The day before yesterday I finished reading a book I've eyeballed for awhile, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. Admittedly, I've looked at the book many times, but have always been dissuaded by reviews that stated it was sensual. Sensual? But it discusses WWII and the Holocaust! Even though this was always my passing thought as I moved on to my mountainous pile of other books to be read, I finally decided that I had to get it read if I wanted to go see the movie with Kate Winslet that recently came out.
Having just finished it, I have to say that I've been left wishing I had someone to talk to about it. The relationship between the woman and the young boy matures as they both grow older, and you're left with the thoughtful wonderings of the man about what happened in his early life with the woman (who left him long ago). Although their later contact is in a courtroom, discussing Holocaust war crimes, the story transcends all the "surface" sort of life things going on to really hit at the depth to which one person can change us forever.
While this novel is gritty, at best, it's subtle messages about man's strengths and weaknesses as human beings was well thought out and beautifully stated in this amazingly short novel. My only recommendation is that if you are easily offended or don't care for stories that don't have chipper, happy endings, then this book might not be your cup of tea. If it is, then leave me a message or something, because I'm dying to talk about this book with someone!!! Doc is supposed to be reading it, but I still can't wait to discuss this one...I'm still thinking about it!
Mahalo!
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