Schlink offers up such a thought-provoking novel and it is no wonder that despite its length, it is one of the most acclaimed books about the Holocaust. He also has Michael narrate the story as an older man looking back at his life, which is an interesting device given how much of the narrative is about reading and storytelling. His attention to detail is where he excels, as the images that stay with you are those that mean a lot to Michael, such as the way Hanna pulls up her stocking or leans over. Carol Brown Janeway translates this minimalistic style into a thoroughly enjoyable read that suits The Reader because of the way Schlink attacks his raw themes head on.
What's so great about this book is Schlink's writing style. This part of history is still fresh in our minds and as Michael notes, we owe it to the victims to never forget them. At fewer than 300 pages long, it's a quick read, but still manages to keep you pondering its subject matter days after. I found these questions a very effective part of the book. He uses the student riots at that time as a basis for this conflict, and poses some moral and philosophical questions about the lost generation's guilt, or lack thereof, for the things they did in the war. The story is fitting for Schlink to show the generation gap between those adults who fought in the war and their children who were born after it. However, her darkest secret stands in her way. Hanna could prove she was not in charge of the women and this would help her case enormously. The other women on trial try to place all the blame on her. Michael desperately tries to reconcile his bygone love for her with the fact she is a criminal of the worst kind. She is on trial for the atrocious acts she committed as an SS guard at Auschwitz.
He sees her several years later when he is a law student and soon realises why she kept so quiet about her past when he knew her. Michael blames himself when he arrives at her place one day to find she has moved out her belongings and fled. The two of them begin a secret affair that becomes a routine for months: after school and work, Michael would read to her, and then they would make love and bathe each other. When he recovers he returns to the flat of a tram conductor, 36-year-old Hanna Schmitz, to thank her for taking care of him the day he fell sick. A 15-year-old schoolboy, Michael Berg, is suffering a long bout of hepatitis. Hard-hitting, insightful and full of twists.
Summary: A wonderfully written love story about a friendship that lasts generations.
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