Metropolis

This is an interesting look at life in Germany in the decade when Hitler was just beginning to rise to power; however the characters are flat and the plot is contrived. I read this for my book club and no one thought it was very good.

This is the eighth novel by Ellie Midwood I've read, and once again, she amazes me. Metropolis is her first novel set in Weimer Berlin (1920s), instead of during World War II. As in all her World War II novels, her research is impressive and thorough. The story follows fictional Margot von Steinhoff as she becomes a skilled photographer who works on the set of the film, Metropolis. A truly revolutionary film that still leaves an impression today and was ahead of its time, Ellie Midwood does a beautiful job of describing the process of the creation of the film. In addition to the details of making a movie, she brings historical figures, such as director Fritz Lang, to life.Not only is the reader completely immersed in the production of the film, you will feel like you are walking down the rowdy streets of Berlin with Margot. Prostitution, nightclubs, and wild nightlife mark the way of life for the struggling lower and middle classes as they tried to make ends meet. Against the backdrop of rising communist and Nazi parties, civilians simply wanted to live in freedom following the First World War. The 1920s were truly a revolutionary period in modern history.Besides a strong female protagonist in Margot, we are introduced to many other wonderful and colorful characters. Like Margot, you may find yourself disliking photographer Paul as first, when you think the only thing he could possibly love is his art, but when romance blossoms between Paul and Margot, you will find yourself cheering for them.Margot's best friend is a gay man named Werner, and he's totally lovable and a guy you'd want to know. It's easy in the 21st century to be open to different lifestyles, so my admiration for Margot and others being open and accepting toward Werner warmed my heart.From the first page, I couldn't stop reading. I was completely taken in, wondering why a beautiful young woman who had her whole life ahead of her would want to end her life...only for her to find it. The book ends on a note of hope, that despite uncertain times with the Nazi party rising to power, the people who think with their hearts will triumph.

Review of“Metropolis”This story opens a window to the past. The period of history which depicts the great city of Berlin in the midst of a great mélange of conflicting eddies of change. Those currents were filled with the diverse population of the rich engaged in the debauchery of the times, the half-starved working class, the communists infiltrating the minds of those workers, and the emerging Brownshirts of the nascent Nazi party.Into this vortex, we find Margot from an aristocratic bloodline but now in reduced circumstances, joins up with Paul, a highly talented photographer. Together, and with Margot’s inherent talent as a quick learner, they climb from the depths of the lower echelons of society to the peaks of the excesses of the successful and the elites.How they achieve this remarkable transformation of their lives is through the brilliant writing of this author’s immense literary powers. While Paul is able to take command and artistic control of the filming of a visual masterpiece, Margot becomes the cinematographic protégé of Berlin’s most famous but irascible Fritz Lang. Her talent helps Lang bring his film to the forefront of cinematic art of the time. It is, however, Margot’s intuitive savvy that helps to save Lang and his film from potential bankruptcy because of his excessive cost overruns.It should be noted that Margot’s success does not override her basic character of compassion for the underdog or that of the misjudged at the other end of the social scale. It is this trait of helping one’s fellow being that the author makes you feel may come back to haunt her one day.Notwithstanding the bright future seemingly stretched before Margot and Paul, Margot’s latent intuition of impending difficulties or troubles does not seem to impact Paul’s enthusiasm and optimism.As a reader and reviewer, I wholeheartedly endorse this first open window of Ellie Midwood’s Metropolis and await further windows and doors to open with bated breath. This one is a keeper!

There are many strengths to Ellie Midwood’s novels including their authenticity and attention to detail. This story is set in the 1920s, a decade often overshadowed by the First and Second World Wars.Set in Berlin, the author captures the atmosphere of Weimar Germany perfectly through the social fabric and political machinations of the time.As a lover of classic cinema I found the movie elements of this book fascinating and the author excelled in bringing these scenes to life.With her interest in pre-World War Two Europe, the war itself and early cinema, I would love to see Ellie Midwood write a novel about Hedy Lamarr. With Hedy’s controversial movie, Ecstasy, her arms manufacturer husband and her interest in inventing a missile guidance system, I think author and actress are made for each other.In all her books, Ellie Midwood also presents an interesting slant on relationships and those relationships are another highlight of this book.As an author writing about the first half of the twentieth century, Ellie Midwood has no peer.

Berlin 1924. This is the story of a young woman, called Margot, who rises from the depths of despair to the heights of society in Weimar Germany. Along the way, she becomes a vaunted photography and a cinematographer in the early film industry, and works with the tyrannical director, Fritz Lang, in the production of his eponymous masterwork. The book is also an accomplished love story, told with panache and subtly seldom seen in boy-meets-girl stories. Ms Midwood’s depiction of the decadence and fleshpots of pre-war Germany is beyond praise. Her research of the period is so thorough that one might suspect that she had access to a time machine while writing this book. Highly recommended.

The scene opens with Margo standing on a bridge gazing profoundly into the water below. Suicide is on her mind, and just as she plucks up the courage to jump, someone coughing nearby makes her hesitate. Ernst, a young man who also has suicide on his mind, was watching and waiting. A conversation begins with each telling the other how they ended up in their predicament.Ernst is a great pianist, and Margot has a beautiful singing voice. They get offered a job in a club. This doesn't make them rich, but the wages are enough to help them live comfortably.Ernst and Margot live as a couple but are they in love? Or is it just convenience? Then the inevitable happens when Margot meets Paul, a brilliant photographer, who sweeps her off her feet. Finally, she has fallen in love, but does Paul feel the same?Elle Midwood has made each of her characters (and they are many) come alive. I highly recommend this book to readers who like Historical Fiction, mixed with romance.

Berlin. The days of the Weimar Republic.A woman on a bridge contemplates the icy waters below, her pockets full of rocks.“Thank you for treating me to my last supper.”Thus begins ‘Metropolis’, a beautifully evocative account of life in Germany between the two World Wars, where decadence and desperation sit cheek-by-jowl. The author captures the mood of the time brilliantly.“Black, hardwood floors contrasted marvelously with silver wallpaper that shone like silk in the light of multiple crystal candelabras. Long, floor-to-ceiling mirrors lined the walls, creating the illusion of endless chambers, transcending one into another, reflecting her countless twins in red. Among the mirrors, the most curious paintings hung, depicting the oddest, yet strangely hypnotizing things. In one of them, a Templar Knight sat on a throne with his helmet lying at his feet, crushed by the hoof of the devil whose barely-visible shadow hovered above the slumped, defeated figure.”Ellie Midwood is fast becoming one of my go-to writers of historical fiction, and ‘Metropolis’ is a fine addition to her canon: passion, rivalry and friendship among the economic ruins of 1920s Germany.Well researched, and highly recommended.

How the mighty fall. Countess Margo has lost everything due to the catastrophic inflation following world war one. Two people on the verge of suicide share some valuable time relaying their stories of decline. They become housemates and work together to pull themselves from the mire. However, they quickly find that talent and having a face which fits may still be sold. Later developing an interest in photography Margo meets Paul also a photographer. Eventually, she becomes a cinematographer and works on Fritz Langs genius film.This is an insightful betrayal of the fascinating interlude between the wars. Margo a singer and Ernst a pianist are drawn into the world of Berlin bohemia with its corruption, colourful characters which represent every aspect of life at that time, and reminiscent of the film ‘Cabaret’.Everything fits in this beautifully described book, the intricately described intimacy of relationships, the accurate drawing of each scene, the decadence, realism and exacting details on all fronts. All under the growing shadow of war.I would highly recommend this book for its engrossing realism and fast-paced entertainment.