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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Summary: Although the Tattooist of Auschwitz was primarily about Lale Sokolov and his experiences at the infamous Nazi concentration camp, one of the other memorable people from that story was Cilka Klein. Only sixteen when she was sent to the concentration camp, her youth and beauty caught the attention of a brutal Commandant. Her choice was either death in the showers or to endure being repeatedly raped, but with a hope of survival. Cilka chose to survive.
Her choice kept her alive in the concentration camp, but she was then sentenced for fifteen years to one of the Soviet Gulags as punishment for being a Nazi “collaborator” and suspected spy. At the Vorkuta Gulag, she is thrown in with a mix of political prisoners and criminals. She lives in a crude, dirty dormitory and is sent to work with other women gathering coal mined by the male prisoners. She and the other women deal with almost nightly rape by the men in the camp.
When a woman is burned by the stove in the dormitory, Cilka’s quick thinking and ministration saves her hand. This brings her to the attention of a female doctor who recognizes Cilka’s intelligence. Cilka’s life improves somewhat after she is given work in the hospital. But once again, preference sets her apart and she justifiably fears repercussions.
Comments: Although Cilka’s background story is told in flashbacks, I strongly suggest reading the Tattooist of Auschwitz before Cilka’s Journey. As horrible as the conditions are in the Gulag, they don’t begin to compare to Auschwitz. Cilka’s situation is incredibly cruel in light of what she’s already been through.
While Cilka was a real person, her story is a fictionalized blend of research and interviews of people who knew her or went through similar experiences, as Cilka passed away years before this book was researched and written. But this novel is more than just Cilka’s story. It shines a light on a shameful period in the history of the Soviet Union under Stalin. Eighteen million people were incarcerated and forced into hard labor in the Gulags. Considering that separating families and forcing people deemed undesirable into camps is a practice happening in this country today, this is more than a novel. It is a solid reminder of what happens when the power of a few is allowed to corrupt an entire nation.
Highly recommended for readers of Historical Fiction
Her choice kept her alive in the concentration camp, but she was then sentenced for fifteen years to one of the Soviet Gulags as punishment for being a Nazi “collaborator” and suspected spy. At the Vorkuta Gulag, she is thrown in with a mix of political prisoners and criminals. She lives in a crude, dirty dormitory and is sent to work with other women gathering coal mined by the male prisoners. She and the other women deal with almost nightly rape by the men in the camp.
When a woman is burned by the stove in the dormitory, Cilka’s quick thinking and ministration saves her hand. This brings her to the attention of a female doctor who recognizes Cilka’s intelligence. Cilka’s life improves somewhat after she is given work in the hospital. But once again, preference sets her apart and she justifiably fears repercussions.
Comments: Although Cilka’s background story is told in flashbacks, I strongly suggest reading the Tattooist of Auschwitz before Cilka’s Journey. As horrible as the conditions are in the Gulag, they don’t begin to compare to Auschwitz. Cilka’s situation is incredibly cruel in light of what she’s already been through.
While Cilka was a real person, her story is a fictionalized blend of research and interviews of people who knew her or went through similar experiences, as Cilka passed away years before this book was researched and written. But this novel is more than just Cilka’s story. It shines a light on a shameful period in the history of the Soviet Union under Stalin. Eighteen million people were incarcerated and forced into hard labor in the Gulags. Considering that separating families and forcing people deemed undesirable into camps is a practice happening in this country today, this is more than a novel. It is a solid reminder of what happens when the power of a few is allowed to corrupt an entire nation.
Highly recommended for readers of Historical Fiction
Summary: Although the Tattooist of Auschwitz was primarily about Lale Sokolov and his experiences at the infamous Nazi concentration camp, one of the other memorable people from that story was Cilka Klein. Only sixteen when she was sent to the concentration camp, her youth and beauty caught the attention of a brutal Commandant. Her choice was either death in the showers or to endure being repeatedly raped, but with a hope of survival. Cilka chose to survive.
Her choice kept her alive in the concentration camp, but she was then sentenced for fifteen years to one of the Soviet Gulags as punishment for being a Nazi “collaborator” and suspected spy. At the Vorkuta Gulag, she is thrown in with a mix of political prisoners and criminals. She lives in a crude, dirty dormitory and is sent to work with other women gathering coal mined by the male prisoners. She and the other women deal with almost nightly rape by the men in the camp.
When a woman is burned by the stove in the dormitory, Cilka’s quick thinking and ministration saves her hand. This brings her to the attention of a female doctor who recognizes Cilka’s intelligence. Cilka’s life improves somewhat after she is given work in the hospital. But once again, preference sets her apart and she justifiably fears repercussions.
Comments: Although Cilka’s background story is told in flashbacks, I strongly suggest reading the Tattooist of Auschwitz before Cilka’s Journey. As horrible as the conditions are in the Gulag, they don’t begin to compare to Auschwitz. Cilka’s situation is incredibly cruel in light of what she’s already been through.
While Cilka was a real person, her story is a fictionalized blend of research and interviews of people who knew her or went through similar experiences, as Cilka passed away years before this book was researched and written. But this novel is more than just Cilka’s story. It shines a light on a shameful period in the history of the Soviet Union under Stalin. Eighteen million people were incarcerated and forced into hard labor in the Gulags. Considering that separating families and forcing people deemed undesirable into camps is a practice happening in this country today, this is more than a novel. It is a solid reminder of what happens when the power of a few is allowed to corrupt an entire nation.
Highly recommended for readers of Historical Fiction
Her choice kept her alive in the concentration camp, but she was then sentenced for fifteen years to one of the Soviet Gulags as punishment for being a Nazi “collaborator” and suspected spy. At the Vorkuta Gulag, she is thrown in with a mix of political prisoners and criminals. She lives in a crude, dirty dormitory and is sent to work with other women gathering coal mined by the male prisoners. She and the other women deal with almost nightly rape by the men in the camp.
When a woman is burned by the stove in the dormitory, Cilka’s quick thinking and ministration saves her hand. This brings her to the attention of a female doctor who recognizes Cilka’s intelligence. Cilka’s life improves somewhat after she is given work in the hospital. But once again, preference sets her apart and she justifiably fears repercussions.
Comments: Although Cilka’s background story is told in flashbacks, I strongly suggest reading the Tattooist of Auschwitz before Cilka’s Journey. As horrible as the conditions are in the Gulag, they don’t begin to compare to Auschwitz. Cilka’s situation is incredibly cruel in light of what she’s already been through.
While Cilka was a real person, her story is a fictionalized blend of research and interviews of people who knew her or went through similar experiences, as Cilka passed away years before this book was researched and written. But this novel is more than just Cilka’s story. It shines a light on a shameful period in the history of the Soviet Union under Stalin. Eighteen million people were incarcerated and forced into hard labor in the Gulags. Considering that separating families and forcing people deemed undesirable into camps is a practice happening in this country today, this is more than a novel. It is a solid reminder of what happens when the power of a few is allowed to corrupt an entire nation.
Highly recommended for readers of Historical Fiction
Am citit primul volum acum vreo 2-3 ani și mi-a luat ceva să ajung și la această carte, dar regret că s-a întâmplat atât de târziu.
Comparativ cu primul volum, acesta m-a ținut mult mai mult în priză. O carte cu un impact emoțional enorm.
Nu mă așteptam să rămân o bună bucată de timp cu gândul la ea. Mi-a rămas în cap multă vreme și tot timpul, când făceam diferite lucruri mă frământa ce puteam descoperi dacă aș mai fi citit un capitol.
Povestea o urmărește pe Cilka, o tânără care a fost forțată să devină o femeie matură de la o vârstă mult prea fragedă.
Cilka este o persoana extrem de puternică, care are o istorie ce trebuie cunoscută. Am adorat-o și apreciat-o până la finalul lecturii și uneori am încercat să mă pun în locul ei și credeți-mă, nu știu de unde a avut atât altruism și bunătate în ea, după toate lucrurile oribile prin care a trecut. Este cu adevărat o eroină, iar acest lucru este demonstrat, nu doar de felul în care se lăsa pe ea pe locul doi, ci și prin modul în care făcea față provocărilor din lagăr.
Acțiunea se întâmplă pe doua planuri, trecut(întrucât avem flashback-uri din timpul lagărului de la Auschiwitz) și prezent, gulagul rusesc.
Vă veți întreba de ce am scăzut totuși o steluță. Ar fi două aspecte:
1)Povestea de romance ușor grăbită și ciudată.
2)Finalul. Totul s-a sfârșit foarte brusc și rapid. Nu am sesizat cum și de ce. Îmi doream mai mult, deoarece simțeam că povestea nu trebuie să se termine așa. Nu mă înțelegeți greșit, mi-a plăcut ideea de final și cum totul a fost până la urma urmei bine, dar poate trebuia mai mult, a lipsit acea scânteie de final.
Totuși, dacă v-a plăcut prima carte, e musai să o citiți și pe aceasta, e un must read pentru toată lumea.
Comparativ cu primul volum, acesta m-a ținut mult mai mult în priză. O carte cu un impact emoțional enorm.
Nu mă așteptam să rămân o bună bucată de timp cu gândul la ea. Mi-a rămas în cap multă vreme și tot timpul, când făceam diferite lucruri mă frământa ce puteam descoperi dacă aș mai fi citit un capitol.
Povestea o urmărește pe Cilka, o tânără care a fost forțată să devină o femeie matură de la o vârstă mult prea fragedă.
Cilka este o persoana extrem de puternică, care are o istorie ce trebuie cunoscută. Am adorat-o și apreciat-o până la finalul lecturii și uneori am încercat să mă pun în locul ei și credeți-mă, nu știu de unde a avut atât altruism și bunătate în ea, după toate lucrurile oribile prin care a trecut. Este cu adevărat o eroină, iar acest lucru este demonstrat, nu doar de felul în care se lăsa pe ea pe locul doi, ci și prin modul în care făcea față provocărilor din lagăr.
Acțiunea se întâmplă pe doua planuri, trecut(întrucât avem flashback-uri din timpul lagărului de la Auschiwitz) și prezent, gulagul rusesc.
Vă veți întreba de ce am scăzut totuși o steluță. Ar fi două aspecte:
1)Povestea de romance ușor grăbită și ciudată.
2)Finalul. Totul s-a sfârșit foarte brusc și rapid. Nu am sesizat cum și de ce. Îmi doream mai mult, deoarece simțeam că povestea nu trebuie să se termine așa. Nu mă înțelegeți greșit, mi-a plăcut ideea de final și cum totul a fost până la urma urmei bine, dar poate trebuia mai mult, a lipsit acea scânteie de final.
Totuși, dacă v-a plăcut prima carte, e musai să o citiți și pe aceasta, e un must read pentru toată lumea.
It took a minute to get attached to Cilka but once I did, I couldn't let go. This is a story about what humans can and will do just to survive. Cilka was able to understand the point of view of all her perpetrators and her own victims. I was relieved when by the end, Cilka found a will to live, not just survive.
I think this book was extremely eye opening after reading the Tattooist of Auschwitz; it was nice to see the extended story of some of the people. The amount of time and research that was done to write this book is amazing and inspiring. Although its stated as "Historical Fiction" the book is based on true events and was written to as close to truth as possible. It is truly enlightening to read how people survived the struggles and it is difficult to fathom how people could torcher other humans like they do.
That was a tough one to read. The brutalization of humans is on full display in this book, but is thankfully balanced by the kindness and caring of humans.
I got this as a read now on NetGalley and didn't realize this was technically a sequel. Fortunately it stands alone. I whipped right through this and I'm glad I did.
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No