You can read well written descriptions of the dual plots of this novel from other reviewers, so I will share what I believe to be its weaknesses.
There is not a single likable character in either plot. Wallace's moving descriptions of the despair and squalor found throughout every scene is dulled from a lack of attachment to any character. Creepy and bloodthirsry? Sure. Yawn.
The two plots do not weave together seamlessly. Both plots went into fascinating detail that make me want to read up more on the 30 years war. And there were some red herrings- notably about rye and argot- that were tantilizing. But the book's conclusion about the 'rat inside all of us' waiting to revert to baser instincts was a real letdown.
If you are an admirer of loose ends, insufficiently fleshed out characters, and anti-heroes, you will find much to praise.
If you are like me, you will not toss this book aside lightly, but will fling it with great force.

Halfway through this book, I thought I'd found a classic - but I found the ending very weak. The author opts for some generic "we all have evil in us" preaching and the parallel between the post-WW2 and Hamelin stories is pointless - each story has the same general moral, so there's no reason to have both. The author has a good style, characterizes well and moves the story along effectively, but I agree with another reviewer who said there really isn't a sense of despair/hopelessness created

Much as I expected and wanted to love this book, I didn't. The notion of intertwining the story of a young doctor working with post-WWII refugees in occupied Germany, with a scholarly "true" account of the Pied Piper story was intriguing. Unfortunately, this device of alternating storylines proved inherently predictable. The reader knows the two stories are related and will converge, and when they do so without an interesting twist or unexpected direction, it's ultimately somewhat of a letdown. That's not to say Wallace isn't a quality writer, because he is, and for a first novel, it the prose is very accomplished, and he sets the historical scenes nicely. However, unlike others, I never felt he quite instilled that sense of the human capacity for evil that gripped me as it did in books like Jose Saramango's "Blindness," or Duncan McLean's "Bunker Man" nor is it as effective a post-WWII work as Melvin Bukiet's "After." Still, I look forward to Wallace's next book.

I am curious if the author titled this book "The Eighth Day" based on the Catholic/Christian reference to Sunday as the eighth day, the day of recreation. Be that as it may, the book has many merits - e.g. the way it makes the oppressive atmosphere tangible "only with difficulty could she get the damp air into her lungs". The atmosphere is filled with disappointment, drunkeness, violence, self-pity and self-loathing. A few pages into the novel, I fully expected it to be good, maybe very good.

Unfortunately, as the main character Agnieszka breaks in her own way, the plot fails ... there has not been sufficient psychological change to motivate the change in behavior.

As an anti-Communist piece of Polish literature, the book is interesting; as a universal piece of humanity under repression it fails. I suspect, however, that the author's talent may have (or will) produced better works.

Without knowing much about Polish writer Marek Hlasko, a reader of this novel could pretty much guess that he was born and raised under the gray curtain of Stalinism. Throughout this short novel that covers a 3-day period in rainy cold Warsaw, we glean nothing but despair and cynicism every step of the way. The story begins with the two main characters arguing on the banks of the Vistula on a "filthy day in May," a telling-enough detail: can anyone ever recall the month of May being described as "filthy?" (Perhaps it is in a figurative sense for anyone bred under Soviet communism: their month of May opened with the traditional May Day celebrations). Our heroine, Agnieszka, is arguing with her boyfriend Piotr because he wants to make love with her for the first time right then and there on the riverbank since "there is no place on earth for lovers to go." Both Agnies and Piotr live in overcrowded tenements in true commmunist fashion, rubbing elbows with dispirted people everywhere. Agnies' mother is a bitter, hateful invalid, her father a prematurely aging man already focused on his own death. Her younger brother, Grzegorz, is also prematurely old and a defeated, cynical idealist. Her old brother, Zawadzki, is one of the few persons in the story holding onto any hope and keeps plugging away daily at his job as a laborer and says "I want to believe in people." Agnies herself is jaded yet hopeful. She still believes in love & romance, is at odds with her home environment and keeps studying away for a degree in philosphy at university. What she craves most of all, she tells Piotr, is "peace and quiet." We seem to get to know Piotr the least. We know that he was in the armed forces and served time in prison for some type of political "crime." The thread of the story shows how each character looks forward to Sunday, the 7th day of the week, for one reason for another. Agnies' father is to go on a much-anticipated fishing trip; Grzegorz's girlfriend is to give her decision whether to accept his proposal of marriage and Zawadzki anticipates a visit to his fiance on that day as well. True to the cynicism thru-out the story, nothing comes through on Sunday for any of them. Sunday dawns a sleeting, cold day no good for fishing or trips to see girlfriends. Perhaps the title of the book stems from these characters' desperate need for yet one more day in the week to achieve what they so desire? Sunday turns out to be a horrendous day--you must read what happens to everyone! When Monday morning finally dawns, and everyone falls back into their routine, gray existences. Piotr and Angies part ways, true to his earlier conviction that "This is the 90th century. If Romeo and Juliet lived in Warsaw in 1956, they would never have met." Probably the sum of 8th Day can be read in Grzegorz's "Cynicism is the sole morality" but check out the last line in the book where Agnies' father is standing at the front door and remarks "I wish it were Sunday." Translator Guterman did an upstanding job with this work, preserving the dozens of philosophical gems Hlasko packs onto every page.

Poland in the 60's.Characters drawned as with no illusions, a boy always drunken not to remember the present and the lack of love and understanding, his sister the only one who has sparkles of faith in the possibilities of humane changes, but at the end breaks down. On the background the system, the lack of morality that becames going over morality and only a try in surviving, no hope in joy. Everything seems to collapse, but at last Poland will remain the same, forever, for only humane beings will fall in dust, the spirit of the country'll remain the same, stifling and atrophying. The country survives because feeds on his inhabithans, on their blood and hopes.Hlasko recreates the disillusion himself lived, and died too early to realize that was right in his prophecy.

Obviously a lot of time and effort was put into the research, which is very good.

Although I understand that this is primarily a reference text, some short stories on the acts that led to the individual awards would make very interesting reading.

Generally a well researched tome on a relatively narrow subject which should interest military historians and especially those (and their families)that were awarded Poland's highest decoration for bravery.

The only negative and disappointment I can find is the author's arrogant self-serving, self-review of his work which he himself characterizes as a "..masterpiece..' Give me a break!

The only book in the world on Polish Civilian and Military Decorations. It contains the history of the Polish decoration system,photographs of 1,400 orders,medals, crosses, badges and insignia from 1705-1985. There are 19 plates in color,large format 400 pages. English language. It also contains statistics on awarded decorations. This book is now a world wide standard and reference work on the subject. The author has recently published a new book on Poland's highest military decoration for valor, equal to the US Medal of Honor or the British Victoria Cross, Order Virtuti Militari and its Cavaliers, 1792-1992. As of 10 December 1996 there are 500 books available. A 2nd edition is planned within the next two years. The author can be contacted directly by email zwesolowsk@aol.com or on Prodigy. His web page is http://www.wwdir.com.polishbk.html Prof.Dr.Zdzislaw P. Wesolowski Colonel, SCS

Richard Galzar, a Jew from Prague, survived for 10 months as a clothes-sorter in Trebinka, until his escape in the breakout of August 1943. While not a professional writer, his clear, strongly written account is an excellent source for true students of Holocaust history. The above reviewer either has not read the book or clearly seeks to defame this author, as is typical with Holocaust Deniers.

Mr Glazer has written an interesting manuscript of his war years experience however the astute reader will question many of the allegations he makes. His account of his incarceration in the Treblinka "Concentration Camp" contradicts most other survivor testimony regarding that camp (eg Yitzak Arad, Martin Gray) and recent aerial photographic evidence questions whether it existed at all.

His style is rather simplistic for such a serious topic and he never goes into much detail over any one topic. Liberal use of perjoratives and stereotypes also contributes to the novelish aura one gets. This book, while a worthwile read, unfortunately further blurs the boundary between fact and fiction regarding the period of history.

None of the previous reviewers seem to know that Richard Glazar, a young Czech, is one of the most effective eyewitnesses in Claude Lanzmann's epic masterpiece, 'Shoah.' He appears at numerous points during the parts of the film that deal with Treblinka. What comes across is his vitality, integrity, and self-awareness. He was one of the few to survive the Treblinka revolt in August 1943 in which several hundred prisoners finally managed to break out, although most did not finally survive. Glazar appears too in interviews with Gitta Sereny, 'Into that Darkness,' in her study of Franz Stangl, the commandant of Treblinka. Glazar's work is utterly authentic and a MUST READ.

This is a couple of articles padded out into a book. The potted histories of the USSR, Poland etc. are completely superfluous. The only original work is in the last 3 chapters. Even there, however, there are lots of problems, including more secondhand histories for no reason. Social Democracy is dismissed in a few pages as "in crisis." This allows him to make the case for revolution instead of reform. When we finally get to the argument, he makes no attempt to respond seriously to potential objections. In short, very heavy on rhetoric and cant, and very light on careful analysis.

In an US idiom, Singer brilliantly analyzes the way capitalism has run amok. Globalization of attacks on human rights, dishonest pay for honest work, and privatization of unemployment insurance, social security, and other hard-won benefits for the average guy are all placed in their proper context. Singer is the son of a prisoner of Stalin's gulag. He proposes ultrademocracy in all major public sectors, starting with unions, not ignoring the central banks and their international arms. Singer is a clear, gracious, brainy advocate for human decency above the cruelties of the market, not excluding US executives and speculators getting 400 times the pay of the average wage earner.

Daniel Singer's newest work is a brilliant analysis of contemporary capitalism and a direct and convincing challenge to the notion that "there is no alternative" to the current social system. Singer's defense of the classical Marxist view that capitalism is incapable of providing a meaningful and secure existence for the majority of the world's population is accompanied by an equally merciless critique of both the former bureaucratic regimes in the USSR and Eastern Europe and western social-democracy and liberalism. For Singer, the alternative to both the barbarism of modern capitalism and the failures of stalinism and reformism is a mass, democratic movement of working people. Only such a movement, beginning in the workplaces and extending its challenge to all aspects of social life under capitalism, could have the power to overthrow the existing system and create a humane and democratic socialist alternative.

A mystery story involving, of course, dead bodies.

The spirit of the novel is best contained in the statistician's remarks on gravity. The word "Gravity" doesn't really explain anything, rather it gives a name to the tendency of objects to fall toward the center of the earth. If something like that happens every day, we give it a name of some sort and accept it as normal. If something like that seldom happens, then it's exceptional and warrants investigation.

Although I was dissatisfied with the ending, the reasoning employed along the way there is pretty engrossing. The story is also strange enough in places to be bleakly humorous. Maybe an extra half-star, for being different.

As every detective and scientist should know, objectively there are facts and relationships between facts. Sometimes there are causal relationships between facts, and the facts are correlated; sometimes there are no causal connections between facts, and the facts may or may not show some statistical correlation. The situation where the facts display at least chance correlations but may not be linked causally provides the leitmotiv for Stanislaw Lem's "The Investigation" (and his "Chain of Chance" for that matter).

Correlated facts are suggestive, but when the number of facts does not amount to a meaningful statistical sample the correlation may be an artifact, and then sound inductive reasoning often gives way to wild speculation. In "The Investigation", lieutenant Gregory of Scotland Yard desperately tries to puzzle out a consistent explanation for a bizarre series of disappearing corpses while receiving input from a scientist, a doctor, and fellow detectives --- each with his own ideas. The problem is that there doesn't seem to be enough solid evidence to decide whether the facts of the case have causal structure or whether they simply form "fortuitous patterns". Hmmm.

The category of "science fiction" is usually reserved for whimsical flights of fancy, but here we have a book that breathes fictional life into part of the intellectual apparatus that is at the very heart of science --- the empirical, or scientific, method. No pedantic statement is made about the empirical method, it's darker corners simply serve as a compelling thematic backdrop for a detective story. "The Investigation" is not a detective novel in the traditional sense though, and the ending will throw Agatha Christie enthusiasts for a disconcerting loop...but, an enjoyable one.

The narrative style is pleasingly "cinematic" in that, with few exceptions, only things that can be seen and heard are described --- it reads something like a well-written screenplay. This narrative approach is nothing new, though, and its lack of originality kept me from getting too excited; but, my fetish for stylistic originality is probably not shared by most readers. The book is also intellectually provocative without being didactic in that the story conjures up a small whirlwind of intriguing questions, not a parade of dubious and facile answers. Most importantly, it's a fun and engaging story. I really liked this one.

For years I'd heard a lot about Stanislaw Lem as a great Polish science fiction writer, maybe one of the world's greats in that field, but I hadn't ever read him. Therefore, when I saw a book of his at a yard sale, I bought it. The price was certainly right. But, I must report that I still haven't read any of his science-fiction because THE INVESTIGATION turns out to be one of his few works in other genres. But what genre is this ? You might say it's a detective novel, but "metaphysical detective fiction" would describe it better. How many other books fit into the same field ? Good question. Here we find bodies removed from graveyards and mortuaries; sometimes they turn up elsewhere, sometimes not. Gregory, a suspicious policeman, is assigned to catch the perpetrator. But is there a perpetrator ? Discussions of statistics and probability, as well as mysterious speculations, pepper this novel, which takes place in cold, foggy, rainy or snowy conditions in England, a country that does not emerge very realistically from the background. I was constantly reminded of Ismail Kadare's novel "Doruntine" by the similar philosophical nature of the writing which marks both books, by the rain and cold, and even by the names of characters-Stres in the Albanian book, and Sciss (the statistician) in Lem's. I can't say that this is a characteristic Lem novel because it's the first I ever read. But a detective novel that asks "what if everything that exists is fragmentary, incomplete, aborted, events with ends but no beginnings, events that only have middles, things that have fronts or rears, but not both, with us constantly making categories..... ?" cannot be considered average. Lem's novel may not be to everyone's taste---especially if you are looking for sex, violence, or lots of action---but it is unusual and well-written.

In grade 12 English, we had to pretend to be a person and talk about our life. I picked up this book, and started looking through it, read the first page and was very impressed. Nobody has ever heard of Faye Schulmann, so, I figured it would be a nice idea. Everybody kind of looked at me funny when they asked me whom I chose, and chuckled a bit. I have always been interested in this topic, especially being from Germany. People my age just don't have a clue about what went on over there, and that is a shame. I thought this book brought part of the war to life anyway. Everybody was sceptical about my speech at first, kind of got a giggle out of it, but by the time that I was finished, half of my class was in tears, and were very moved by that story. Books such as this one is a great educational book. It was sad to see, that people actually had to live through this just because of their religion.Maybe it will make somebody think twice about judging someone by their skin colour or their religion.

In one scene in the book, Faye described an attack by a German helicopter on their group of partisans. Two of the reviews said that the book is historically inaccurate as they claim that the Germans did not have helicopters in use in WWII. This is false information. The Germans did use a helicopter in WWII called the Flettner FL-282 Kolibri. Initially it was used by the German navy for reconnaissance purposes for convoy protection and submarine warfare. However, later in the war, it was used in land warfare by artillery brigades to direct artillery fire. It is entirely possible that Faye and the partisans had an encounter with the helicopter in this context. And even though the helicopter did not have its own weapons, it's not difficult for a soldier to stick a machine gun out of the window and fire away at targets on the ground. This book is accurate, and the details of Faye's exploits, and her courage, will serve as an inspiration for generations.

I cried at least once every other chapter...I would like to applaud Faye for having the courage to write about such painful memories!!! It is hard for me to even imagine what life must have been like in Europe during WWII...especially for the Jews!! Faye does an outstanding job of pulling the reader into her world, and it is impossible not to feel her pain and terror. And she does so with such little bitterness or self-pity!! If you love memoirs, you must read this one!!! Excellent!!!

BUT CAN THE PHOENIX SING? By: Christa Laird

Christa Laird makes a powerful statement in But Can The Phoenix Sing? Can a person be dynamic after a terrifying experience in World War Two? The book is based on a true story of the life of Misha Edelman.
The book starts when 15-years-old Misha Edelman is send to the front line of Poland during World War Two to help Jewish people. His mission is to save people from different concentration camps around Poland. He meets amazing people: Eva, Henryk, Vasily, and Doctor Korczak. They become a "family", but there are many obstacles in his life's journey. There are many unexpected events that happen in his journey to Warsaw. Is he going to survive? "My whole body was mass of pain." Is he going to be himself again? "Polish Jew, protégé of Dr. Korczak, ex-partisan and resistance worker." Is he going to find another love?
If you want to find answers for all these questions you should definitely read this book! This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is extremely moving and it keeps you guessing the whole time. I love this book because you can learn a lot about World War Two. I deeply recommend this book to both kids as adults. It is just amazing how brave a little boy can be and how much courage he has for his country. If you love to read sterling war stories you should definitely read this one! I guaranty you will not regret it...you might even learn a valuable lesson!

I've read it over and over again and it still makes me cry every time!

I thought this book was very interesting. One of the reasons I liked this book is because it tells about partisans who fought against the Nazis. All the events in this book are descriptive. Reading about what different things the partisans did was very interesting and exciting.

I think this was an ok book. I think there could have been more detail. But over sll this is a good book to young readers who are easily intrested in the Holocaust.

Personally, I was not impressed by the book. Gideon, the maincharacter, was not very believable. I have a hard time believing thata normal fourteen year old boy would know how to smuggle guns and food into another city.However, the book wasn't all bad. It did have a lot of action during the middle and end. It also describes what life was like in a Jewish ghetto. I would recommend "Gideon" for young readers that enjoy serious books. END

I read this book when I was in junior high..I have been looking to read it again since I understand a little more about WWII and what happened to the jews. I really enjoyed this book when I was young.

This book is very negative in presenting Poland and its culture. Every time the author mentions something worth visiting, it is with reservations and he makes sure to diminish it in some way by subtly bringing negative aspects or comparisons (or questioning Polish origins of it.) Makes you wonder what were the reasons for writing this book. Many names are misspelled and prices not very accurate, especially for higher priced hotels and restaurants. Lonely Planet's Poland is much more enjoyable and accurate.

Don't want to sound like I'm shilling for Amazon.com, but if you're going to be in Poland for more than a few days, I would recommend both the Rough Guide and the Lonely Planet Poland guides.

Both the strength and the weakness of the Rough Guide is that it is written by a Western European (or is he a North American?) who experiences Poland in a way I assume would be similar to most readers of English-language guides. That means sometimes he's sarcastic and dismissive when he shouldn't be. It is true, what other reviewers said about his tendency to question the essential Polishness of towns, people, etc. There's about 900 years of propaganda behind a lot of this, and I doubt the author is conversant with that history. On the other hand, his general reactions to things -- the beauty of Krakow, bad first impressions of Warsaw, the horror of Auschwitz, etc. -- were similar to my own reactions.

I have found the Lonely Planet guide to be generally the more accurate of the two on the mundane details. It's also more balanced in its interpretations, though that is a matter of perspective. The author is a Pole, and his superior knowledge and understanding of just about everything both books cover is pretty evident. In no way is the book written from a crude, nationalistic standpoint, but he nevertheless doesn't quite connect to the reader in some vital way the author of Rough Guide Poland does. Maybe it's because he writes as a native rather than a sardonic ex-pat. If you're buying just one Poland guidebook, go with Lonely Planet.

This guide had extensive information on Poland, including coverage of many small towns omitted from other books. It is much more thorough than Lonely Planet. It also includes more information on sites of Jewish interest, which Lonely Planet virtually ignores. Perhaps that is why the other reviewer considered it a negative book.

As with most guides geared to a budget audience, information on upmarket hotels and restaurants is limited at best. However, there is much more detail of things off the beaten path than one would find in a more upmarket guide.