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The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
5/5 stars

I have had this book on my shelf for far too long. I am glad to have finally got around to reading it. I remember when the book became a movie, my mother-in-law was watching it at my house while baby sitting our son. I ended up seeing the ending of the movie but at that time I was not reading and wasn't worried about spoilers. My impression of the book before I started reading was that it took place around World War II and involved a trial.

After finishing part one of the book I was surprised that it was all about the relationship between Hanna and Michael, nothing about World War II. The age difference is prominent in the story; Michael is 15 and Hanna is stated as twice his age. Of course this is an inappropriate relationship but somehow in this story it works. As a reader I feel conflicted.

“Imagine someone is racing intentionally towards his own destruction and you can save him �� do you go ahead and save him?��

Wow, part three of the book is gut wrenching. I had forgotten one of the main plot twits at the end and I was in tears. I thought this book was about many things; history, holocaust, coming-of-age but ultimately it was about relationships. At first very uncomfortable about the relationship between Hanna and Michael but by the end I thought is the most beautiful but complex relationship I have read about. I think this is one of those rare books that pack quite a punch in a mere 200 pages. I know this is a book and story that will stay with me for a long time.

I am so looking forward to the movie as I love Kate Winslet and Ralph Fieness.

I read this in 2010 and did not right good reviews or they didn't come over from Shelfari. I know this book impacted me when I read it but I did not review it. It is German literature with a whole different perspective on WWII than I have previously read. I can't believe that I did not review this at the time I read it. It does involve a trial of a woman who participated in WWII and how a person might come to that point in life where they do the unspeakable.

Intriguing but rather cold examination of Germany’s Nazi past and its relation with the present, through the relationship of a teenager with an older woman.

Strangely I can see why this book was so highly thought of, while not warming to it myself. The ideas being considered are interesting and thought provoking, although sometimes in danger of falling into sophistry. I did enjoy the relationship between Michael and Hanna as a vehicle for exploring the way that the younger generation of Germans carry the burden of the actions of the previous one. However, I found the relationship itself more disturbing than erotic or engaging, so never cared much about either of them, and the philosophical musings became a bit dry and legalistic at times.

Although I enjoyed reading it, it left me kind of cold and I’m not sure why. I even went back and re-read parts of it to see if I missed something. I think it’s very well plotted and is doing a lot to address significant issues. It just didn’t do much for me.

⭐⭐�� 1/2

“As the days went on, I discovered that I couldn’t stop thinking sinful thoughts. In which case I also wanted the sin itself.��

I found this book to be very impactful. I found the writing to be very fluid (in translation). In addition I found the philosophical layers to be largely nuanced rather than heavy handed. I thought that the treatment of the relationship and what it meant to both Michael and Hanna, as well as the profound sense of national guilt and shame, to be presented in a way that was both understandable, and yet removed a touch in order to capture the numbness that is a central theme in this book. I now have to find the movie.

**** 1/2

What would you do if someone you love and trust at the moment had committed (and hidden) atrocities well before you met that person? It's this ethical and moral dilemma that Schlink explores through the story of teenager Michael who falls in love with a much older and apparently simple woman (Hanna), only for her to disappear all of a sudden. The next time he sees her in an unexpected setting completely demolishes the idyllic setting of the first part of the novel (I'm avoiding a spoiler here). Schlink, working as a judge in the 1960s, would most likely have been inspired by one or several cases he worked on then. A must-read which will probably remain topical, regardless of the era.