Reviews

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

ellephuonglinhnguyen's review against another edition

4.0

Why? Why does what was beautiful suddenly shatter in hindsight because it concealed dark truths? Why does the memory of years of happy marriage turn to gall when our partner is revealed to have had a lover all those years? Because such a situation makes it impossible to be happy? But we were happy! Sometimes the memory of happiness cannot stay true because it ended unhappily. Because happiness is only real if it lasts forever? Because things always end painfully if they contained pain, conscious or unconscious, all along? But what is unconscious, unrecognized pain? 

kneuk's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

5.0

Heart-wrenchingly sad, which is the kind of book I’m a sucker for.

inkspren's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Wow. I really enjoyed this book. But what a sad sad story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

sophinchen's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense

4.5

pagesofpaddy's review against another edition

informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

philia's review against another edition

ewww

ali_20's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

marleneedda's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

clairedmlg's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mad005's review

5.0

4.5/5⭐️

I found this book translated oddly, and it was slow in some spots.

But I have never read a book that left me feeling so empty. There are a lot of controversies written in this book, with the age gap and Hanna’s treatment of Michael, but it still broke my heart. Michael loved her so much, even if he had a hard time admitting it or felt guilty for it. He was such a good person, and I felt angry that he didn’t really get his happy ending. As for Hanna, I know what she did was unforgivable, but she it took a lot of strength to let all the other accused to pin the whole thing on her. It was clear that she felt guilty for her actions. The questions of “What would you have done?” still remains, and it will continue to haunt me.

Everything made absolute sense when it revealed why Hanna agreed to something that wasn’t the truth, why she got angry when Michael left her to get breakfast, and why she had him read to her.

I am utterly devastated. This book will stay with me for a long, long time.