Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I want to write a review but I’m not sure where to start. I liked the structure, the character development (for the most part), and the fact that I’m left with questions to ponder. I only give a book five stars if I think it will stay with me, becoming part of how I see the world. I believe this one will.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I feel this may be a book that I end up thinking very fondly of; already I'm surprised that I gave it only three stars, and that was just a few days ago!
Written with simplicity and clarity about something that is neither simple nor clear (a young man's first relationship with a much older woman, who turns out to have been a concentration camp guard). I really enjoyed it - in a way, the "simple" prose masks and, paradoxically then, emphasizes the complexity: you end up unsure of what to feel, but there are certainly strong feelings. I couldn't bring myself to hate Hanna, even though I felt I should be hating her - I was certainly irritated and troubled by her. Was that the "numbness" that Schlink describes? The inability to really wrap your head around it all?
In a way, this book is all about the next generation of Germans following WWII - their guilt, their anger at their parents (and the way the personal becomes political and vice versa; i.e. every teen rebels/hates their parents, but now you have, well, a really good political/moral reason to if you can accuse them of Nazi collaboration!), their inability to really understand everything and - I guess - inability, thus, to come to terms with the Holocaust.
Written with simplicity and clarity about something that is neither simple nor clear (a young man's first relationship with a much older woman, who turns out to have been a concentration camp guard). I really enjoyed it - in a way, the "simple" prose masks and, paradoxically then, emphasizes the complexity: you end up unsure of what to feel, but there are certainly strong feelings. I couldn't bring myself to hate Hanna, even though I felt I should be hating her - I was certainly irritated and troubled by her. Was that the "numbness" that Schlink describes? The inability to really wrap your head around it all?
In a way, this book is all about the next generation of Germans following WWII - their guilt, their anger at their parents (and the way the personal becomes political and vice versa; i.e. every teen rebels/hates their parents, but now you have, well, a really good political/moral reason to if you can accuse them of Nazi collaboration!), their inability to really understand everything and - I guess - inability, thus, to come to terms with the Holocaust.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hauntingly beautiful. I went into this not knowing anything other than that Kate Winslet was in the movie adaptation. I kept waiting for Leonardo DiCaprio’s character to show up but realized partway through that I was confusing it with Revolutionary Road (another movie I haven’t seen). Anyway, this book grabbed me from the very first line: “When I was fifteen, I got hepatitis.” From there, it builds slowly, drawing you into its layers and revelations. The overall vibe reminded me of The Remains of the Day in that a big part of my enjoyment was reading between the lines and feeling intuitively what the first-person narrator leaves unsaid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Antisemitism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Heel anders dan wat ik normaal lees, maar toch best verrassend. Interessant perspectief over de oorlog nasleep en toch best meeslepend
I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. It's definitely not your classic WW2 book for sure. It deals with the raw emotions of the main character, whether his emotions are justifiable or not. The story feels very real as you read it, almost as if it were some sort of autobiography. Yes, Hanna saying "kid" all the time is annoying as hell, but we all know that person who overuses a pet name. The main character's emotions are so relateable, so real, so honest that I kept myself reading long after I knew I should be sleeping. This book is short, but in that way it is succinct. It'd be easy to say that I wished it were longer, but any longer and it might lose what it has. The author knew when to stop, which is more than what you can say for most authors. A couple of times I felt like the translation was slightly off, but I knew what was trying to be said (or was it translated funny due to saying things differently back then?). Anyway, I loved this book. The best part about the length is that I can pick it up and read it in a few days if I ever want to read something quickly.
emotional
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
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:
Yes