The Reader by Bernhard Schlink Translated from the German by Carol Brown Janeway

I picked up Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader without knowing what it was about and quickly became engrossed. The novel explores the Holocaust’s impact on postwar Germans through the relationship of Hanna Schmitz a 36-year-old woman, and Michael Berg, a 15-year-old boy. The story is provocative and philosophical while packed with startling plot twists.

Instead of detailing the horrors of the Holocaust, the story delves into profound questions of guilt, morality, secrets and cowardice as experienced by the protagonists. It thoughtfully explores how the younger generation of Germans—the so-called “second generation” wrestles with the appalling actions of their elders who were involved with the Nazi regime. The book incites readers to reflect on how people can resist conformity, especially when prevailing cultural norms become unjust or cruel. The novel raises important issues of shame, complicity, and the struggle to act with integrity in the face of wrongdoing.

Beautifully written, suspenseful, and intellectually engaging, The Reader is clearly deserving of its many literary awards. I highly recommend this book. 5/5