Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Echoing other reviews of low rating, the characters have nearly zero personality and the book is written in such a way that it is rushed and lacking in the prose department. A novel should immerse you in the moments and happenings. This book didn't explain why this all came to be and glosses over what was happening at the facilities to instead make this a romance novel. A ROMANCE NOVEL. SET IN AUCHSWITZ. This felt more like a PowerPoint presentation on paper that missed the point.

I understand that this was a retelling of what she was told by the real-life Lale. I suspect the 80 year old didn't have the most reliable memory and his stories morphed over time to become more tolerable for himself to recall. The treasure troves of jewels and having enough chocolate to share on multiple occasions was very unbelievable and credibility was shaken from it.

That being said, it is a quick-paced read and I do feel bad for the people who had to live this. I was hopeful for a miraculous outcome for certain people because of what I know from outside this book. Unfortunately, the author did a poor job bringing depth to most characters presented and seemingly a poor job doing basic research beforehand.

Content Warnings

pershie13's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a fast-paced, gripping story about a Jewish Slovak man named Lale's experience as a prisoner in Auschwitz during World War II. The book is based on a true story and share's Lale's experiences there, as well as a love story that lasts throughout his time at the camp. The resilience of all the people there is astounding, and Heather Morris does an excellent job of recounting the horrors of Auschwitz, as well as the strength of the people there. I've read many World War II historical fictions before, but this is the first one I've read that shows the war through the prisoners' perspective. As a result, the horrors of what these people went through was uncovered for me in a way it hadn't been before. The conditions and treatment of the people, as well as all the different groups wrongly imprisoned there, were all thoroughly researched and well represented by Morris, and I learned so much about the inner workings of the Nazi regime and exactly what they were trying to do. It is an important perspective that truly shows readers what happened and why it must never happen again. I think that Lale's story is so important for everyone to read in this regard because these experiences are his story, the story of countless survivors, and that of 6 million people who didn't make it out of these camps. As people who experienced Auschwitz and other concentration camps continue to age, Lale's story will remain written for all to read and truly understand one of the most horrible things inflicted on people in human history.

I absolutely loved the story and tore through this book in three days. I do wish that some of the events and characters would have been developed in greater detail. I found myself struggling to grasp at the concept of time or some of the characters' physical features or personalities because much of that was completely skipped over. I also do think that the book could have been a bit longer. For a book just over 250 pages long, I think this story was told well, but I think it could have been expanded a bit to further reinforce the message and importance of the events throughout the story. Since the book originally started as a screenplay, I think a lot of this would have been covered in a visual format, but it needed to be translated to the book to help me picture the setting a bit better. Overall, the story itself was excellent, but the writing style was not for me and didn't allow me to connect with the characters as much as I'd like. The notes at the end are excellent, so do not skip those! They help you learn more about Lale and Gita and give you a better grasp on the timeline of their experiences at Auschwitz.

This book was good, and I'm so glad Lale's story was able to be told. I think this is a worthwhile read, and it is a quick one to get through. I look forward to reading the sequel.

Content Warnings

melancholymegs's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Content Warnings

More...