Reviews tagging 'War'

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

23 reviews

sp00kyx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

*Read in German.

I watched the movie a few months ago and really liked it, but felt dissatisfied by the message. I felt as though the director didn’t really know himself what he wanted to convey, and what they wanted the message to be. It left me confused and frustrated. But the book answered all of those questions and I loved the way Bernard Schlink showed the thoughts and personalities of the two main characters. Hanna was actually a person, with a story and a real personality (positive and negative) and not just this evil person that needs to be condemned like in the movie. The message was also so much clearer in the book and it really made me think about the way we (as a country) handled and handle this topic. The writing was great, straight to the point but still immersive and the ending deeply upset me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, War, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Vomit and Physical abuse

bonz_authorshipdown's review

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

I have never read a book cover to cover until this. I feel it is like a mix of Kokoro and the Awakening. I have never read a book which has made me shed a tear like this. I don't know what I can say to give this book it's deserved praise. Read this...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide and War

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, War, Genocide, Suicide, Pedophilia, Death, Vomit, and Sexual content

Moderate: Violence and Fire/Fire injury

samanthaleereads's review

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Suicide, Genocide, and Antisemitism

Moderate: War

willowbiblio's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 "I also remember that the smallest gesture of affection would bring a lump to my throat, whether it was directed at me or at someone else. Sometimes all it took was a scene in a movie. This juxtaposition of callousness and extreme sensitivity seemed suspicious even to me."
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This was such a complex novel, not because of the plot but because of the weight of the ethical questions it explored. There was first the exploitation and grooming of a minor, then the physical and emotional abuse at Hanna's hands, then the abandonment and emotional disregulation after she left, the guilt and shame Michael grappled with during her trial and in life after, and the odd relationship that continued while she was in prison.

I didn't, and couldn't, feel sympathy for Hanna despite the clear literary push to do so. She chose to be both a sexual predator and mass murdered, and this was all explained away because she was afraid of her illiteracy. This was a struggle for me because I had to accept that Michael the character deserved his own journey, but Schlink the author sort of exploited the reader and Michael. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Murder

Moderate: War and Antisemitism

max_power's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deportation, Antisemitism, Genocide, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual content

Minor: Suicide and War

tigerkind's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Medical content, Sexual content, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Genocide

Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism

Minor: Toxic friendship and War

mjlease08's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Racism, and Genocide

Moderate: War, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

icarusandthesun's review against another edition

reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

na ja.

meiner meinung nach an sich definitiv einer der eher interessanteren deutschen klassiker - besser als homo faber und kabale und liebe und was man da so alles lesen musste.

die thematik war okay, die überlegungen bezüglich des holocausts und des zweiten weltkriegs recht gut zu lesen; die beziehung zwischen michael und hanna amüsant (wenn auch höchst fragwürdig angesichts dessen dass er fünfzehn war und sie über dreißig), allerdings auch faszinierend.
erinnerte mich sehr an frankenstein und sein monster; ... educating rita?

der plot-twist am ende war hervorragend. ein gutes ende für eine leider in allen aspekten mittelmäßige geschichte.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Genocide, War, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

gelslitreviews's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, War, Sexual content, and Confinement