Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Night by Elie Wiesel

116 reviews

hash_slinger_09's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, and Genocide

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Blood

shanban0303's review against another edition

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

5.0

Went into this book the same way I go into most that are part of the canon: a bit fearful and prepared to be disappointed. Not by the story, but by the writing. Was not disappointed at all. Such a quick-paced, moving retelling of a time in the authors life. Will be coming to this one forever and ever.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Child death, Death of parent, Gore, and Suicidal thoughts

lostposture's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

To give this book a five-star ranking feels wrong. How do you award an experience so painful? How do you respond to the story of the survivor? With pity for their misfortune? With joy and awe of their stupendous luck? Or do you simply go numb, heart breaking under the thunderous crush of human capacity for hate and evil? How can I give such a terrible story five stars?

Five stars to author Elie Wiesel for reliving his pain to share his experience for the world to learn from. Five stars to Marion Wiesel for her haunting translation of his story from French to English. May they both rest in peace.

This will live with me for a long time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Child abuse, Torture, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Child death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: War and Sexual content

I think that covers most of it

vintage_library's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

A very raw account of the personal experience of Elie, an Holocaust survivor. It was a difficult, but important read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Antisemitism, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, and Murder

Minor: Torture

wanderingdeviant's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

“to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Genocide, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Murder, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War

horizonous's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, Antisemitism, Genocide, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Medical content, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

shrutislibrary's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, War, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Genocide, Child death, Death of parent, Violence, Torture, Medical content, Death, and Antisemitism

theallmightyme's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Murder, Death, Violence, Torture, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and War

abbyluvsfrogs444's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

New review (1/28/23):
A rating less than five stars would be ridiculous. This is the best memoir ever written. I don't have much to say other than this is a must read for everyone. We must remember what happened. In Wiesel's words, "...one could not keep silent no matter how difficult, if not impossible, it was to speak."

He also says, "For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."

We have a responsibility to stand firmly against evil and bigotry. If you stay silent, you are taking the side of the oppressor. That is the reason why Wiesel wrote this book. To make sure the world knew what happened and we never forget it.

"Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices."

Again, this is a must read. Not only is this story important, the way Wiesel writes is magnificent. His talent shines through. He has such a strong narrative voice, one I could never forget, even if I tried. 

Old review: 
A lot of books about the Holocaust end with a renewed hope of life or a lesson learned through the experience. This one doesn't have that. Wiesel's telling of his experiences are so raw and truthful. He tells it exactly how it happened and how it made him feel. It's so much more realistic for someone to completely lose their faith and hope after a horrific experience like this, which is what Wiesel talks about in this book. As sad as it is, it's just so truthful and blunt. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Body horror, Antisemitism, Child death, Emotional abuse, Deportation, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Torture, Death, Genocide, War, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

zakcebulski's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book is so vitally important. It is an absolutely heartbreaking exploration into one man's experiences in to some of the most hellacious events in the history of mankind. The things that occurred were to the point I needed to put this book down for a moment. I am glad to have the chance to read this book, as it is important to know and learn about the Holocaust more and more. The Holocaust is such a broad view of unrivaled suffering and tragedy that these memoirs and personal experiences within the book are necessary to understand the impact on the human condition that this genocidal racism had. 

I can't say more, but, I do urge each and every person to read this book, and others like it to educate yourselves on the tragedy of the Holocaust, and other genocides, so that these events are not forgotten. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Deportation, War, Forced institutionalization, and Grief