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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
What hopes I had for this book!
Deemed a classic and top-seller, The Reader definitely is a book that most enjoy. My review is not to discredit the author, but just to say that I did not enjoy it myself.
I picked up this book and could not wait to start. As many already know, it is about a 15 year-old boy who is cared for one day by a 34(ish) year-old women. This initial meeting begins an affair that impacts the two in ways they would have never imagined. Then, Hanna disappears hiding a deep secret.
Wow. What an idea! That concept coupled with the rave reviews on the back cover had me hooked before I began. Ex:
"Speaks straight to the heart"
"Coiled Eroticism"
"Mesmerizing"
"Passionate"
"Masterly"
So yes, obviously I was expecting a solid story. The biggest letdown for me is how the affair begins. Right off the bat I had nothing invested in the characters or their "Passsion". As the back of the novel states "In time [Hanna] becomes his lover." That would be true if "In time," hinted at one day. It's so hard to care about a relationship between a 34 y/o woman and a 15 y/o boy when the first time they actually spend time together, she tricks him into bathing and takes her clothes off. Is that really "Mesmerizing"? It seemed a bit scary to me, and I wouldn't consider myself easily creeped out.
Also, the book has almost zero dialogue. This is a preference thing. I like dialogue because voice means a lot to my developement of characterization. Apart from that, Hanna is cold, bossy, immature, boring, and though the relationship lasts for quite a while, it is over before it starts for me. The descriptions are superficial and distant.
The rest of the novel has a couple twists, one being very obvious, and the court segment. Hanna is eventually allowed to leave jail after her horrendous war crimes, but before she leaves, she kills herself. (Sad no matter how much I liked or disliked her.) The Reader struck me as a sad novel, and though I enjoyed reading it, being invested in the characters is number 1 for me. Two stars.
Deemed a classic and top-seller, The Reader definitely is a book that most enjoy. My review is not to discredit the author, but just to say that I did not enjoy it myself.
I picked up this book and could not wait to start. As many already know, it is about a 15 year-old boy who is cared for one day by a 34(ish) year-old women. This initial meeting begins an affair that impacts the two in ways they would have never imagined. Then, Hanna disappears hiding a deep secret.
Wow. What an idea! That concept coupled with the rave reviews on the back cover had me hooked before I began. Ex:
"Speaks straight to the heart"
"Coiled Eroticism"
"Mesmerizing"
"Passionate"
"Masterly"
So yes, obviously I was expecting a solid story. The biggest letdown for me is how the affair begins. Right off the bat I had nothing invested in the characters or their "Passsion". As the back of the novel states "In time [Hanna] becomes his lover." That would be true if "In time," hinted at one day. It's so hard to care about a relationship between a 34 y/o woman and a 15 y/o boy when the first time they actually spend time together, she tricks him into bathing and takes her clothes off. Is that really "Mesmerizing"? It seemed a bit scary to me, and I wouldn't consider myself easily creeped out.
Also, the book has almost zero dialogue. This is a preference thing. I like dialogue because voice means a lot to my developement of characterization. Apart from that, Hanna is cold, bossy, immature, boring, and though the relationship lasts for quite a while, it is over before it starts for me. The descriptions are superficial and distant.
The rest of the novel has a couple twists, one being very obvious, and the court segment. Hanna is eventually allowed to leave jail after her horrendous war crimes, but before she leaves, she kills herself. (Sad no matter how much I liked or disliked her.) The Reader struck me as a sad novel, and though I enjoyed reading it, being invested in the characters is number 1 for me. Two stars.
dark
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very interesting arguments about morality related to war crimes from WWII. Really enjoyed it.
i have no idea what to actually feel about this book. It wasn't my favourite, as I'm not a huge fan of holocaust themed novels. But for what it was, it was a quite alright book. It was short, and very easy to read. The characters had a nice depth to them.
challenging
dark
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
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Por querer leerlo en alemán no me he enterado de casi nada de la segunda parte :(
challenging
dark
sad
medium-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, Genocide
Moderate: Suicide
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
The book hasn't made the impression I was waiting for. I'm very much into war-period books telling about the lives of ordinary people. Even though the idea itself and the plot structure seem brilliant, I found "The Reader" a bit boring to my greatest discontent, the film hasn't impressed me either.