Quotes from Charles Belfoure

think how the world would've turned out if Hitler had gotten into art school, thought Lucien.

But the very worst kind of collaboration was a French woman sleeping with a German. They were called the horizontal collaborationists.

He took a deep drag and looked up into the cold night sky and saw a sea of stars above him. He knew nothing about constellations or astronomy, but he enjoyed the beautiful sight. In Paris, he had never even noticed the night sky, but out in the country it was immense, almost drawing you up into the heavens. One couldn't help but be awed by the sight. As he smoked, he continued to stare at the sky, marveling at the vast number and configurations of stars.

It had all been an illusion, Lucien knew. The buildings, the arches, the sweeping, graceful lines. All this time he had been worshipping a facade of concrete and glass. Lucien

Because of their sacrifice, you must escape. If you don't, everything up until now will have been in vain." "But

He studied at the Bauhaus, you know." "So that makes him trustworthy? Because he's an architect?" "A modernist architect." "You've got an odd sense of trust, my love. He's still a German, and you can never trust a German. Always remember that." "Yes, my dear, I'll keep that in mind.

Lucien was exultant over his design, brimming with pride as if he'd just won the Prix de Rome. Delighted with his own ingenuity, he experienced the same sense of exhilaration that had swept over him at the rue Galilée.

I see. Tell me, monsieur, do you like a challenge? To solve a unique problem?" "Yes, indeed, I love to come up with a solution for any architectural problem," said Lucien, "and the more challenging, the better." He

Let me explain something to you, Monsieur Bernard. Back in 1940, when this hell began, I realized that my first duty as a Christian was to overcome my self-centeredness, that I had to inconvenience myself when one of my human brethren was in danger—whoever he may be, or whether he was a born Frenchman or not. I've simply decided not to turn my back.

Lucien thought. And as for Christianity, he agreed with his father: it was a well-intentioned set of beliefs that never worked in real life.

All these buildings of Paris are treasures," said Lucien. "But

Secretly, Lucien was ashamed that he was so useless to his country. Sometimes, he felt guilty that he was alive.

father jacques just smiled. "i can't say it's been a pleasure, colonel, but i did enjoy talking to you. i even hope that when you die and your ass is burning in the fires of hell, you won't suffer too much. in fact, i'll pray for your soul, my son.

He loved seeing his buildings get built. That was the most wonderful thing about being an architect—to see your drawings become real, three-dimensional objects that you could walk around and touch. All architects were impatient to see their buildings completed.

Lucien had complete creative freedom. It wasn't just a canard that an architect needed a good client to produce great art.

An architect should never rationalize a change in purely aesthetic terms, you know that. He should give the client a pragmatic reason for doing it." Lucien

but kept their eyes straight ahead. The Gestapo captain

The Occupation, Lucien realized, hadn't just bred hatred of Jews, it had brought out the very worst in human beings. Hardship had bred pure self-interest, setting group against group, neighbor against neighbor, and even friend against friend. People would screw over each other for a lump of butter.

Do you think anti-Semitism influenced a person's decision on whether to help others? 3. What do you think of the people who hid Jews in exchange for money? Was it evil and exploitive or a fair business transaction? 4. In the beginning of the novel, Lucien didn't care about what happened to the Jews. Discuss how his character evolved throughout the novel. How did your opinion of him change?

18. Schlegal was disappointed that the people he tortured always talked. What do you think were the motivations behind someone who talked and someone who didn't? If you were in a situation where someone was trying to get information from you, what would be the final straw to make you talk?

Just think how the world would've turned out if Hitler had gotten into art school, thought Lucien.

was odd that the French were so dignified in death but in life acted like shits squealing on each other.

Hardship had bred pure self-interest, setting group against group, neighbor against neighbor, and even friend against friend. People

The punishment for being a Jew in the Reich crossed the line into barbarism. They were being hunted down like wild animals. What made it so sickening was that it wasn't perpetrated by a bunch of ignorant half-naked savages, but the citizens of a nation renowned for its culture and intelligence that had produced men like Goethe and Beethoven.