A review by jobatkin
Sophie's Choice by William Styron

3.0

I found this book, especially the first person narrator, to be far too strongly 'American male' to relate to or enjoy reading much. I came close to giving up on it, but stuck with it to keep reading about Sophie, who I found to be a much more interesting and deep character with a far more interesting story as a Polish survivor of Auschwitz. The first person narrator alternates between despairing over his sexual frustrations, writing the next big novel, and listening to Sophie gradually reveal more of her story, which is by far the most interesting to read about. Sophie has tried to repress her past due to the horror of seeing so much death in the camp, but eventually tells 'Stingo' all of the details, including the truly horrific choice she was forced to make. I am glad to have finished the book because it helped me to understand more about the Second World War in Europe, Sophie's character and story were engaging and tragic, and I can tick off another 'classic' from my list, but it was not one of my favourites and I won't be seeking out anything else from this author.