April in Paris

This German novel, set in occupied Paris in 1943, is about a German translator who decides to blend in with the French as much as possible. Speaking perfect French, he becomes "Monsieur Antoine" and starts wandering through Paris. When he spots Chantal in a bookstore, he is immediately infatuated and manages to become her lover. Then he finds out that she's a member of the Resistance. Paul Michael reads this book with contrived German and French accents that jar. In addition, the first chapters of the book contain some dialogue in French, which is inaccessible to most listeners. The clunky translation of the novel doesn't help, and while Michael does his best to provide atmosphere, it's hard to suspend disbelief. K.M. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

February 12, 2007
Wallner's harrowing debut, a love story of sorts though there's little romance, rings with authenticity. In 1943, Corporal Roth, a 22-year-old translator in the German occupation forces in France, is reassigned to SS headquarters in Paris, where his job is to translate the confessions of members of the resistance as they are being tortured. While strolling through the city, Roth encounters a beautiful young woman and is instantly smitten. Because he can speak French flawlessly, Roth takes the identity of "Antoine" and pursues the young lady, Chantal, with tragic results. Chantal is a member of the French resistance, and while Roth isn't a coldhearted Nazi, he is a German and his obsession leads him ever downward until he's accused of being a traitor. Many European imports these days read like pale imitations of genre novels by Americans, but this sterling period piece will strike readers as distinctively and refreshingly German in its concerns.