The Reader takes place in the 1960s Germany. It's a story about fifteen year old Michael and the twenty years older woman Hanna, who he falls in love with. Their love is both physically and emotionally intense, but they are forced to keep their love a secret. For Michael, this is the first encounter with love. The love story has an abrupt ending to it when Hanna one day disappears. In the second part of the book, the story changes, the naive Michael who has been telling the story up until now is gone and a young law student has taken his place. Through his law studies he gets to witness one of the Nazi trials where some female prison officers are prosecuted. Hanna is one of these women. Michael starts questioning himself and his life, and if he should have any contact with Hanna again... This novel is very descriptive, smells, views, tastes and feelings are well described from the first page. I feel it's a very beautiful story, that deals a lot with guilt. Guilt toward the past, guilt toward oneself. Hopefully this novel will make you think, make you believe that most things in life are not white or black.
Title: The Reader |
1/17/05
