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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
This book is an excellent story that illustrates the extreme negative impact of an adult female committing sexual offenses with a pseudo-consenting teenage boy.
If you ever get a chance, pick up The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. The first part can be described as either racy or erotic, but the second part is more focused on the trial. The writing is beautiful, haunting, and the story is disturbing. It is quite possibly one of the most beautiful and disturbing books I have ever read.
The forst part is a bland 2 stars for me: a middle-high class, 15 years old boy fells in love with a woman twice his age, lower class. They make love and he reads aloud for her. The turning point is right after World War II, when Hanna - the woman - is facing trial. She left her job as a conductor to join the nazis and became a guard in a concentration camp.
Hannah's personality is fascinating, both when she's sure of herself (almost arrogant) and when she's in doubt (almost clueless). Through the eyes of her former lover we get to know the truth: she's illiterate. And at the trial she's ready to take the blame for everything, in order not to disclosure such failing.
Her colleagues are sentenced to several years in jail: she got life. She redeems herself somehow when she finally learn to write and read, but that doesn't make life any easier.
In my humble opinion this is a must-read novel. It offers a different, more subdued take on the holocaust, but it's disturbing all the same
Hannah's personality is fascinating, both when she's sure of herself (almost arrogant) and when she's in doubt (almost clueless). Through the eyes of her former lover we get to know the truth: she's illiterate. And at the trial she's ready to take the blame for everything, in order not to disclosure such failing.
Her colleagues are sentenced to several years in jail: she got life. She redeems herself somehow when she finally learn to write and read, but that doesn't make life any easier.
In my humble opinion this is a must-read novel. It offers a different, more subdued take on the holocaust, but it's disturbing all the same
I have the feeling there's more than one way of looking at this book. On one hand it can be viewed as a bildungsroman, it follows Michael Berg since the age of 15 till full maturity. On the other hand, it's the post-war German generation coming to terms with their past, the Nazi crimes and their parents' guilt. Guilt, actually, is a recurring theme in the novel: Hanna is guilty of war crimes, Michael is guilty for betrayal (plus he feels guilty for having loved Hanna and asks himself if that makes him a criminal as well), Michael's father for not being enough of a father.
The question you get stuck with, after reading, is Hanna's question addressed to the judge: "What would you have done?"
The question I am stuck with is: What would have happened if the truth had been told?
On a bohemian level, the novel is about love for books and reading, so that's a plus for bookworms :)
The question you get stuck with, after reading, is Hanna's question addressed to the judge: "What would you have done?"
The question I am stuck with is: What would have happened if the truth had been told?
On a bohemian level, the novel is about love for books and reading, so that's a plus for bookworms :)
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
na ja.
meiner meinung nach an sich definitiv einer der eher interessanteren deutschen klassiker - besser als homo faber und kabale und liebe und was man da so alles lesen musste.
die thematik war okay, die überlegungen bezüglich des holocausts und des zweiten weltkriegs recht gut zu lesen; die beziehung zwischen michael und hanna amüsant (wenn auch höchst fragwürdig angesichts dessen dass er fünfzehn war und sie über dreißig), allerdings auch faszinierend.
erinnerte mich sehr an frankenstein und sein monster; ... educating rita?
der plot-twist am ende war hervorragend. ein gutes ende für eine leider in allen aspekten mittelmäßige geschichte.
meiner meinung nach an sich definitiv einer der eher interessanteren deutschen klassiker - besser als homo faber und kabale und liebe und was man da so alles lesen musste.
die thematik war okay, die überlegungen bezüglich des holocausts und des zweiten weltkriegs recht gut zu lesen; die beziehung zwischen michael und hanna amüsant (wenn auch höchst fragwürdig angesichts dessen dass er fünfzehn war und sie über dreißig), allerdings auch faszinierend.
erinnerte mich sehr an frankenstein und sein monster; ... educating rita?
der plot-twist am ende war hervorragend. ein gutes ende für eine leider in allen aspekten mittelmäßige geschichte.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Genocide, Suicide, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War
It took a long time to get into, but it was very interesting when I finally did.
The reader would have never crossed my mind if I havent seen the movie trailer starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. I usually like to read the books first before watching the movie because I want to make sure that the movie is good because of the drama AND because the director did a good job of keeping it relatable to the book. If I saw twilight before I read the book, I might have liked it. But i didn't. And THAT movie is horrible. So I wasn't making that mistake again!
The story takes us to post-WWII Germany and the main protagonist, 15 year old Michael Berg has an affair with a ex- nazi camp guard Hanna Schmitz (who is at least twice his age). After the lustful affair, she suddenly dissapears without saying goodbye. His next encounter with her happens to be years later as she is put on trial for war crimes during the Holocaust.
With that in mind, I always questioned Bernhard Schlink's reasonings for naming the book The Reader if it had to deal with justice and a lustful affair? But throughout the book, it was no doubt that reading became an essential piece of the whole trial. It was the glue that kept the affair bound even after all the sex. It was the hinderence that possibly cost Hanna her justice and her innocense, and it definitely was the barrier that she was not willing to climb over in order to maintain her pride and dignity. Not that assisting in war crimes is prideful.
If you want to know how the book all falls into place, I would definitely suggest that you read the book. And go see the movie after because Kate Winslet won the Best Actress Nod (finally! lmao).
The story takes us to post-WWII Germany and the main protagonist, 15 year old Michael Berg has an affair with a ex- nazi camp guard Hanna Schmitz (who is at least twice his age). After the lustful affair, she suddenly dissapears without saying goodbye. His next encounter with her happens to be years later as she is put on trial for war crimes during the Holocaust.
With that in mind, I always questioned Bernhard Schlink's reasonings for naming the book The Reader if it had to deal with justice and a lustful affair? But throughout the book, it was no doubt that reading became an essential piece of the whole trial. It was the glue that kept the affair bound even after all the sex. It was the hinderence that possibly cost Hanna her justice and her innocense, and it definitely was the barrier that she was not willing to climb over in order to maintain her pride and dignity. Not that assisting in war crimes is prideful.
If you want to know how the book all falls into place, I would definitely suggest that you read the book. And go see the movie after because Kate Winslet won the Best Actress Nod (finally! lmao).
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes