Official Review: David's Child by D. E. Zlotnik

[RooneysReviews]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "David's Child" by D. E. Zlotnik.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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David’s Child by D.E. Zlotnik is a wonderful historic fiction novel following a boy’s account of the horrific Nazi regime during World War II in Germany. The novel introduces the protagonist, David, by summarizing his boyhood and explaining the merits of the youth’s hard work and athletic success as a soccer player.

Then the novel reintroduces David as much older and traveling Europe with his grandson, also named David or lovingly referred to as Davie. It is apparent that the elder David is not struggling finically, as grandeur follows the pair, as well as their chauffeur, Henry. The author uses a wonder blend of present and past flashbacks to follow David as he recounts his times as a Jewish prisoner and the brutality he faced at the hands of the Nazis. The novel does not shy from uncomfortable topics, but rather explores the horrors that the Jews and other “undesirables” would have faced during this terrifying period. Each terror is narrated from the innocence of a young boy, then again from the wiser perspective of the older man. The result is a sense of true humanity and leaves the audience feeling weight from the suffering that was endured.

This novel explored many wonderful and appalling themes. There was great insight to the thoughts and feelings of a young boy and the truly wonderful optimism that is only found during youth. It declared that the true value of money is only what a person chooses to do with it, and many greedy characters in the novel find misery and demise. Finally, forgiveness and justice are not the same, as the elder David forgives those who wrong him, but bitter consequences are not far behind.

The events that transpire are not light nor for the faint of heart. Although this novel is fiction, it is based on true events and the situations described are not far from the truth. On a side note, religious notes are also present since the family’s lineage descended from the biblical Kind David and they possess an heirloom specific from ancient Israel. By subtly expressing religious notes and instead putting the emphasis of the novel on human abilities, such as music, helps to strengthen the relatability to the characters and is more applicable to any reader.

Overall, I rate this novel a 3 out of 4 stars. The storyline was wonderful and it was difficult to stop reading. At times, the weight of the words were too heavy and I was forced to pursue another activity to clear my mind before resuming reading. However, the novel focused quite a lot on sex and sexual maturity. I feel that a few of these moments are essential to understand the characters, but many could be removed and not interfere with the plot at all. If there was less emphasis on sex, then this would easily earn the final star. Great read!

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David's Child
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[ScreechingHedgehog]

Sounds like an interesting read. Might have to get it for my roommate--she loves historical fiction like this!

[anonanemone]

Great review! Good job and congrats to the author too!

[Timber_1]

Sounds like a interesting novel! Great review as well

[Tanaya]

Great review and welcome to the site!

[donaldzlotnik]

There is a scene in the movie "Amadeus" where the Emperor tells Mozart there are just too many notes to his music. Mozart takes great affront and asks the Emperor, "Just which notes should I remove?" The mutual masturbation scene between David and his childhood friend is crucial because it sets up the extreme guilt David feels because shortly thereafter the Gestapo comes after his family. He feels the "sinful act" caused the disaster. The extremely dignified mother being sent to the SS Cadet School as a prostitute servicing the cadets sets us up to show the huge difference between two of the cadets; one a decent soldier serving his country and the other a cruel sadistic beast. The horrible treatment of the mother is designed to show the length a mother will go to for her family. My point? There were the exact number of "notes" in the novel to make my point. Thanks--Don

[RooneysReviews]

As I explained in the last paragraph of the review, some of the sexual scenes are necessary to understand the characters. I suppose I should have elaborated and said they are necessary to understand the characters' actions and thoughts through much of the novel. In fact, the moments you described above are the exact ones I am referring to in my review.

However, these two examples are not the only times that sex, sexual maternity, lust, and perversion are mentioned or alluded to through the story. Most of the other instances are short or offhanded remarks, but accumulated, they are enough to create undue discomfort.

I still must say that this is an excellent read and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about David's life and the good he found in a horrible situation.

[donaldzlotnik]

Being the reviewer I respect your judgement Rooney. When I write, I become the character and I use what I picked up in life in all my novels. After reading your review, Rooney, I did something I rarely do--I re-read the novel, but this time for enjoyment. I read DAVID'S CHILD at least 25 times, but each time was to find and make corrections. For those of you who have never written a time shift novel--it is very difficult to make the shifts and not lose the reader. The challenge is to make the time shift and NOT have the reader flipping back pages to try and figure out where you left off with the characters. Anyway, I marked every area in the novel where sex was involved--please note the German culture looks at sex and nudity much different than we do. Even today, you will see pre-puberty German children naked on a beach or changing clothes. The chapter "The Yellow Shed" was actually built around a story Herr Docktor Fritz Hartung told me from his childhood as we were walking along a path bordering the Nahe River and a row of garden sheds. As for the rough military sexual referrals--large portions of the novel involve soldiers and having been one--I can relate. Reviews are good tools for an author if taken in their proper perspective. Each of us has a moral compass and for some that compass can be easily offended--but I have always been a seeker of the truth and for many, truth is something to fear.

-- 20 Oct 2015, 14:59 --

The "Wolfenberg" home I describe in the story is an actual home of a friend who is a jeweler in Idar Oberstein a beautiful German town on the Nahe River where it seems impossible anything evil could ever happen there. I visited a number of the Concentration camps and spent many hours "feeling" the evil that remains there. That comes out in the scene where the elder David has himself locked in a gas chamber and "talks" to the devil. The murder of the university professor on the train is based on a true event as is the liberation of Auschwitz by the Russians as told to me by a member of the liberation battalion. Little scenes like buying the potatoes--is also based on a story told to me--put it all together and you end up with the storyline.

[kimmyschemy06]

I think this is the most interesting part of the story 'Each terror is narrated from the innocence of a young boy, then again from the wiser perspective of the older man. The result is a sense of true humanity and leaves the audience feeling weight from the suffering that was endured.' I hope I would have the chance to read it. Nice review!

[chytach18-]

Seems to be an interesting read. Very good review. I also don`t like when sex and sexuality is used too much in the book but I haven`t read this book yet.

[donaldzlotnik]

Arrrghh! Here's where creator and reviewer clash! As the creator of the story and the one who has to first develop a character and then guide the reader as to the character's good and bad points and then "tuck" the character away EXACTLY at the right time in the story--plus write around true incidents into historical fiction it becomes extremely difficult to please every reader!

I do not write pornography! I use sex to make a point or to develop a character! I use sex in the novel to show how an innocent sexual act can produce extreme guilt in a young teenage boy; I use it again and in depth to reflect how the NAZI used sex (abuse) to destroy the will of people and in this case a Baroness they try to humiliate by turning into a prostitute for SS cadets. (Based on a true story told to me.) I again use it at the end of the novel to show the hate and brutality of humans when unchecked.

I cannot believe with all the emotional events in DAVID'S CHILD; the horror, brutality, crimes against mankind, stealing, brutality and intense family love--we are focused on such a small part of this great storyline and characters.

Don Zlotnik, Author

-- 15 Dec 2015, 10:10 --

I published 10 novels through major New York publishing houses and never read a review until I started publishing E-Books and was informed how important reviews are in that publishing industry. An author assumes reviewers are highly educated individuals who have read a lot of books before they start reviewing. I think the cruelest reviewers who abuse their power the most are food editors/reviewers--few if any can cook themselves.

DAVID's CHILD has been reviewed by; a 13-year-old girl, a 17-year-old high school boy, a college professor department head and three fellow authors, plus many more. A holocaust survivor from Auschwitz tried reading the novel but she told me my descriptive writing was TOO descriptive and she could not finish it. Her comment was better than any review. "Were you there?" All of them caught at least one of the three extremely emotional scenes in the novel and commented in their reviews on them--two caught all three scenes and commented on them. There are at least six more extremely emotional scenes reviewers commented on; when the university professor has human feces dumped on his head and is then executed, when David is reunited with his father, when David meets Herschel Grynszpan, when David sneaks food to his mother, when David is in the boat with the SS sergeant on the Vistula River and when David confronts SS Lieutenant Volk.

The three main emotional scenes; first. when David is on the unloading dock at Auschwitz and he hears his mother playing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto KV 622 and he begins whistling along letting her know he is nearby. If one has never heard the second movement of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto--they cannot get the meaning of the scene. Second; When the elder David returns to Auschwitz as an old man suffering from terminal cancer and he enters the gas chamber alone and talks with Satan. If you have never faced REAL evil--that scene will escape you. Third; when the elder David dies. If you have never REALLY loved someone--the death scene will escape the reader in its full intensify.

...and then there is the comment, "too much sex in the novel."

[gali]

Arrrghh! Here's where creator and reviewer clash! As the creator of the story and the one who has to first develop a character and then guide the reader as to the character's good and bad points and then "tuck" the character away EXACTLY at the right time in the story--plus write around true incidents into historical fiction it becomes extremely difficult to please every reader!

I do not write pornography! I use sex to make a point or to develop a character! I use sex in the novel to show how an innocent sexual act can produce extreme guilt in a young teenage boy; I use it again and in depth to reflect how the NAZI used sex (abuse) to destroy the will of people and in this case a Baroness they try to humiliate by turning into a prostitute for SS cadets. (Based on a true story told to me.) I again use it at the end of the novel to show the hate and brutality of humans when unchecked.

I cannot believe with all the emotional events in DAVID'S CHILD; the horror, brutality, crimes against mankind, stealing, brutality and intense family love--we are focused on such a small part of this great storyline and characters.

Don Zlotnik, Author

-- 15 Dec 2015, 10:10 --

I published 10 novels through major New York publishing houses and never read a review until I started publishing E-Books and was informed how important reviews are in that publishing industry. An author assumes reviewers are highly educated individuals who have read a lot of books before they start reviewing. I think the cruelest reviewers who abuse their power the most are food editors/reviewers--few if any can cook themselves.

DAVID's CHILD has been reviewed by; a 13-year-old girl, a 17-year-old high school boy, a college professor department head and three fellow authors, plus many more. A holocaust survivor from Auschwitz tried reading the novel but she told me my descriptive writing was TOO descriptive and she could not finish it. Her comment was better than any review. "Were you there?" All of them caught at least one of the three extremely emotional scenes in the novel and commented in their reviews on them--two caught all three scenes and commented on them. There are at least six more extremely emotional scenes reviewers commented on; when the university professor has human feces dumped on his head and is then executed, when David is reunited with his father, when David meets Herschel Grynszpan, when David sneaks food to his mother, when David is in the boat with the SS sergeant on the Vistula River and when David confronts SS Lieutenant Volk.

The three main emotional scenes; first. when David is on the unloading dock at Auschwitz and he hears his mother playing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto KV 622 and he begins whistling along letting her know he is nearby. If one has never heard the second movement of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto--they cannot get the meaning of the scene. Second; When the elder David returns to Auschwitz as an old man suffering from terminal cancer and he enters the gas chamber alone and talks with Satan. If you have never faced REAL evil--that scene will escape you. Third; when the elder David dies. If you have never REALLY loved someone--the death scene will escape the reader in its full intensify.

...and then there is the comment, "too much sex in the novel."

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, and we should respect different views. Please note that comments must be towards the book itself and not towards the reviewers, and that soliciting review services from reviewers for reviews on other sites isn't allowed. If you are unhappy with the review, positive though it is, you can re-submit your book for another review.

[donaldzlotnik]

Hmmmm...obviously, I am too defensive when it comes to my novels. I will not submit my book for another review--thanks anyway.

-- 20 Dec 2015, 04:36 --

With many of my novels--actually most of them---I "walked" the ground or was very close to someone who had. With DAVID'S CHILD I lived near the beautiful German town of Idar-Oberstien on the idyllic Naha River. I spent a week wandering the paths and roads inside concentration camps, touching the stone walls, tasting the air and feeling the fear that still lingered. I was given special permission through a friend who worked at one concentration camp to enter a killing chamber and transferred all of that to the pages of DAVID's CHILD. I don't know how the rest of you authors write--but I get "into" my characters.