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courtego's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I listened to this on my commute in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah. It was a beautiful reflection, and one that connected to me deeply as a hospice nurse. It is well worth the time.
eserafina42's review against another edition
5.0
In June of 2011, author, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize honoree Elie Wiesel learned that he was in imminent danger of a heart attack and that he would need emergency open-heart surgery. Open Heart is his account of the experience.
In this short but beautiful book, Wiesel recounts not only the surgery itself and its aftermath, but the memories, questions and doubts that assail him as he faces his own mortality. He thinks of his family, both those he has lost and those who surround him and support him in the present. This remarkable man, who has spent his life speaking for those who died in the Shoah and oppressed people everywhere, wonders if he has done enough, or too much. “All of us who have fought the battle [against fanaticism],” he concludes, “must now admit defeat.”
As he confronts the possibility of his own death, he also wrestles (as Jews have done since the time of Jacob) with his relationship with God and the meaning of the religious observances he still performs, despite the “theological scandal” of Auschwitz and the atrocities that have happened since. In the end, however, he still holds to his belief “in man in spite of man,” and though he feels essentially unchanged by his experience, “I now know that every moment is a new beginning, every handshake a promise.”
In this short but beautiful book, Wiesel recounts not only the surgery itself and its aftermath, but the memories, questions and doubts that assail him as he faces his own mortality. He thinks of his family, both those he has lost and those who surround him and support him in the present. This remarkable man, who has spent his life speaking for those who died in the Shoah and oppressed people everywhere, wonders if he has done enough, or too much. “All of us who have fought the battle [against fanaticism],” he concludes, “must now admit defeat.”
As he confronts the possibility of his own death, he also wrestles (as Jews have done since the time of Jacob) with his relationship with God and the meaning of the religious observances he still performs, despite the “theological scandal” of Auschwitz and the atrocities that have happened since. In the end, however, he still holds to his belief “in man in spite of man,” and though he feels essentially unchanged by his experience, “I now know that every moment is a new beginning, every handshake a promise.”
jrobinw's review against another edition
3.0
I think this would be an important book for anyone facing physical limitations or open heart surgery. He faces reality that life is precious but focuses on hopefulness.
khveronika's review against another edition
4.0
This was the first book I was able to read through ever since the start of the full scale war in Ukraine, on the 24th of February 2022.
I was looking for something humane, something warm and touching, something that would be inspiring and Elie's story about life after having survived Holocaust hit the right spot.
It was short (just about a 1 hour read) and precise, which is really convenient when your attention span has almost become non-existent for whichever reason. It helps out with creating a certain mindset when you feel like no good will ever happen in this world again. It's a piece of writing that I would suggest to those who feel at their lowest in their lives but obviously, not only.
The only reduction in the star rating was due to the many references made to God and religion, which personally are a bit off-putting for me.
I cried and I laughed while reading the book but most importantly, it managed to provide me with a break from reality and a breath of fresh air during a devastating time. It made me really curious to discover more of the author's writing and I hope to get to more of his books soon.
I was looking for something humane, something warm and touching, something that would be inspiring and Elie's story about life after having survived Holocaust hit the right spot.
It was short (just about a 1 hour read) and precise, which is really convenient when your attention span has almost become non-existent for whichever reason. It helps out with creating a certain mindset when you feel like no good will ever happen in this world again. It's a piece of writing that I would suggest to those who feel at their lowest in their lives but obviously, not only.
The only reduction in the star rating was due to the many references made to God and religion, which personally are a bit off-putting for me.
I cried and I laughed while reading the book but most importantly, it managed to provide me with a break from reality and a breath of fresh air during a devastating time. It made me really curious to discover more of the author's writing and I hope to get to more of his books soon.
mamaorgana80's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Short and sweet. A vulnerable look at life near its end.
cherylcheng00's review against another edition
4.0
Is evil just another path leading to good? In truth, for the Jew that I am, Auschwitz is not only a human tragedy, but also, and most of all, a theological scandal. For me, it is as impossible to accept Auschwitz with God as without God. But then how is one to understand His silence? As I try to explain God's presence in evil, I suffer and search for reasons that would allow me to denounce Him.
Since God is, He is to be found in the questions as well as the answers.
I now know that every moment is a new beginning. Every handshake, a promise. I know that every quest implicates the other, just as every word can become prayer. If life is not a celebration, why remember it? If life, mine or that of my fellow man, is not an offering to the other, what are we doing on this Earth?
My life, I go on breathing, from minute to minute, from prayer to prayer.
Since God is, He is to be found in the questions as well as the answers.
I now know that every moment is a new beginning. Every handshake, a promise. I know that every quest implicates the other, just as every word can become prayer. If life is not a celebration, why remember it? If life, mine or that of my fellow man, is not an offering to the other, what are we doing on this Earth?
My life, I go on breathing, from minute to minute, from prayer to prayer.
carlamqz's review against another edition
5.0
En pocas páginas, este libro comparte un profundo mensaje.
Vale la pena primero leer Night
Vale la pena primero leer Night