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    Sebastian
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    Sebastian
    Unavailable
    Sebastian
    Ebook457 pages5 hours

    Sebastian

    By Christoph Fischer

    5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Sebastian is the story of a young man who, due to an unfortunate accident, has his leg amputated shortly before World War I.
    When his father is drafted to the war it falls to him to run the family grocery store in Vienna, to grow into his responsibilities, bear loss and uncertainty, and hopefully find love.

    Sebastian Schreiber, his extended family, their friends and the store employees experience the ‘golden days’ of pre-war Vienna, the time of war and the end of the Monarchy, while trying to make a living and to preserve what they hold dear.
    The book describes life in Vienna during the war years; how it affected the people in an otherwise safe and prosperous location, the beginning of the end for the monarchic system , the arrival of modern thoughts and trends, the Viennese class system and the end of an era.

    As in the first book of the trilogy, “The Luck of The Weissensteiners” we are confronted again with themes of identity, nationality and borders. The step back in time from Book 1 and the change of location from Slovakia to Austria enables the reader to see the parallels and the differences deliberately out of sequential order, so as not to see one as the consequence of the other, but to experience them as the reality it must have felt like for people at the time.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChristoph Fischer
    Release dateMar 17, 2015
    ISBN9781311113825
    Unavailable
    Sebastian

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    Reviews for Sebastian

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    • 5/5
      When a book opens before you, you expect to enter into a new reality--here, it is dropped upon you with a rarely seen immediacy. From the very first sentence, when the Serbian doctor tells Vera, "I am afraid I won't be able to save his leg," you understand in your bones how hard she tries to remain composed, so as not to frighten her son. Having stepped on a rusty nail, Sebastian has been hiding his injury from her, which is about to cost him dearly: the amputation of his leg, and the blow to the way he perceives himself at this sensitive age, both of which will eventually drive him to find his bearings, as he must. And not only he must overcome the limitations of his handicap, and come into his own--so must other characters: his frail mother, and the girl he loves, Margit. The war brings them together. The war separates them. It is a powerful player, that forces all of us to grow up. In its presence, all of us must find our inner power.The author, Christoph Fischer, has drawn life in Vienna with vivid detail, illustrating the intricacies of the pre-World War I era with great imagination, which is underpinned by careful research of historical aspects. As the father leaves for war, Sebastian is charged with being the man in the family; not an easy task for any young man, and it is even more of a challenge for Sebastian. His is an imbalanced, stilted world, controlled by the women left behind, both his mother and the mother of his beloved Margit, who makes her daughter leave him and follow her to Galicia, in search of her father. I was reminded of several women in my own family, and smiled with awe and affection at the amazing (if sometimes annoying) power and initiative of Jewish mothers...I am yet to read the first part of The Three Nations Trilogy, The Luck of the Weissensteiners. But to tell you the truth, sometimes I like reading one volume of of a trilogy out of order, to see if it holds on its own. Sebastian does.Highly recommended. Five stars.
    • 5/5
      Christoph Fischer has done it again with Sebastian. This is a story of love, heartbreak, and war.

      Sebastian, at the beginning if the tale, is a weak child who allowed an infection take hold of him so badly in his leg that he ended up with an amputation. His equally weak mother, Vera, makes mistakes that jeopardize his health.

      Again as t the odds, Sebastian is able to live a full rich life. Full of colorful characters and extensive historical accuracy, this is one to add to your historical fiction shelves.
    • 5/5
      The more I read by this author, the more I realize he is one of the most talented and best contemporary authors of our time. This is a beautifully written book. The characters, the settings, the prose, all invite one in to this time and place. He is a master at creating everyday life during turbulent times. These are times we've read about, but I would venture that most of us have never really understood the times beyond the headlines and history books. Mr. Fischer makes them come alive.

      I read his first book, The Luck of the Weissensteiners, and knew I had discovered an immensely talented author. Not only was I not disappointed when I read Sebastian, if anything it eclipses his first book. Now I'm compelled to read his third book in the Three Nations Trilogy, The Black Eagle Inn. But it's a compulsion I'm looking forward to! Thanks, Mr. Fischer for bringing the past alive so beautifully!
    • 5/5
      Fantastic!!!!! This is another powerful book written by Christoph Fischer. It takes place in Vienna during the horrid days of WWII and the despicable atrocities that were thrust upon the Jewish people by the German Empire.
      The main character of the book is a Sebastian, a young man just sixteen who had part of his leg amputated. He is a very strong individual filled with determination at such a young age that it leaves you utterly stunned. He is dealing with many complications from that amputation, but he does not let any of that become an abstraction to his goal. He suffers set-backs and wretched poignant incidents, but he does goes on. He is a very likable character and one of my favorites in this book.
      He lives with his father Franz, who runs a grocery store under the same dueling they occupy, and his mother Vera who is quite ill. His best friend Oscar and his wife Rebecca live with them as well. The plot becomes very complicated when several other characters inter the seen. I found all the characters to be fascinating as they are so different and yet so involved in every aspect of the story. First is the young beautiful Ingeborg, then Eva, Sebastian’s first crush, Margit and her mother, Peroska.
      Fischer introduces very cleverly amazing twists and turns to the plot blended with the right amount of transcendent facets, and séances. All that creates a large amount of chaos in characters’ lives, while the war is blasting in full force. I was absolutely glued to the pages. I could not put the book down. This is exactly what happened to me with the other two books in the trilogy “The Luck of the Weissensteiners” and “The Black Eagle Inn”.
      Christoph Fischer has done a lot of research and provides a rich understanding of the events in Eastern Europe during that era.This is again an amazing book that is brilliantly written and I am a fan.
      I wish there was another book that I could pick up and continue this amazing journey. I will recommend this book to everyone I know. These books are filled with information, that has been greatly researched, memorable characters that we will love, and it will provide a blend of emotions that will leave you astonished.Sebastian is a book that has to be read, but so are the other two books in the trilogy. I love them all and could not tell you which one is better than the other because they are equally great!!!!Christoph Fischer is a wonderful gifted writer and one of my most favorite authors.
    • 5/5
      *** This book was given to me in return for a review ***

      *** THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

      Would I read it again - Yes
      Plot - Well organised and developed, keeps you interested
      Characters - Funny, intriguing, excellently developed
      Movie Potential - Yes
      Ease of reading - Very easy to read and enjoy

      This is Book 2 in the Three Nations Trilogy, the follow up to Book 1 The Luck of the Weissensteiners.

      To start off with, this story made a great start. The first line is brilliant and really reels you in. The story is about Sebastian, a 16 year old boy in Vienna, who has an accident that results in him losing part of his leg. The story is about his struggle over the years, during the war, finding love, struggling with his disability and finding his place in the world.

      As an overall story, I love it. As someone with both legs, but who has to use a wheelchair and a walking stick, I understand Sebastian?s unwillingness to complain when the pain gets worse, or to tell anyone in the beginning. It?s scary and you don?t want to admit that it?s happening. But I can?t even begin to imagine what it?s like to actually lose a part of your body. Especially at 16. I can also understand the reluctance to believe true love is possible, to worry about pity and how ?incapable? other people may see you. It?s never an easy thing to be different. And for Sebastian, he is a Jewish cripple in a time when both alone would have him scorned by society at large, but when one could get him killed.

      *SPOILERS*
      I have to admit that I was completely shocked by Franz, not at all surprised by Ingeborg and I love Mathilde. I really like that Mathilde and Vera have plans for Franz and that Vera?s going to fight. I?m a very old fashioned person when it comes to relationships and I wouldn?t, personally, tolerate cheating in a relationship, but I do like that he?s going to get his comeuppance and I do understand Vera?s wish to save her family. She has a 16 year old boy who needs her, who is going through a very big change in his life, and it makes sense that she doesn?t want to make things even worse for him by ignoring the affair or leaving her husband. I think it was a real shame that Sebastian couldn?t know Eva?s secret until after it mattered, but you wished he could so that he would understand it wasn?t his fault.
      *SPOILERS*

      The characters in this book are just as great as the ones in its predecessor. I think Vera is a lovely, confused but very nice woman suffering a lot of strain and guilt that isn?t necessarily needed. And Sebastian is a very nice, charming young man. I feel bad for him though, with the whole difficulty finding and trusting love situation. I hoped through the whole book that he was able to get over it and not become too like his dad, or let it make him feel unwanted.

      I was really pleased to see Sebastian?s change of luck in love and the good news that came with it. Then, just like the emotional rollercoaster that this story it, everything changed. I really liked the inclusion of the s?ance, since I?m a big believer of the supernatural. It?s really nice to see Sebastian getting back to his books and making a friend. However much I try, I find Magrit to be quite selfish and na?ve, very easily led. But it is oddly nice to see what happens to her, even though I don?t like her much. But then, I don?t like her because of what she did so?

      This story, though, is similar to the previous one in that it?s about a lot more than just a family and their struggles. It?s about more than a war. It?s moving, it draws you in and makes you care about people you don?t know instantly. There?s this constant hidden fear and expectation, this constant feeling that things are too good to be true for that moment.