Frank’s diary. It was a required reading when I was in school, but that was many years ago and I couldn’t remember how the book impacted my reading when I was a child. I told myself that I would eventually reread it one day. Just as I was about to shelve the book, I notice there was a small piece of paper in the front pages. It read,

Dear Reader,

Though I have never seen or met you, I suppose there is a fairly good chance that this book was imposed upon you by a school teacher. Even if you despise reading, I think you will find this book to be highly interesting, and a beautiful and rare portrait of a young girl.

Once you have completed the book, tuck a note of your own inside the pages. Tell the next reader what you thought of the book, and instruct them to do the same. Enjoy the book!

-The Doctor (Excuse my atrocious handwriting)

I didn’t want The Diary of a Young Girl to become a book that I read once and filled it away forever. So I checked it out that day and I am so glad I did.

I am going to assume that everyone knows that Anne and her family lived in a secret annex for over two years, hidden away from the Nazis during WWII. Some people may remember Anne and her family for being found and killed in the concentration camps. But what some people may not remember Anne for is living. Anne Frank was wise beyond her years. I can’t imagine being 13 years old and having to hide from the world. Puberty is difficult for a young girl anyways, but not being to surround yourself with your peers and having to put on a “mask” to please 8 other people you live with would make anyone feel like they are going insane. 

The family dynamics can be surprising. Even though Anne respected her mother, they didn’t have a close bond. She was much closer to her father and absolutely adored him, even when she could feel them drifting apart. Another part you may find fascinating is Anne’s optimism. Sure, she vents about fights between the families and how she wishes to go outside and to school again, but she remains hopeful that the war will end soon and she and her family will be free. Unfortunately, Anne died of typhus just two months prior to the end of WWII. 

As I previously mentioned, Anne was highly intelligent. She loved reading about mythology and of course, she loved to write. “Who would ever think that so much can go on in the soul of a young girl?” Anne wrote in her diary. Anne’s diary provided us fun details such as her getting to have another dinner with her family and how she oh so badly wanted to become a young woman! Readers also get to experience the moments of horror when burglars break into the building they are hiding in and the families think they have been found. Thanks to her diary, Anne proved that a lot of information takes place in the mind of a young girl. Actually, Anne’s father cut many passages out about Anne’s mother and Anne becoming very familiar with her teenage hormones and body. But the passages were later on added to the diary for publication, especially after additional pages of her diary were found. 

Anne also wrote, “I want to go on living even after my death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that is in me.” Anne did just that. Her diary has forever impacted the world and has taught us the true terror of the holocaust. Because of her diary, her voice will never die out. 

If you have already read The Diary of a Young Girl, I urge you to read it again. It is not a satisfying read. We know that Anne did not survive the concentration camps, but we still can’t help to feel hope that Anne will be recused. Even though I knew her ending, I felt like someone stabbed me in the heart when I read about Anne’s death. I am glad I read it now that I am older so I can truly appreciate her remarkable memoir. I have a different perspective when I reread this book as an adult. I believe as a child, I focused more on Anne’s tragic ending and how devastating it was that she was found. But when I reread her diary, I felt a deeper appreciation for Anne because I can remember dealing with my 13 year old feelings, and how difficult it was to be a teenage girl at times when all I wanted to do was grow up and become an adult.  

I will leave you with the most perfect words I have ever read about Anne’s diary, said by Ernst Schnable: “Her voice was preserved out of the millions that were silenced, this voice no louder than a child’s whisper… It has outlasted the shouts of the murderers and has soared above the voices of time.”

Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale and Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman

Reviewed by Meygan

“No, darling! To die, it’s easy. But you have to struggle to live! Until the last moment we must struggle together! I need you! And you’ll see that together we’ll survive. This always I told to her.”

In his autobiographical book, Maus, Art Spiegelman uses his relationship with his father and his father’s past to create an amazing work.  Spiegelman’s father, Vladek, is a holocaust survivor and that experience has deeply affected his life and that of his son. Vladek is quite the character and the book’s comic relief comes in the form of father and son bickering about everything: when Vladek should take his medicines, how often Art should come to visit his father, Vladek’s new wife, and the list goes on and on.  The book flashes back and forth between past and present but is done smoothly and with perfect timing. Vladek begins by telling Art about how he met Anya, Art’s mother, and how profound their love was. Anya’s parents were extremely wealthy, so Art and Anya were under the impression that they would be well taken care of. However, even the wealthiest people couldn’t escape the Nazi’s clutches. Vladek and Anya both escape the ghetto they were forced to live in, frightened about what their next move will be. They endure starvation, harsh weather conditions, and constantly have to watch their every move so they are not spotted for being Polish Jews. While book one does not end well for Vladek and Anya, book two takes on a more sinister twist. 

So what made me read this? Well, Maus was a required reading when I was an undergraduate student. I read the first one, but not the second.  I admit I was a little surprised with I first picked it up because it was in a graphic novel format. That ended up being one of my favorite parts about the book, the unusual way he uses to tell his father’s story.   He uses different animals to represent races (Jews are mice, Nazi’s are cats, French are frogs, Pollocks are pigs, and gypsies are moths). I was curious as to why Spiegelman did this, assuming that perhaps he used animals so his father’s tale wouldn’t appear as distressing to readers (after all, the book had to sell). But I found a better opinion on Shmoop.com. Spiegelman used mice to represent how Jews were viewed as pests, how cats/Nazis were the predators, and the pigs were used because Nazi’s often referred to Pollocks as pigs. 

Spiegelman does a superb job of establishing the emotional attachment from the reader to the characters. The book can be quite grueling, but there is some humor to make it easier. I appreciate Spiegelman’s honesty about how difficult it is to be a child of a holocaust survivor and how difficult it is to be a father of a child who doesn’t know the first thing about being a holocaust survivor.  The two different aspects complement one another in Maus.  After reading both books, without hesitation I would place Maus in my top 20 of all time. I was disappointed to see that there isn’t a book three because I did have questions that weren’t answered, but perhaps Vladek’s story was better left as is.