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mad005's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5⭐️
I found this book translated oddly, and it was slow in some spots.
But I have never read a book that left me feeling so empty. There are a lot of controversies written in this book, with the age gap and Hanna’s treatment of Michael, but it still broke my heart. Michael loved her so much, even if he had a hard time admitting it or felt guilty for it. He was such a good person, and I felt angry that he didn’t really get his happy ending. As for Hanna, I know what she did was unforgivable, but she it took a lot of strength to let all the other accused to pin the whole thing on her. It was clear that she felt guilty for her actions. The questions of “What would you have done?” still remains, and it will continue to haunt me.
Everything made absolute sense when it revealed why Hanna agreed to something that wasn’t the truth, why she got angry when Michael left her to get breakfast, and why she had him read to her.
I am utterly devastated. This book will stay with me for a long, long time.
I found this book translated oddly, and it was slow in some spots.
But I have never read a book that left me feeling so empty. There are a lot of controversies written in this book, with the age gap and Hanna’s treatment of Michael, but it still broke my heart. Michael loved her so much, even if he had a hard time admitting it or felt guilty for it. He was such a good person, and I felt angry that he didn’t really get his happy ending. As for Hanna, I know what she did was unforgivable, but she it took a lot of strength to let all the other accused to pin the whole thing on her. It was clear that she felt guilty for her actions. The questions of “What would you have done?” still remains, and it will continue to haunt me.
Everything made absolute sense when it revealed why Hanna agreed to something that wasn’t the truth, why she got angry when Michael left her to get breakfast, and why she had him read to her.
I am utterly devastated. This book will stay with me for a long, long time.
melodiek6's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
jwilding's review against another edition
4.0
"But at a certain point the memory of her stopped accompanying me wherever I went. She stayed behind, the way a city stays behind as a train pulls out of the station. It's there, somewhere behind you, and you could go back and make sure of it. But why should you?"
"Whatever validity the concept of collective guilt may or may not have, morally and legally—for my generation of students it was a lived reality. It did not just apply to what had happened in the Third Reich. The fact that Jewish gravestones were being defaced with swastikas, that so many old Nazis had made careers in the courts, the administration, and the universities, that the Federal Republic did not recognize the State of Israel for many years, that emigration and resistance were handed down as traditions less often than a lifetime of conformity—all this filled us with shame, even when we could point at the guilty parties. Pointing at the guilty parties did not free us from shame, but at least it overcame the suffering we went through on account of it. It converted the passive suffering of shame into energy, activity, aggression..."
A timely read.
"Whatever validity the concept of collective guilt may or may not have, morally and legally—for my generation of students it was a lived reality. It did not just apply to what had happened in the Third Reich. The fact that Jewish gravestones were being defaced with swastikas, that so many old Nazis had made careers in the courts, the administration, and the universities, that the Federal Republic did not recognize the State of Israel for many years, that emigration and resistance were handed down as traditions less often than a lifetime of conformity—all this filled us with shame, even when we could point at the guilty parties. Pointing at the guilty parties did not free us from shame, but at least it overcame the suffering we went through on account of it. It converted the passive suffering of shame into energy, activity, aggression..."
A timely read.
hobbs1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
earl_3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i_am_jeffries's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sp00kyx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*Read in German.
I watched the movie a few months ago and really liked it, but felt dissatisfied by the message. I felt as though the director didn’t really know himself what he wanted to convey, and what they wanted the message to be. It left me confused and frustrated. But the book answered all of those questions and I loved the way Bernard Schlink showed the thoughts and personalities of the two main characters. Hanna was actually a person, with a story and a real personality (positive and negative) and not just this evil person that needs to be condemned like in the movie. The message was also so much clearer in the book and it really made me think about the way we (as a country) handled and handle this topic. The writing was great, straight to the point but still immersive and the ending deeply upset me.
I watched the movie a few months ago and really liked it, but felt dissatisfied by the message. I felt as though the director didn’t really know himself what he wanted to convey, and what they wanted the message to be. It left me confused and frustrated. But the book answered all of those questions and I loved the way Bernard Schlink showed the thoughts and personalities of the two main characters. Hanna was actually a person, with a story and a real personality (positive and negative) and not just this evil person that needs to be condemned like in the movie. The message was also so much clearer in the book and it really made me think about the way we (as a country) handled and handle this topic. The writing was great, straight to the point but still immersive and the ending deeply upset me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, War, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Vomit and Physical abuse