The Reader - Bernhard Schlink

The Reader
Bernhard Schlink
Phoenix

The Reader is the story of 15-year old Michael Berg and his relationship with the much older Hanna Schmitz. Intense and short-lived, the relationship has a profound effect on Michael. By chance Michael meets Hanna again whilst studying Law at university and discovers a secret she has kept hidden throughout her life.

This deceptive tale of love and loss is a merely a thin veil masking over the more complex themes of betrayal, shame, and guilt. One can almost feel the heavy burden of guilt carried by the generation of Germans who lived through the Holocaust. They not only bear the guilt of witnessing the death of millions but must now face the accusations of the generation that came after them.

Schlink forces us to examine our own characteristics, that lie dark dormant and caged in the furthest corners of our minds, only to reveal themselves in extreme circumstances. The Reader questions who should be held responsible for the atrocities committed during the Holocaust; the perpetrators who made the rules, the commanders, officers and guards who blindly carried out the rules or the bystanders who turned a blind eye.

Acutely observant, The Reader is a modern classic that is well deserving of its hype.