The Reader by Bernard Schlink


finished 11/21 .......... contemp........... rating 7

I personally found this book to be emotionally manipulative and overly-sentimental. I don't know what I expected but this wasn't it. A 15-year old boy finds healing in the arms of a grown woman in pre-WWII Germany. They split and she later takes part in the Holocaust and goes on trial where it is revealed she is illiterate. The boy is grown but imo, emotionally stunted by his relationship with her - he's unable to disconnect so he attends her trial religiously and then sends taped readings to her in jail. He is unable to forgive himself for loving a Nazi (this is a bit hokey). I suppose it's supposed to be insight into the idea that some Nazis were worthy of our sympathy or love or something. Okay - so what?

It was pretty well written and nicely read.

Posted: Fri - November 21, 2008 at 09:54 PM        

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