Reviews

The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland

possibilityleft's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

cjexoxo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.0

thatnatiam's review against another edition

5.0

This is the story of a Holocaust survivor who escapes Auschwitz that I had never heard about. Heartbreaking and incredible story of defying all odds.

kscham's review against another edition

Very slow paced with confusing info.

elemar's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

4.25

book_leigh's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.5

I enjoyed this book, as much as you can say you enjoy a book which encapsulates so much horror. This is a hard look at the man who started to spread the word about Auschwitz as an escapee. It also covers some hard-to-swallow character traits he developed after the war. It's not all rosy sunshine and happiness after he escapes. Well done, great history, by no means easy to read.

liv_demarco's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

zachnachazel's review against another edition

4.0

First off, anyone who think the Holocaust was not real isn’t worth the time of day. What an atrocious concept to even think of let alone have the audacity to say out loud in front of other living creatures.

Second, this was tooooooough to read. But in a good way. There were days I just had to close the book and reflect on what I read. The experiences endured by these folks is unfathomable. In a million life times, I will never go through anything like Rudolph Vrba and those impacted by the Holocaust.

Freedland is one gifted author. Sucked me right into the history these pages take place in and time after time as a reader my heart broke for Vrba as he did everything he could to save others.

This read came at the right time for me and gave me a firm perspective to reflect. I left feeling thankful for so much in my life and a desire to spread positivity around me.

brookiet1220's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

4.0

World War II and the Holocaust is a time period that has saturated the book space.  Rudolph Vrba’s story is an intriguing addition to this part of the book world.  The way Freedland wrote the Auschwitz escape and his escape to avoid the original round-up of Jews were written like a thriller.  Writing those parts like a thriller benefited the pacing.  It’s fair to say the Vrba-Vessler report section was written to make readers angry about the inaction of the Allies.  Freedland’s depiction of Vrba post-War made him out to be an angry and unlikable person to focus on.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Death, Murder, and War

hpdoty's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring

5.0