David Downing's Zoo Station

David Downing's Zoo Station (2007) is the first novel in a series of six recounting the adventures of John Russell, a British journalist living in Berlin. Each book is named for a train station, mostly in Berlin. This first novel is set in 1939, just prior to the beginning of World War II. There is a great deal of intrigue as Russell, a former communist, is contacted by the Soviets who want him to write some propaganda articles for Pravda, an American journalist who wants some assistance with a big story exposing Nazi plans to further purify Germany, and a friend at the British embassy, who asks him to teach English to some Jewish children hoping to emigrate to England.

The story explores the many compromises Russell must consider as he tries to remain in Berlin to be near his son and his German mistress while the world edges closer to war. With Nazi atrocities mounting all around him, Russell finds himself in a position to do at least some good for a few of Hitler's victims and potential victims. Without giving too much away, I will just say that this first novel in the series ends with some of the storylines at least partially resolved, but with much left suspended, material for the later books to take up and carry forward.

I haven't decided whether I want to make that investment yet. The book has a great deal of atmosphere, and some rather complicated characters. Russell's relationship with his son Paul, for example, promises to be interesting. The boy is a willing participant in Hitler's youth program, and he finds his father's concern for Jews somewhat inexplicable. At the same time he appears to be a rather sensitive and sometimes even compassionate young man. Russell carefully calibrates what he reveals about himself and his views as he tries to guide his son toward a more nuanced conception of the world and politics than he is likely to receive either from his German stepfather or his Nazi companions.

What I found most appealing about the book was John Russell's vexed nationality. With an American mother, an English father, and a German son, Russell has mixed loyalties, which are further complicated by his youthful affiliation with the Communist Party. He is also a disillusioned veteran of World War I who has survived but not without deep psychological and spiritual scars. As a result of his experiences, he tries to remain as anonymous as he can, while holding a somewhat privileged position as a freelance correspondent. In some ways this first novel in the series seems intended to introduce Russell and explain how such a man is drawn into some of the dangerous actions he finds himself taking to foil the Nazis and assist some of their victims. Although he considers himself essentially a very cautious and sometimes cynical person, he soon takes a number of steps that lead him into some rather dangerous relationships, both for himself and those he loves.

As I think I've noted already in a previous post, this is another of my Men's Book Club selections. I doubt I would otherwise have discovered it. And I'm grateful for the opportunity of extending my reading in a direction I would not likely have gone on my own. But I am doubtful I will pursue the series any further. I'm more inclined now to return to the world of Anne Tyler's Baltimore, at least for a little while, as I try to forget some of the insanity that Downing describes in Hitler's Germany.