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All That I Am I That All Anna Funder Funder Anna

Author Background lives in Brooklyn USA lives Brooklyn in Miles Franklin Literary Award, Victorian Premier's Literary Award , Award Literary Premier's Victorian Award, Literary Franklin Miles — and Paris and Melbourne Melbourne, 1966 Melbourne, —

— — Wikipedia, Independent The Wikipedia, was published in the UK (where it was both both was it (where in the UK published was

Barbara Jefferis Award, Australian Independent Booksellers Indie Book Award for Book Award Indie Booksellers Independent Australian Award, Jefferis Barbara Literary Fiction, Samuel Johnson Prize Johnson Samuel Fiction, Literary Birth Raised Awards Currently

• • • • as the creative component of her Doctor of Creative Arts thesis. Arts Creative of Doctor of her component creative as the

) and Australia. It was released February 2012 in the USA and Italy. and USA in the 2012 February was released It Australia. ) and adapted from from adapted In 2011 she was appointed to the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. the for Council Australia of the Board the Literature to was appointed she 2011 In I Am That All Bedtime Brooklyn. Park Slope, in resides currently Funder ( residence at the Australia Centre in Potsdam. Potsdam. in Centre Australia at the residence the which won bestseller international an Itbecame book. first was her by Granta, published 16 into translated and countries 20 in was published and Prize Johnson 2004 Samuel languages. feature essays, Her awards. and accolades numerous received has writing Funder’s Anna public as a toured She has publications. numerous in appeared have columns and articles Rockefeller and Fellow Writing NSW Council, Australia (Berlin), DAAD is a former and speaker, Fellow. Foundation produced and (UTS) Sydney Technology, of University of Arts graduate is a Creative Funder I Am that Anna Funder was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1966, and grew up there and in Paris. She Paris. She in and there up grew and in 1966, Australia, Melbourne, in was born Funder Anna she 1980s, In the producer. television and a radio and lawyer an international as worked has was writer she 1997, In in the city. TV station a for worked later and Berlin in West studied

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doubting doubting -

, based on a true on a , based

Suite Francaise and a part of history that that history of a part and

– Stasiland

and in some cases found wanting wanting found cases in some and

intelligent, powerful novels that that novels powerful intelligent,

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Restless 368pp. is a masterful and exhilarating exploration of exploration exhilarating and masterful a is

Allen & Unwin All that I am I Allthat Anna Funder , 2011 ISBN: 9780062077561 ISBN: 9780062077561 Book Summary All That I Am I That All Anna Funder Funder Anna

All That I Am I That All those friends who predicted the brutality of the Nazis and gave and Nazis the of brutality the predicted who friends those

and William Boyd's Boyd's William and –

is moving and beautifully written, equal parts a love story, thriller and and thriller story, love parts a equal written, beautifully and moving is

The Reader The All That I Am That All in the face of hatred, of art, of love, and of history. of and love, of of art, of hatred, face the in

she's right back among them them among back right she's tested were who Those them. stop to had they everything – events, and on real people Based and of beliefs, for their people make some sacrifices and the risks of betrayal, and bravery our as of one her place confirms Funder Anna places. most unexpected the in hidden heroism novel. first inspiring compassionate, gripping, this with writers finest Award) Literary Miles Franklin (from appeal to a wide audience. a to appeal turned up was room the living in wireless The bath. the in I was to power came Hitler 'When It match. a football like cheering, happy of were waves me to down that drifted all but loud, ' . . . afternoon Monday was of suburbs eastern in the days her out is living cantankerous, and defiant Becker, Ruth past of her the ghosts with peace uneasy made an has Sydney. She forgotten. been all but has self Toller, war. Ernst to going is world the and 1939 it's away, lifetime Another his life. of account upthe settling room hotel York New in a sits poet, and revolutionary and defences, her under past slips their shared doorstep on Ruth's arrives story Toller's When The gripping first novel by Anna Funder, the acclaimed author of author acclaimed the Funder, Anna by novel first The gripping story, Nemirovsky's Irene like books evokes It heroism. individual to testament Schlink's Bernard

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drawn from from drawn

in Germany, Germany, in –

Stasiland Stasiland

fiction debut, fiction debut, - is inspired by fact by fact inspired is

the world wasn’t ready for her, but she is she is but her, for ready wasn’t world the

– too, Reviews

All That I Am I That All Anna Funder Funder Anna Funder asks an important question about how we tell we how about question important an asks Funder

All That I Am, That I Am, All up to her acclaimed non acclaimed toup her -

All That That I Am All

and and

the real, interior one, in which we remain linked to the dead… this vast life is life is vast this dead… the to linked we remain in which one, interior the real,

– Stasiland In her latest book, ‘a novel’, Funder’s majestic journalistic capabilities delve into an into delve capabilities journalistic majestic Funder’s ‘a novel’, book, her latest In to election Hitler’s after immediately and justbefore Berlin, in period intoxicating wars the between Berlin of era sophisticated permissive, that She invokes power. Toller, Ernst where This is Isherwood. Christopher of pace frenetic same with the two meets prisoner, political and veteran I War World playwright, expressionist Young intertwine. irrevocably their lives and Ruth, and Dora women, young smoke; of haze a through philosophy and politics discuss artists and intellectuals by booths between another one with converse they where clubs in meet they

, Funder achieves the right balance between truth and invention to pay tribute to those to those tribute pay to invention and truth between balance right the achieves , Funder throughout by the (who are also operating in London), Fabian and another group group another and Fabian London), in operating also are (who Gestapo the by throughout and Toller Blatt suicide; of verdict a returns inquest An flat. their dead in are found member murdered. were they that are convinced "This vast life life vast "This Anna in narrators two of Blatt, one of Ruth words the are These our control." not under follow novel, the first Funder's 2004. in prize Johnson the Samuel Jewish (mostly) of of a group lives the detailing autobiographies and memoirs interviews, cousin her Blatt, were figures central group's The 1930s. the in Hitler resisted who Germans Ernst Toller. the playwright and Fabian Dora Fabian, and Toller Blatt, 1933, in power to comes Hitler after interesting: very is The story their with continue they where to London, flee Wesemann, Hans husband, Blatt's with along In Berlin. in trial a show Hitler prepares Reichstag, of the burning the After work. resistance ofout Germany. be smuggled to witnesses for arranges and trial a rival stages Fabian London, Menaced Germany. from documents crucial who leaks Nazi a prominent contacts She "Between "Between line the navigate properly an author can how courage: moral otherof people's stories of cool reception famously truth? The and invention between own answer...In about Funder's some anxiety revealed Germany, in East particularly Am under take would the future what shape out about message the get to tried who people our at we ignore that one a tragedy, was so long for ignored were warnings their That Hitler. force." moral and with certainty truth this ofus reminds Funder own peril. Review Adelaide The the glue that binds this novel. binds that the glue for his love of the depth of realisation his by paralysed is completely Toller later, years Many woman, Clara. young a kind to York New in room hotel in a memoirs his He is dictating Dora. her life to his he remembers bill, hotel his pay to unable and room hotel his leave to Unwilling to connected are Dora’s life and his Both to bear. too painful becomes it before fragments in school retired elderly as an and woman young a as eyes, both her through it is and Ruth sensitivity telling a with beautifully, writes told. Funder is the novel of most that teacher, and loss on politics, meditation an exceptional her novel makes that characters her towards memory. Readings telephone and finally they meet in exile, in bedsits, impoverished and powerless, to mobilise mobilise to powerless, and impoverished bedsits, in exile, in meet they finally and telephone the on impact in her and page on the both character, is a Dora powerful party. the Nazi against giving in believes and trousers in often is bobbed, defiantly her hair wears She others. oflives her ideology from greatly suffers but love freely,

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–

– as

– , and Primo Levi's Levi's Primo and ,

realism, a studiously studiously a realism,

- "

–

words, images, ellipses, general general ellipses, images, words, - annihilating debate about about debate annihilating - I Was a German I Was person narratives of real people people real of person narratives . Levi described his "psychological "psychological his described . Levi - person narratives of her characters, characters, of her narratives person

- hesitation and blind purpose purpose blind and hesitation

– (continued) is cinematographic pseudo cinematographic is

If This is a Man a This is If as anyone knows who has tried to set down memories memories down set to tried has who knows as anyone All That I Am I That All

Anna Funder Funder Anna Reviews Reviews – hand experience, convincingly to "reconstruct" the "reconstruct" to convincingly experience, hand - All That I Am That All a man whose friends, lovers, associates had been murdered, one one murdered, been had associates lovers, friends, man whose a

, echoes Toller's autobiography, autobiography, Toller's , echoes –

life Toller committed suicide in a New York hotel; Funder's Toller explains: explains: Toller hotel; Funder's York a New in suicide committed life Toller - and "reconstructed" them into the first the into them "reconstructed" and

– All That I Am That All

Funder's prose is clear, easy to read, scrupulously lacking in stylistic idiosyncrasies. in stylistic idiosyncrasies. lacking scrupulously read, to easy clear, prose is Funder's of consciousness stream a retrospective in written are narratives Blatt's and Toller dying Blatt 30s; and 20s the of events the remembering 1939, in York in New Toller of world a in memories of vessel "a century, 21st of the beginning the Sydney at in deaths. of their moment the until lives interior their into locked We are forgetting". The real one wider another, and make door, the hookon the around firmly slipknot "I tie a feeling same exact the I feel head… my for and offers itself as a febrile "dream of those who are no longer here". longer no are who of those "dream a febrile as offers itself and Guardian The As Funder's "Blatt" thinks, the vast interior life is "not under our control". The stream of stream The control". under our "not is life interior the vast thinks, "Blatt" As Funder's it and between gap The of control. fantasy a contrivance, a literary is consciousness is immeasurable itself consciousness half with has struggled and occur, really they as thoughts and the same At do. all novels as the uncontrollable, control to seeks novel Funder's confusion. my in ear voice Dora's want "I of language: inadequacies on the muse her characters time, scribbling," my of the limitations outside on, to live her for need I my face. in her scent and says "Toller". incoherent, intriguing, Clever, self almost an stages that past the about fantasy researched authenticity to all claims surrenders when it moving, most effective, most is It reconstruction. Such as: if a novelist aims at drawing "skin and feathers" over the "dinosaur bones" of her of bones" "dinosaur the over feathers" and "skin drawing at aims novelist as: if a Such the of A reconstruction see"? "fully to us is allowing she "beast" the what is then sources, to be judged fantasy, impossible Or an it is? convincing or realistic on how judged be past, to the reader? it entertains which to extent on the solely title, Funder's Auschwitz, in imprisonment of his account tell to imperative moral a was felt what he as well as the Holocaust, about write to need" the same lacks inevitably who an author for Is it possible happened. had what others first same the urging, psychological Toller of Ernst interior life concentration to sent been had sister and brother that his heard recently had who by one, thoughts? his dying "reconstruct" to possible Is it camps? as you might draw skin and feathers over an assembly of dinosaur bones, to fully see the see the fully to bones, of dinosaur an assembly over feathers and skin draw might as you claims. contradictory daring, these are but are impressive, feathers and The skin " beast… are names characters' "Most she writes: book as of her account Funder's in a slippage There is names; "true" no have surely, "characters", But changed." been have others names, their true first taken has Funder novelist. a of creations the they are Toller and Blatt to and originals the from has quoted she extent to what know I don't "Toller". and "Blatt" as a book her assessing merely is ifone matter doesn't It them. rewritten she has what extent as complicating, and are risky of "reconstruction", of authenticity, the claims However, novel. attempt each enterprise, the define to seeks as she urgently acknowledge to seems Funder questions. further raising before jumping into a cold pool. The fall off the block. Nothing more more Nothing block. the off The fall pool. cold a into jumping before in incidents certain for citations supplies Funder the author. from note by a is tailed The novel much fossil fragments, from "reconstructed been has story the that tells us and the narrative

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–

of looking, engaging, engaging, of looking,

– both in the sense of the of sense the both in

– are ordinary people doing doing people ordinary are

as a kind of detective work? Can it be Can it work? detective of a kind as

All That I Am That All

All That I Am That All All That I Am I That All Anna Funder Funder Anna

, Ruth comments, 'Imagining the life of another is an act an act is of another the life 'Imagining Ruth comments, , Discussion Questions Discussion Questions life inquest drew another conclusion. To what extent to you you to extent what To conclusion. another drew life inquest - wrote: 'Funder has not merely told the story of these forgotten forgotten these of story the told merely not has 'Funder wrote:

deals with a part of history that has slipped into obscurity for for obscurity into slipped that has history part of with a deals

All That I Am That All

All That I Am That All to it points but are real, which elements plot using a has invented The author The Spectator The

1. of this the lessons learn to failed we've that suggest the novel Does of us. many history? 2. Bloomsbury, in room inthe those particularly events, certain for causes different the real which from written has that Funder think is Ruth? Do you think she's too hard on herself? hard too she's think you Do is Ruth?

– With reference to Toller, Dora asks Ruth, 'Do you think if you love someone there are there someone love if you think you 'Do Ruth, Dora asks Toller, to With reference what and knows she of sense what her accident, her after painkillers given Ruth is When of end the Towards Anna Funder has said of her characters that sometimes people have so much courage courage so much have people sometimes that characters her of said has Funder Anna in the characters think you do what degree To is to responsibility returns implicitly novel this ideas the One of Consider the ways in which the novel addresses the act of seeing seeing of act the addresses the novel in which ways the Consider

people … It is not just a book about German political exiles in London. It is a novel about about novel a London.It is exiles in political German about a book just is not … It people you will that you, over closes as history realising, of horror the and loss, grievous confronting such with people brave those rescuing by that, irony magnificent a It is be understood. never Do you all.' after the future into reach to them has enabled Funder artistry, consummate Why? irony'? magnificent 'a is this agree that the publisher) (from 7. in way the with deal the novel does How there?' not are pretend should you them of parts them? of reality you the to blind can someone loving which 8. play realities her of merging this does How fluid. increasingly becomes knows she she believes novel? out the in 9. agree? Do you any.' as as holy of compassion in A reviewer perceiving, misapprehending, ignoring, intuiting, interpreting ... interpreting intuiting, ignoring, misapprehending, perceiving, 4. into insights novel's the does What relevance themselves. save to how know they don't world? contemporary the for have cowardice courage and 5. the of some that knowing by affected the novel of reading your Is things? extraordinary people? on real are based characters 6. responsible How liability. of sense the well as situation given in a respond to ability senses argued that the work of a novelist and a detective are similar, both having to imagine the imagine to both having similar, are detective a and a novelist of work that the argued others? of motivations 3.

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