![]() The Reader is the story of Michael Berg, a young man who falls in love with an older woman, Hanna Schmitz. Still, I was in Russia, and my German copy is at home, so I read Der Vorleser in English on my Kindle to save myself time. But now my German’s better and I do, sometimes, read things in that language now, and even occasionally enjoy doing so. I actually bought myself a copy of the German while still at school – the book is short, and at the time I thought that I’d have plenty of time, energy, and desire to read German literature in the original language. ![]() ![]() However, I’d been meaning to read it for a while. Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site.I read The Reader, by the German author Bernhard Schlink, because – surprise, surprise – it was on my reading list. You can read more book reviews or buy The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Carol Brown Janeway at. You can read more book reviews or buy The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Carol Brown Janeway at .uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free. Reading Suggestions: Fatherland by Robert Harris Auslander by Paul Dowswell The Cabinet of Curiosities by Paul Dowswell The Master Plan: Himmler's Scholars and the Holocaust by Heather Pringle Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut The Spy Game by Georgina Harding Afghan Silk by Julia Scott Whitethorn by Bryce Courtenay Day by A L Kennedy If you are like me and prefer it that way, this novel will be right up your street. ![]() But I have always loved learning about history through the eyes of someone's personal perspective – it makes it much less about facts and figures, and much more interesting. The Reader as a whole is a bit depressing, so if you are looking for something to lift your spirits, this is not the right book for you. or perhaps through Michael's reclusiveness, he was showing the damaging effect that statutory rape has on young people. And yet with young Michael, Schlink shows the world a narrator who fits in with the distorted perception that people have of Germans. As a narrator he bemoans how history has created an overly cinematic perspective of concentration camps – it's a distorted perspective. One thing I felt was a little on-the-nose was Schlink's depiction of Michael as a law student being reclusive, arrogant and cold. Schlink offers up such a thought-provoking novel and it is no wonder that despite its length, it is one of the most acclaimed books about the Holocaust. He also has Michael narrate the story as an older man looking back at his life, which is an interesting device given how much of the narrative is about reading and storytelling. His attention to detail is where he excels, as the images that stay with you are those that mean a lot to Michael, such as the way Hanna pulls up her stocking or leans over. Carol Brown Janeway translates this minimalistic style into a thoroughly enjoyable read that suits The Reader because of the way Schlink attacks his raw themes head on. What's so great about this book is Schlink's writing style. This part of history is still fresh in our minds and as Michael notes, we owe it to the victims to never forget them. At fewer than 300 pages long, it's a quick read, but still manages to keep you pondering its subject matter days after. I found these questions a very effective part of the book. He uses the student riots at that time as a basis for this conflict, and poses some moral and philosophical questions about the lost generation's guilt, or lack thereof, for the things they did in the war. The story is fitting for Schlink to show the generation gap between those adults who fought in the war and their children who were born after it. However, her darkest secret stands in her way. Hanna could prove she was not in charge of the women and this would help her case enormously. The other women on trial try to place all the blame on her. Michael desperately tries to reconcile his bygone love for her with the fact she is a criminal of the worst kind. She is on trial for the atrocious acts she committed as an SS guard at Auschwitz. He sees her several years later when he is a law student and soon realises why she kept so quiet about her past when he knew her. Michael blames himself when he arrives at her place one day to find she has moved out her belongings and fled. The two of them begin a secret affair that becomes a routine for months: after school and work, Michael would read to her, and then they would make love and bathe each other. When he recovers he returns to the flat of a tram conductor, 36-year-old Hanna Schmitz, to thank her for taking care of him the day he fell sick. A 15-year-old schoolboy, Michael Berg, is suffering a long bout of hepatitis. Hard-hitting, insightful and full of twists. Summary: A wonderfully written love story about a friendship that lasts generations.
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