Geneseo Public Library
In the Garden of Beasts is a vivid portrait of Berlin during the first years of
Hitler’s reign, brought to life through the stories of two people: William E.
Dodd, who in 1933 became America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime, and his
scandalously carefree daughter, Martha. Ambassador Dodd, an unassuming and
scholarly man, is an odd fit among the extravagance of the Nazi elite. His
frugality annoys his fellow Americans in the State Department and Dodd’s
growing misgivings about Hitler’s ambitions fall on deaf ears among his peers,
who are content to “give Hitler everything he wants.” Martha, on the other
hand, is mesmerized by the glamorous parties and the high-minded conversation
of Berlin’s salon society—and flings herself headlong into numerous affairs
with the city’s elite, most notably the head of the Gestapo and a Soviet spy.
Both become players in the exhilarating (and terrifying) story of Hitler’s
obsession for absolute power, which culminates in the events of one murderous
night, later known as “the Night of Long Knives.” The rise of Nazi Germany is a
well-chronicled time in history, which makes In the Garden of Beasts all
the more remarkable. Erik Larson has crafted a gripping, deeply-intimate
narrative with a climax that reads like the best political thriller, where we
are stunned with each turn of the page, even though we already know the
outcome.
Questions:
1.
William Dodd went to Germany believing that Hitler would have a positive
influence on Germany. Why were so many at first enamored of Nazism and willing
"to give Hitler everything he wants"?
2. How
would you describe German society at the time of the Dodd Family's arrival in
Berlin? Talk about the ways in which Germany appeared to be a modern, civilized
society...and, of course, the way in which that appearance was at odds with
reality.
3. What
was it that made Dodd begin to suspect the rumors he had been hearing
about Nazi brutality were true?
4. Why
did Dodd's—and numerous others'—warnings about Hitler fall on indifferent ears
in the US? What was the primary concern of the US in its relationship
with Germany? Was the US stance one of purposeful ignorance...or of sheer
disbelief?
5. Did
America's own anti-semitism play any role in dismissing the growing chorus of
concern ?
6. What
do you think of William Dodd? What about him do you find admirable? Were you
mildly amused or impressed by his sense of frugality?
7. What
was Dodd's reputation among the "old hands" at the State Department?
What role does class play in how he was viewed by his diplomatic peers?
8. What
about Martha? What do you find in her character to admire...or not? Did she
purposely allow herself to be blinded by Udet and Rudolf Diels...or was she
truly dazzled by their charms? Her promiscuity could have made her a serious
liability. Were you surprised that her parents seemed untroubled by her
multiple love affairs, or that they didn't try to reign in her behavior?
9. How
does Erik Larson portray Hitler in his book? Does he humanize him...or present
him as a monster? How does he depict Goebbels and Goering...and other
higher-ups in the Nazi party?
10. How
does the fact that you know the eventual outcome of Nazi Germany affect the way
you experience the book? Does foreknowledge heighten...or lessen the story's
suspense. Either way...why?
11.
What were events/episodes you find most chilling in Larson's account of the
rise of Nazism?
12.
What have learned about the period leading up the World War II that you hadn't
known? What surprised you? What confirmed things you already knew?
13. Is
this a good read? If you've read other books by Larson, how does this compare?
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