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Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, Classism
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
This (slightly) fictionalized account of Oskar Schindler and how he saved over 1,000 Jews from the Nazi slaughter is compelling and heavy. It explores the complexity of human nature vividly in a way that invites questions. What makes someone really good? Or really evil? What might tip the scale in any given human heart towards one or the other?
A man like him might very well find himself cancelled in 2025 for his participation in the system, regardless of the lives he saved by manipulating that system. Schindler's story flies in the face of black and white, moralistic thinking. As does any really human story, if we dig deep enough.
There are very few truly evil people, and only One who has ever been really Good. Schindler's List invites us to examine ourselves, step back from mainstream rhetoric, and open our eyes to one another. To let go of the Us vs. Them false dichotomy.
This book was incredibly difficult to read, and I am so, so glad I did. I highly recommend it, across the board. Just be aware that it is unflinching in its description of the atrocities that took place in the Holocaust.
Stories change hearts and minds. This is why we read.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Suicide, Alcohol, War
Graphic: Genocide, War
I think this book is an incredible piece of media, and an important one at that. It recounts the tale of Oskar Schindler's life and dealings throughout the war by using retellings from survivors, Oskar's own recounts and stories from those who knew him. However, it states that it is fiction, but I believe a closer description would be fictionalised non-fiction. The writing style from the start feels closer to a memoir or biography rather then a novel. Which I struggled to get on board with and meant I personally felt the pacing was slow. That is not to say I thought it was bad though, I found it very engaging and horrifying in equal measure. As I said, it is a very important story that needs to be told. I liked that the author used German terminology for ranks and didn't talk down to his audience by over explaining. It felt like we were undertaking the journey of research with him.
Overall this book sits on the upper end of middle for me. I struggled to read it but mainly for its dense topic (not something I feel justified holding against the rating) and its writing style. I would definitely recommend it to others with a heavy content warning attached.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Antisemitism, War
Moderate: Confinement, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Slavery, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Alcohol
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Antisemitism, War
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Antisemitism, Murder