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stabaquail's review against another edition
5.0
This is the best book I've read all year. Everyone should read it, especially my fellow musician friends. A story of tragedy and hope and how music saves us.
emp1234's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book. I blame the author, not Ms. Herz-Sommer. Like others, I felt the title was misleading. Ms. Herz-Sommer's life has been fascinating. It just didn't come across in this book.
lory_enterenchanted's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
2.75
The life of a Holocaust survivor is always a deep subject, but this is maybe the first time I can remember reading a treatment of it I'd call "slight." Alice Herz-Sommer is clearly an amazing woman who has inspired many, but I couldn't get much of a sense for her from the book, which largely consists of descriptions of other people, bland statements of how wonderful Alice's playing was (it's difficult to make descriptions of music evocative), wise words that are very true but nothing that hasn't been said more eloquently than others, and so forth. Almost nothing about her experiences during the Holocaust, which she did not want to dwell on for understandable reasons, but again this leached the book of much of the drama it could have had.
I read this just after a book set in Saudi Arabia, and the idealization of Israel as a miraculous refuge clashed painfully with the bitter attitude of the displaced Palestinians. Alice wishes vaguely for peace, and believes everyone can get along, but that so far has not been enough to solve the conflict.
I think it would be more effective to actually see the film about Alice, so I may seek that out.
I read this just after a book set in Saudi Arabia, and the idealization of Israel as a miraculous refuge clashed painfully with the bitter attitude of the displaced Palestinians. Alice wishes vaguely for peace, and believes everyone can get along, but that so far has not been enough to solve the conflict.
I think it would be more effective to actually see the film about Alice, so I may seek that out.
cgroup6's review against another edition
5.0
Read.This.Book.
The story of Alice Herz-Sommer is told in the format of a song, which is most appropriate since she was an accomplished pianist both before and after her imprisonment at Theresienstadt.
What is most amazing is that, even though she was exposed to humanity at its worst, and also outlived both her husband and only son, she retained a love of people and a general joy that just jumps off the page. That is an approach that we would all do well to imitate - don't let any of life's hard times or misfortunes make you fearful or bitter because it won't help the situation and will only make things worse... or as Alice explains so clearly "Hatred only begets hatred."
The story of Alice Herz-Sommer is told in the format of a song, which is most appropriate since she was an accomplished pianist both before and after her imprisonment at Theresienstadt.
What is most amazing is that, even though she was exposed to humanity at its worst, and also outlived both her husband and only son, she retained a love of people and a general joy that just jumps off the page. That is an approach that we would all do well to imitate - don't let any of life's hard times or misfortunes make you fearful or bitter because it won't help the situation and will only make things worse... or as Alice explains so clearly "Hatred only begets hatred."
emiged's review against another edition
5.0
In contrast to [b:Alice's Piano|13165336|Alice's Piano The Life of Alice Herz-Sommer|Melissa Müller|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348681936s/13165336.jpg|18344523], A Century of Wisdom is not chronological. Rather, it is a stirring collection of the lessons Professor Herz-Sommer has learned over her hundred-plus years on earth. It is astounding to me to read of her triumphs over her struggles, but even more so to read of her unfailing optimism and cheerful attitude. It’s also a testament to the resilience and power of the human will.
Since I can’t improve upon them, here are her own words:
“I love people. All kinds of people. I love to talk with people…I don’t look at people as a group to be judged. Behind every man and woman is a story. I am interested in learning about the best in each individual.”
“I was not spared to spend my days looking back, to make myself and others miserable.”
Speaking of her husband, Leopold, who died at Dachau: “He was a learned man. An extraordinary fine character. I respected him. I learned from him. He respected me…who I was and what music meant to me. Mutual respect is the foundation of a happy marriage.”
“We all see only what we want to see.”
Quoting Adolf Eichmann at his war crimes trial, which she attended: “I realize that a life predicated on being obedient and taking orders is a very comfortable life indeed. Living in such a way reduces to a minimum one’s need to think.”
“There is a strange interdependence between thoughtlessness and evil.”
“Tears had no place in a concentration camp. Laughter was our only medicine.”
“Generosity above all.”
“Be kind. Kindness is free. It costs you nothing, and the rewards are great for everyone.”
“Every day is a miracle. No matter how bad my circumstances, I have the freedom to choose my attitude to life, even to find joy. Evil is not new. It is up to us how we deal with both good and bad. No one can take this power away from us.”
Excellent lessons for us all. Thank you, Alice.
Read more on my blog Build Enough Bookshelves.
Since I can’t improve upon them, here are her own words:
“I love people. All kinds of people. I love to talk with people…I don’t look at people as a group to be judged. Behind every man and woman is a story. I am interested in learning about the best in each individual.”
“I was not spared to spend my days looking back, to make myself and others miserable.”
Speaking of her husband, Leopold, who died at Dachau: “He was a learned man. An extraordinary fine character. I respected him. I learned from him. He respected me…who I was and what music meant to me. Mutual respect is the foundation of a happy marriage.”
“We all see only what we want to see.”
Quoting Adolf Eichmann at his war crimes trial, which she attended: “I realize that a life predicated on being obedient and taking orders is a very comfortable life indeed. Living in such a way reduces to a minimum one’s need to think.”
“There is a strange interdependence between thoughtlessness and evil.”
“Tears had no place in a concentration camp. Laughter was our only medicine.”
“Generosity above all.”
“Be kind. Kindness is free. It costs you nothing, and the rewards are great for everyone.”
“Every day is a miracle. No matter how bad my circumstances, I have the freedom to choose my attitude to life, even to find joy. Evil is not new. It is up to us how we deal with both good and bad. No one can take this power away from us.”
Excellent lessons for us all. Thank you, Alice.
Read more on my blog Build Enough Bookshelves.
yurwity's review against another edition
2.0
Won in the First Reads giveaway.
I was disappointed by the book, mostly because it didn't give what the title promises: a century of wisdom.
At best, it gave a portion of a centurys vague aphorisms. There was also an insane ammount of name-dropping. I felt like I was reading a book with some Alice Herz-Sommer in it rather than a book ABOUT Alice Herz-Sommer. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that 50% of the book was talking about someone else, and as often as not I was unsure of how those somebody elses affected Alice and made her the person she was. They didn't strike me as important in her life, only important in pop culture.
I think the story also would've been much clearer if it had been told in chronological order, or at least had included a time line and/or a European map marking everywhere Alice went and the dates. I mean, I didn't see the significance of the forward until the last chapter, because that was the only time that the author explained who Vaclav Havel was. Better organization would've kept the author from repeating information throughout the book.
I was also disappointed in the lack of details about the concentration camp. On the one hand, I can understand Alice not wanting to talk about it. Why dwell on unpleasant memories? However, I don't understand writing about a Holocaust survivor--and advertising her that way--who doesn't want to talk about the Holocaust. Without that context, her optimism felt more like escapism than strength to me. It also contributed to the larger problem that the writing felt very...flat. I wanted a story about this woman's life, I wanted to understand her, but I felt like what I got instead were stories about stories. There were a few rare moments of real connection and depth...but they were fleeting.
I did enjoy certain moments, like the brief anecdote about Alice running to put on lipstick and pearls when the all-male camera crew came over, or how the building manager stood up for her. I also learned quite a bit about Thereseinstadt and music in the concentration camps. I had never heard of that before, and I had never imagined that the Nazi propaganda had extended s far that they would film themselves pretending to be nice to Jews. And I do think Alice seems like a nice lady--certainly there is something to learn here because she survived a horrible experience and has still lived to an incredible age.
However, overall, I don't think this book lived up to Alice's life or to the promises it makes its readers. It wasn't bad...it was just...whatever.
I was disappointed by the book, mostly because it didn't give what the title promises: a century of wisdom.
At best, it gave a portion of a centurys vague aphorisms. There was also an insane ammount of name-dropping. I felt like I was reading a book with some Alice Herz-Sommer in it rather than a book ABOUT Alice Herz-Sommer. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that 50% of the book was talking about someone else, and as often as not I was unsure of how those somebody elses affected Alice and made her the person she was. They didn't strike me as important in her life, only important in pop culture.
I think the story also would've been much clearer if it had been told in chronological order, or at least had included a time line and/or a European map marking everywhere Alice went and the dates. I mean, I didn't see the significance of the forward until the last chapter, because that was the only time that the author explained who Vaclav Havel was. Better organization would've kept the author from repeating information throughout the book.
I was also disappointed in the lack of details about the concentration camp. On the one hand, I can understand Alice not wanting to talk about it. Why dwell on unpleasant memories? However, I don't understand writing about a Holocaust survivor--and advertising her that way--who doesn't want to talk about the Holocaust. Without that context, her optimism felt more like escapism than strength to me. It also contributed to the larger problem that the writing felt very...flat. I wanted a story about this woman's life, I wanted to understand her, but I felt like what I got instead were stories about stories. There were a few rare moments of real connection and depth...but they were fleeting.
I did enjoy certain moments, like the brief anecdote about Alice running to put on lipstick and pearls when the all-male camera crew came over, or how the building manager stood up for her. I also learned quite a bit about Thereseinstadt and music in the concentration camps. I had never heard of that before, and I had never imagined that the Nazi propaganda had extended s far that they would film themselves pretending to be nice to Jews. And I do think Alice seems like a nice lady--certainly there is something to learn here because she survived a horrible experience and has still lived to an incredible age.
However, overall, I don't think this book lived up to Alice's life or to the promises it makes its readers. It wasn't bad...it was just...whatever.
earthtolayne's review against another edition
4.0
I love this woman and want to grow up to be as happy and open-minded as her
lamontslament's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
2.0
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