I wasnt sure what to expect when I first started The Vienna Writer's Circle, this is a novel set in Vienna at the beginning of Anschluss, the annexation of Austria.

At the start of the novel we meet Johannes and Mathias who are cousins and also writers and are both included in Sigmund Freud's Circle. A group of famed intellectuals who routinely meet to talk about books and ideas over coffee.

The novel navigates the reader through the years of Anschluss and shows how anti-Semitism progressed in Austria and how this affected every day people. This was equally compelling and heartwrenching, an excellently written book. I would recommend this thoroughly.

Thank you to Penguin for the copy of the book to review.

This is a well written book starting in Vienna during the early days of the Anschluss when Hitler invaded and took Austria into the Reich. It was a good way of dealing with the restrictions on Jews and others in a few weeks rtaher than the prolonged enforcement after Hitler came to power in Germany. An interesting set of characters and some well thought out twists and turns. Tough stuff from the death camp scenes but nothing that readers of WW2 fiction wouldn't have come across before. With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for an advanced copy to read and review.

What a fantastic book! A slow start but soon built up tension so that it was a reluctant put down and an eager pick up again.

I’ve learned so much about this horrific time in WW2 that I was only vaguely aware of about those who suffered so much. Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

A great storyline, believable characters, a few twists and turns, however overall it’s a book based on fact, human survival and the price paid by so many written by an author who clearly feels so deeply about it.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book but at times found it difficult reading about the horrors that human beings can inflict on each other all in the name of power.
The descriptions of how the Jewish people were treated by Hitlers regime made at times very uncomfortable reading.especially the death camps.
The dialogue of how the Jewish people had their rights removed from society at the beginning of each chapter had a very profound effect as well.It is a book Tharp everyone one should read so that theses horrific events never happen again

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

The Vienna Writers Circle is a haunting and complex story which deals with a sensitive subject with compassion and honesty. Two cousins are central to the tale; they’re writers and meet with others at a cafe in Vienna. They are Jewish and their situation changes when the Germans invade Austria. I’ve read numerous books about the desperate plight of the Jewish people at the hands of the Nazi regime, but none to match this. It takes a very different angle, that of hiding in plain sight with new identity. They are helped by a police chief who has a live interest with a Romani girl. Another potential victim of persecution.

The book is really well paced. It has a slow start as the characters are introduced, but the pace builds as the menace and threat increases. I found it particularly affecting because it depicts ordinary people going about their lives under threat of a totally oppressive regime. Their bravery is unimaginable and these are stories that should be imprinted in our history. It’s not always an easy read, rightly so, but it’s one that kept me engrossed.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

The Vienna Writers Circle is an amazing story filled with personal elements added from the author. One of the elements i liked the most were the notes at the top of every chapter.
I think everyone should read this book, because i believe that knowing some facts make people able to resist knowingly and stronger.

I found this book difficult to get into ...set in Austria during WW. II, Johannesburg and Mathies are two non practicing Jews, when the Nazi's take over and inflict horrific rules on all Jews.

The book follows the two families and what they need to do to survive .

The story, set in Vienna around the time of WWII, centres around two writers, a literary agent and a police inspector. They are a group friends who meet at the Café Mozart because it is out of the way and less likely to attract the attention of the SS guards that patrol the streets. The rise of the Nazi’s makes times uncertain for Jewish people and those that have connections to anyone that The Reich deems ‘undesirable.’ Each of the four friends fall in to one of these groups.
It is a time of fear, a time of sacrifice and a time of doing whatever it takes to keep you and your family alive. Each of the men will be tested. Will they be up to the test?
The characters are well rounded and the author manages to create the atmosphere of menace that hangs over Vienna and more especially the death camps. The subject matter means that the story can be quite dark at times but out of that darkness comes hope.
I hadn’t known about the identity change programme that plays a large part in the book so I found that very interesting. If I am going to be hyper critical, I thought that the ending was a bit rushed though all the loose ends were tied up. This will not detract from my rating because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this fabulous book, captivating from beginning to end can highly recommend.

A really riveting read that transported me to the streets of 1930/40s Vienna. The premise of blending in with fake identities rather than skipping the country is an interesting take for a wartime novel, and stands out from other Jewish literature in this genre. I appreciate the author trying something new here, and for drawing upon his own family history as inspiration.

I enjoyed the slow development of the plot in the first half and equally enjoyed the high stakes second half. I personally wasn't aware of the rapid Nazi takeover of Austria and all it involved, so this novel was eye-opening in this respect. The short chapter headers describing newly introduced anti-Semitic laws were a great way to inform readers, but not necessarily force it upon them. In some places the way characters got themselves out of difficult situations seemed a little too convenient, but I felt this could be overlooked because it didn't detract too much from the overall story, and the author managed to build suspense in all the right places (which kept me hooked to the end!)

<spoiler> I'm super glad that none of the main characters died because I much prefer happy endings over sad ones, and it was nice to see them enjoying life after all the pain and heartache they went through </spoiler>

I couldn’t put this down once the story got going, though it took a little while for that to happen. That could have been as I’d just watched a documentary on how the Austrian Jews were transported to camps, and I was wary of where this was going, and the emotional pull it would have. That said it is a powerful way of sharing some likely (and unfortunate) stories from that period in history, we must never forget.

This is one of those books that stays with you and you can’t stop thinking about it.
Jewish cousins Mathias and Johannes are part of Freud’s circle, a group of intellectuals that meet in a Vienna cafe to discuss literature and ideas
As Austria becomes under Nazi control Hitler wants all Jews found and deported and in particular Freud’s Circle of intellectuals. It is a scary time and the only hope for many is the trust of friends and the love of family.

This is story of courage, hope, friendship and above all survival. A truly engaging read and highly recommended.

What a fantastic read this was. I loved every page even though it was heartbreaking at times.
A book that delves into the plight of Jewish people during WW2 of family, friendships and heartache.
A real page turner for me.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review. It was an absolute pleasure.

A well written, readable account of 2 Jewish cousins, their publisher and their German friend set during World War 2. I was so gripped I pretty much read the book in one sitting.

Thank for the opportunity to enjoy this title.

The Vienna Writer's Circle is a remarkable piece of writing, covering a familiar topic in an original and gripping way. The plight of the Jewish people, particularly the plight of those who were not particularly religious or who had married out of their cultural group, is well known territory. Here the author looks at the experiences of a group of writers and intellectuals who form a social circle around Sigmund Freud, meeting in one of the famous cafes of pre war Vienna.

With the coming of Anschluss the anti-Jewish sentiment became overt and the vulnerable Jewish community had to take action to survive.

The increasing pressure upon them is demonstrated by the increasingly unreasonable regulations imposed upon them, quoted at the start of many chapters.

In this context the protagonists struggle to survive. A very exciting series of plots develop as the members of the Writers Circle and their families fight for survival.

This is a subtle story, where jeopardy, sinister persecution, horrible cruelty but above all the determination to survive are all vividly depicted.

A really gripping and enjoyable piece of writing. Thank you.

Powerful and heartbreaking to think that such atrocities towards a race of people actually happened. As I read this book it made me think about what a frightening time it must have been to live through and then, how many didn’t live through it. It is truly a moving story and I recommend its reading. This is not something which should be forgotten.

What a story. What inspiration for a story. Fascinating yet heartbreaking but it reallyu brought the war to the fore and the fact that Vienna was so culturally rich with writers. So much good in this book. Recommended.

What a wonderful story of war, survival and friendship. This is an engrossing and engaging read and one I found to be truly enthralling. The characters felt real, felt like friends and I wanted them to be safe and to survive the heartache and hardships they endured.

Cousins Mathias and Johannes made this book real. It has it all and is a book I would recommend to readers who want a good, intense, engaging and wonderful story to read.

A compellingly evocative and powerful novel that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since I finished it. It was both heartwrenching and hopeful in equal measure and I found myself really rooting for the group of writers and their families.
There were twists i this book that I just didn't see coming and I honestly couldn't put this book down. I loved it.