When I saw that Berhard Schlink had a new release coming out, I was so excited; I read The Reader back in high school and loved it.

Olga lived up to my high expectations.

As someone who is not well-acquainted with German history, I was so intrigued by the intimate view this novel provided. Additionally, Olga brought up some great questions: are some causes too grand? Should we focus on our own community and/or nation before others?

I only have a couple criticisms. Olga is divided into three parts and the narrative shift between each gave me whiplash. Also, the novel's timeline was unclear to me—like I said, I'm not familiar with German history and the book didn't provide many dates/years (at least in the first two parts).

I started off loving this but lost steam about halfway through. This sort of period-drama-love-story is just my jam so I of course finished it. Made me miss Schroder!

I really couldn't connect to the characters and the story for this book, it was actually very hard for me to finish. No fault to the author but just not for me.

I absolutely adored Olga by Bernhard Schlink. Her story spans from teenage years to her 90s and it’s fascinating to follow her love to Herbert and her life. This story was so well told, I couldn’t put it down and I am still thinking about Olga.

Thank you to Netgalley and the HarperVia for sending an ARC. Olga was a thought provoking read that kept my attention throughout. Schlink’s excellent writing is new to me and Olga has prompted my investigating his earlier works.

The story was well plotted (including a few twists) and depicted a world that was artfully described. Olga and her love Herbert seem ill fated in large part due to Herbert’s wanderlust. Other aspects of Olga’s life come into focus, teaching “fostering” a young child and singing replace her never ending longing for a full relationship with her absent love. Herbert’s absence became a bit tiresome but the story behind his adventures kept my attention to last page.

I will read more of Schlink’s writing before I comment on where this novel fits into his worldview but as a stand-alone read, Olga is worth the time.

This book was a slow burn and wasn't the book for me. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to preview this title. I was excited to read this because I absolutely loved THE READER by this author. This is a slow and delicious read with careful and purposeful language that depict characters that draw you in. It's not a "sweeping romance" in a Gone With the Wind kind of way. It is instead the story of how love can bridge time and distance. There is lot to digest here in terms of politics and history adding to the depth of the novel. I recommend for adult readers without hesitation.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"A sweeping novel of love and passion...."

Well, maybe not so much ... although the story covered a generation of world events and politics, the narrative and characters were rather single- sided and I was not deeply vested in them.

2.75☆

This novel was beautifully written and constructed. It is told in three parts - different points of view and a part consisting of letters. The topic is a fictional woman, Olga, who seems like a real person. Bernhard Schlink has masterfully created a fully developed and interesting character. Her life is recounted without drama or hyperbole but with clear and beautiful language, great scenes and succinct dialogue. I loved the structure of the book; it is smart and interesting and serves to shine different lights on Olga's life. This story will stay with me for a long time.

I always try to give new books I read the benefit of any doubt. This book, Olga, was a huge miss for me. I found none of the characters interesting. I was irritated at Olga for constantly waiting for Herbert. I was angry at Herbert for being self absorbed and gallivanting off to every place his heart desired. I found the characters flat and one dimensional. This book was not for me.

Olga
By Bernhard Schlink
This is the story of Olga, a young girl born into early 20th century poverty. It follows her from her birth to death, with rich details of her life and history in between. It’s a story of dreams, love, hardships, loss and loneliness.

Overall, I did like this book. The story itself is really good! I did feel that the characters fell a little flat for me and it was difficult to really get to know them. It started off really well and I loved the ending, which was told through Olgas letters to the man she has always loved, Herbert. The middle seemed uninteresting to me. This was also a translation which could be the cause of some of the disconnect possibly.

I definitely recommend this if you enjoy literary fiction and historical fiction.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperVia books for this gifted digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

this was a pretty good book just not 5 star material. i would recommend reading it if ur interested:)

Thank you to Harpervia and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Separated into three parts, Olga’s story begins in very early childhood and spans the length of her life. Steeped in isolation and loneliness, this is a beautifully written, melancholic story of one woman’s love in all of its forms- familial, romantic, and platonic.

While the book itself feels slow and contemplative, the plot moves rapidly through the years of Olga’s life. The author masterfully captured the ability of time to feel at once fleeting and agonizingly infinite when perceived through the lens of a lonely life.

Olga is a unique and finely crafted novel that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of Olga by Bernhard Schlink. I am giving an honest review. I asked to read this book because of having read The Reader which I thought was a brilliant book. I was not disappointed. Mr. Schlink has a very direct form of narrating a tale and it builds in development and I did not want this story to end.
It is told in three parts; Part 1 narrates the story of Olga as a young child to adulthood. she falls in love with someone who is not of her class and because of the times, they cannot marry. He, Herbert, however, was always interested in the great beyond, in adventure, in going places. This side of him was allowed free as he was thwarted in love.
Part 2 is narrated by a young boy in a family that Olga becomes close to after her health deprives her of her chosen profession. He is fascinated by her, her story, and her stories of Herbert, She is always kind to him and in the end, leaves what little she has to him when she dies.
Part 3 is all the letters Olga wrote to Herbert over the years.

There is both a deep sadness when finishing the book as well as a satisfaction of having come full circle.
The writing, as I said earlier, is direct, with no unneeded emotional words to tug at heartstrings. Mr. Shlink's skill with words and putting sentences together do the job of drawing the reader in, making us care what happens next although it is a world that is in the past.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loved The Reader.

Emotional moving so well written .The characters come alive I was drawn right into their lives stories time in history.I will be recommending this book.#netgalley #harpervia

In Schlink’s previous release, the reader, we find the story of a woman during world war 2.
This book takes us from the birth of the 20th century through the end, following the life of Olga, whose life hides secrets, lies, and surprises for the reader. Touching, fascinating, and thought-provoking, this book creates a world and relationships that are relatable and sweet.
Olga is orphaned as a young girl and spends her youth making friends with a young aristocrats named Herbert. However, as time passes, their friendship progresses and they become more than friends. However, both Olga and Herbert are unhappy with the status quo and both seek bigger and brighter pastures. Olga, in the form of finding her way to teaching school, and Herbert, through adventuring. I knew very little of the time and area in which the book took place but I was absolutely transported. Please give this enchanting and concise book a chance, you absolutely won’t regret it.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperVia and Author for giving me the chance to read this inspiring book!

I loved this book. It was a slow burner but I just like the way Bernhard Schlink builds a story and sucks in his reader. Read in a day, I couldn’t put it down. It was beyond beautiful and heart warming!
Rich in detail, beautifully written and hugely absorbing for those who enjoy good historical fiction.
Olga is a strong feminine character, brave, encouraging! I adored her!
The story itself was amazing! The entire book had me hooked from the start. Schlink's style is unique and I truly enjoyed it!.

Again thank you for the opportunity to read this outstanding novel!.

This was quite a surprisingly good read, not sure what I expected but it totally surpassed my expectations. The story is basically told in three different sections, we start with Olga and follow her life, her love for Herbert and how she survived on her own. Her devotion to teaching and dedication was admirable.
Then we switch to “the child”, he meets her when she comes to work for his mother and father. They have a special relationship that is meaningful to both of them.
The last section allows us to read Olga’s letters that were never delivered to her love, Herbert. I found this method of storytelling to be the absolutely best way to end out this sleeper of a book. These letters take us to a whole new level of surprise endings. I have to give this one 5 stars.
As I was reading, I didn’t realize how much I was falling in love with Olga’s character, even though she was flawed in so many ways, her love for her country and Herbert was true. This one will stay with me for quite a while.
I want to thank HarperVia along with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC.

Is there an author you’ll read always? For me, it’s Berhnard Schlink. I first discovered him through The Reader a couple of years before the movie and have read nearly every book since.

I don’t love his works quite as much or in the same ways as I used to, I think because I have higher expextations of characters and representation these days, but I still enjoy his writing and he always has excellent translators.

Olga is a pretty simple story of a girl who is just a bit out of place in her world, the man she falls in love with (not worth her affection if you ask me), her life without him, and the legacy she leaves behind in letters.

Not my most fav of Schlink’s works but still good. I liked Olga, her determination to make her own way and live life on her terms in a time and place where that was difficult for women. She is also a progressive character during a difficult time, which was cool.

I switched between the print and audio of this one and enjoyed both equally. I always love the melodic prose of his works in print and the narrator did an excellent job on the audio.

Read if you: Enjoy thoughtful, character-driven historical fiction with some twists and turns.

Librarians/booksellers: Historical fiction fans who enjoy compact character-driven stories will appreciate this. There's so much of historical fiction that's overly epic and long that it's refreshing to read something like this!

Many thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.