The Night in Lisbon

I couldn't stop reading! This book evokes a lot of emotions and is expertly written. It has adventure, intrique, suspense--even a nasty brother-in-law. I would defintely recommend it.

Die Nacht von Lissabon is a story of a life and a love as told to a total stranger during a long night spent talking in various bars and brothels of Lissabon, 1942. The prize for listening to the men's story is life itself - two passports with American visas that all immingrants are waiting for at this island of hope and hopelessness. Of why a men would renounce these treasures for virtually nothing we will find out as his story as unfolds through the pages of the novel. Prisons, false papers and continous feeling of danger - a life of an immigrant. Two ordinary people, husband and wife, in an extraordinary situation as they find each other's love again in the midst of war. The book will keep you thinking about what is really important in life and reminding you that happiness is always relative - it can come when least expected but might leave you when you supposedly have everyghing you need. I can recommend the book to everybody looking for an emotionally touching and interesting story. You won't be disappointed.

We've all been in the situation of being in a restaurant or a bar and overhearing a conversation that has peaked our interest. We strain to hear the whole conversation, the story being woven, perhaps to live vicariously through the narrator or simply because being curious is human nature. Imagine being in that situation only in a different time: the very early stages of World War II, and a different place: Lisbon, Portugal. And, imagine that the person you are listening to is telling his story during this tumultuous time, from a perspective that is often forgotten, from that of a refugee.This work of fiction is an intriguing tale of a man's struggle to re-enter Germany to find his wife after fleeing for his life about a year prior and then their flight to Portugal to obtain passage on a ship to the United States.I only read this book after reading Remarque's "All Quite on the Western Front". I was quite disappointed with that work and was left wondering why it is considered to be such a great story. Wondering if Remarque was overrated or truly the great author that I failed to see, I went to the library and checked out what would become my favorite work of fiction. I have since read the book three times and enjoy it as much as the first read each time through it. There are, to me, three elements of "The Night in Lisbon" that make this a great work: the plot, the characters and the style.When one imagines the plot of a story set in or around WWII, the first thing to come to mind is probably something along the lines of a heroic tale from the front lines or a valiant struggle for survival in the skies over Germany in a crippled bomber. While these tales often lead to great stories, a completely different spin on WWII makes "The Night In Lisbon" unique and intriguing. Remarque's plot revolves around a German refugee not trying to escape because of his religious affiliation but purely for his political beliefs. While it is never clearly explained why our hero is an enemy of the Reich, the reader is able to draw some conclusions from the dialog. It is this man's struggle to re-enter his homeland from which he was exiled to find his young wife and take her back to Portugal with him is what exists as the core of the plot. His journeys through Switzerland, Austria, France and Spain alone and with his wife pull the reader into the book, hoping he and his wife survive French prisons, encounters with German soldiers, border guards and a particularly deadly enemy that cannot be seen. This is truly an involving story that leaves the reader wishing for more once the book is finished.As with plot, characters and their emotions provide substance to a story. With weak characters and unrelatable emotions, the plot can often become moot. Remarque masters both in "The Night In Lisbon" providing a protagonist (Schwarz) for whom we hope for the best and a tale of love that shows just how strong this emotion can be. The reader can understand how Schwarz feels and his m

This book packed a great story in a short amount of pages. I liked the way the story was presented -- through a speaker. I was sorry finishing this book because I really liked the characters, their unique situation, and will miss them. I also gained an insight on what it must have been like to have been a refugee during World War II. Also there are some powerful "life observations" that are presented to the reader. This book is one of Remarque's best. Highly recommended.

I highly recommend this book to all lovers of All Quiet on the Western Front. It is an enchanting story of love and death set in the late '30's and early 40's during the Hitler years in Europe. Remarque's story conveys the same detached style which makes All Quiet such a powerful condemnation of war. It should be in print- it's that good