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blackjack_ruby's review against another edition
3.0
This text is quite good but I look forward to seeing the movie as I think it would give a fuller image than just the transcripts. I also found a quote from a reputable source mentioning that "readers should be forewarned that Lanzmann disavows the English transcript, which is plagued by inaccuracies and which differs substantially in form from the French text prepared by Lanzmann himself," so I'm not sure what to make of that. Perhaps it explains how the book managed to be so short compared to the film.
It was an easy read, however, and I enjoyed it. Shoah was not nearly as graphic as many Holocaust testimonies I have read, and Lanzmann claims that he left out the exceptional cases of violence because he was basing these testimonies on intelligence not emotions. It was a good overview of the roles and opinions of Jews, Germans, and Poles during the Holocaust. Of course one must acknowledge that Shoah does not give the whole picture as it focusses solely on the persecution of Jews in Poland, while many others were persecuted, and in many other countries. It also does not portray the Poles particularly well and does not mention the Poles who helped Jews during the war. I don't see too much of a problem with this as long as we acknowledge that he has not covered the entirety of the Holocaust in Shoah, nor the entirety of Poles.
It was an easy read, however, and I enjoyed it. Shoah was not nearly as graphic as many Holocaust testimonies I have read, and Lanzmann claims that he left out the exceptional cases of violence because he was basing these testimonies on intelligence not emotions. It was a good overview of the roles and opinions of Jews, Germans, and Poles during the Holocaust. Of course one must acknowledge that Shoah does not give the whole picture as it focusses solely on the persecution of Jews in Poland, while many others were persecuted, and in many other countries. It also does not portray the Poles particularly well and does not mention the Poles who helped Jews during the war. I don't see too much of a problem with this as long as we acknowledge that he has not covered the entirety of the Holocaust in Shoah, nor the entirety of Poles.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
5.0
Haven't seen the movie. Book is rather shocking, distrubing, and engrossing.
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