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A review by k_i_s
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
4.0
4.5/5
You’ll either hate or love this book. Personally I loved it. When I tell people about this book they usually have two reactions. One is that the title sounds dumb and therefore the book is. As well as the premise of the book seems risky. Trust me though the book isn’t dumb and neither is the title whether the premise is risky or not is up for you to decide. First off, the description on the back of the book was the most accurate one I have ever read. Truly what's on the back is what you get with little more aside from the depth. Basically if the back doesn't interest you then this book won’t. If you enjoy development of characters, backstories, vivid settings, andlead up this book is not for you. Usually I go for books that have all those things and knock books when they don’t, but if this book had those things it wouldn’t be right. There is no easing your way into it and at first I didn’t quite know how to feel about it. It felt like being thrown into the deep ocean for a swim when you had no idea that was the plan, but sure enough I began to swim and once I started I couldn’t stop. The first part of the novel shows Hanna’s and Michael’s relationship, and let me tell you you hop right into it just in the way the description said. It was like a store bought cake. It was so sweet yet it left you with a bitter taste. The actions are questionable, but for whatever reason when they were in this book it was indeed a cupcake that you kept going back to. Part two is focused on the trial of Hanna, history of WW2, and the effect of it on the generations. The difference in story from part one to part two is large. You go from a deep romantic story to a philosophical history fueled one. It did take a time to get used to but once you did it fit. Then part three displayed the immense effect Hanna and the war took on Michael. This book reminds me in a sense of The Shining how you see the man's descent into madness. In this case I think we see the descent of Michael from youth and love and hope to in turn being lost and scared. Michael repeatedly mentions how he often felt nothing regarding Hanna by the end of the book. For me as a reader it felt like the more I read the more distant and numb I became because that was what Michael was doing. The book is told through the eyes and narration of Michael and let me tell you I feel like it was done immaculately. At times I found myself wondering if Michael was actually the author and all of this happened to him. It felt so beautiful, raw, and like Michael was sitting in front of me telling me it all. Also, this book was originally written in German and only later translated into English. I’ve read a good many books that were not originally in English and found at least a few grammar and comprehension problems as well as a feeling of disconnection between the book and me. That did not happen in this book, no problems, no disconnection, so that’s credit to not only the author but also the translator. The one thing that confuses me more than anything is the fact that I have no idea when this story takes place aside from postwar Germany. There are a few references regarding the time period, but not enough to find the definite time.
You’ll either hate or love this book. Personally I loved it. When I tell people about this book they usually have two reactions. One is that the title sounds dumb and therefore the book is. As well as the premise of the book seems risky. Trust me though the book isn’t dumb and neither is the title whether the premise is risky or not is up for you to decide. First off, the description on the back of the book was the most accurate one I have ever read. Truly what's on the back is what you get with little more aside from the depth. Basically if the back doesn't interest you then this book won’t. If you enjoy development of characters, backstories, vivid settings, andlead up this book is not for you. Usually I go for books that have all those things and knock books when they don’t, but if this book had those things it wouldn’t be right. There is no easing your way into it and at first I didn’t quite know how to feel about it. It felt like being thrown into the deep ocean for a swim when you had no idea that was the plan, but sure enough I began to swim and once I started I couldn’t stop. The first part of the novel shows Hanna’s and Michael’s relationship, and let me tell you you hop right into it just in the way the description said. It was like a store bought cake. It was so sweet yet it left you with a bitter taste. The actions are questionable, but for whatever reason when they were in this book it was indeed a cupcake that you kept going back to. Part two is focused on the trial of Hanna, history of WW2, and the effect of it on the generations. The difference in story from part one to part two is large. You go from a deep romantic story to a philosophical history fueled one. It did take a time to get used to but once you did it fit. Then part three displayed the immense effect Hanna and the war took on Michael. This book reminds me in a sense of The Shining how you see the man's descent into madness. In this case I think we see the descent of Michael from youth and love and hope to in turn being lost and scared. Michael repeatedly mentions how he often felt nothing regarding Hanna by the end of the book. For me as a reader it felt like the more I read the more distant and numb I became because that was what Michael was doing. The book is told through the eyes and narration of Michael and let me tell you I feel like it was done immaculately. At times I found myself wondering if Michael was actually the author and all of this happened to him. It felt so beautiful, raw, and like Michael was sitting in front of me telling me it all. Also, this book was originally written in German and only later translated into English. I’ve read a good many books that were not originally in English and found at least a few grammar and comprehension problems as well as a feeling of disconnection between the book and me. That did not happen in this book, no problems, no disconnection, so that’s credit to not only the author but also the translator. The one thing that confuses me more than anything is the fact that I have no idea when this story takes place aside from postwar Germany. There are a few references regarding the time period, but not enough to find the definite time.