Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada

There are some authors who, when faced with the terrible realities of life, respond with hopelessness. They let their characters die without meaning or, worse yet, live without meaning. They see the darkness in the world and interpret it as defeat, futility. One such author used these words: "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity...a chasing after the wind."

On the other hand, there are authors who paint the whole world as hopeful and good. The hard times are no more than hiccups in an otherwise grand and delightful tale of happily ever after.

And then there are the real authors. The ones who look life in the face, acknowledging its hardships and brutalities, and still write with hope. Hans Fallada is one of those authors.

Every Man Dies Alone is the story of a group of Berliners living during the Nazi reign over Germany. Each of their stories is separate and unique, though their lives connect in small ways. Many are opposed to Hitler and the Nazis. Some are too self-focused to care about the atrocities being committed around them. A few whole-heartedly support the Third Reich. But all of them taste the bitter consequences of living under such a regime.

The central story-line follows Otto and Anna Quangel, a couple just past mid-life, who have lost their only son in the war. Their loss forces them to acknowledge the evils of their Fuhrer and his government, and makes them see the meaninglessness of their own lives. They make a decision. They will write postcards that speak out against Hitler and the war and they will leave them all over Berlin. People will see the cards and be inspired; they will start a revolution from within...or so they believe.

In fact, the Quangel's cards do little to stir rebellion in their fellow citizens. Fear is too rampant, it's clutch too strong. And as a result of their actions, Otto and Anna put themselves and many others in grave danger for the Nazi regime does not look lightly on traitors. But in spite of their failure, Otto and Anna have found meaning in life, and the fulfillment that comes from living honorably even in the most degrading and horrific circumstances.

Fallada lived through the Nazi occupation of Germany. He saw the fear they spread and the atrocities they committed. He experienced interrogations and imprisonment. And he knew the futility of trying to stand against the iron-fisted regime. But still, he writes with hope. His characters have meaning and purpose in their lives. Even after they discover the failure of their subversions, they do not feel that their actions were wasted. They live for their own honor, for moral decency. They do not give way to hopelessness. In the face of torture and death, they have an inner peace, knowing that they have not bowed to fear as so many others have.

It is this determined hope that makes Every Man Dies Alone a book worth reading and reading again. It's true that there are some Dickensian moments (convenient coincidences that are hardly believable) and some slow passages that focus on less-than-intriguing characters. But these do not compromise the successful message of the novel: Life is often hard, even horrific. But a life lived with integrity and honor is meaningful in itself, and is a source of peace and strength even under the worst persecution. Honor cannot be taken by force or by fear.

Every Man Dies Alone was written shortly after the Nazi defeat. It was not published until after Fallada's death, and has only this year been translated and published in English. Now that it is finally available, it should be given a place on the bookshelves of English-speakers everywhere.