Book Reviews of The Reader

I just finished this book, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is about a 15 year old boy who had an affair with a woman in her mid-30's. Later, years after the affair ended, he runs across her again while he is a law student. He is observing a trial for which she is the defendant charged with Nazi war crimes. The book brings up a lot of ethical questions - not just about the affair, but about the crimes for which she is accused. It would be a great book club read. Wish I had read it that way, as I'd love to have someone to discuss it with. I think it would be a good book to read in tandem with Lolita for a book club and then discuss the comparisons of the affiar the boy has with the woman and the obsession Humbert has with Lolita. The ending was a surprise to me!

Couldn't put this one down. Read it in one day. I was totally thrown for what she was in court for, and what her secrete was, though I did figure it out before it was written in the book. Great read, but definately a sad tale.

I thought that this book was awful. It was written in a way to keep you reading, making it a quick read, but I was just so bored with the whole thing. The "big twist" is so predictable, I knew it within the first two chapters. I read the whole thing through just hoping that there was some other twist. A waste of time. I hated it. Don't believe the hype. But then again, that's just my opinion.

A quick read that was very well written. You develop a relationship with the charecters. It starts off with some fairly blatent erotic parts, but develops into a fully story. I'd recommend it.

Shocking relationship, shocking turn of events. Very captivating. Simple and compelling. Makes one think. Recommend if you can deal with descriptions of intimacy.

I LOVED this book, couldn't put it down. One of the best books I have read in a long, long time. A short read, but very fulfilling. The writing is excellent and so insightful. This book reminded me that there is always more than one way to look at a situation and that things are not always what they seem (don't be quick to judge). I thought about the book long after I finished reading it.

What a disappointing book. It def. did not live up to its hype. I guess you were supposed to be shocked by the weakness of someone who appeared so strong but isn't that the way things always are? The only reason this book got published is because the main character has the shock value of being a guard in a Nazi prison camp. Other then that, nothing stood out about either character or helped you feel connected to them. Overall, I was so glad when this book ended and i could move on.

I read this book because I am a big Kate Winslet fan and wanted to read the novel for the new movie she is in. I can see how this book is going to translate well to film. Mostly because this book does not give a lot of descriptions to things that are going on save for a few elemental things that the narrator held on to from his youth so when it's translated to film you don't loose a lot of that details that books tend to loose. I found it a very easy read but it didn't captivate me like I hoped it would.

I thought this book was so boring! I read the whole thing hoping it would get better! No Luck!

I thought this book was all right. The "big secret" wasn't a surprise to me at all, it was obvious near the beginning of the book. The ending was predictable as well. Not that I disliked the book, I did like it. It was just a much more easy fast read than I was expecting. But hey, we all need an easy fast read sometime, don't we?

Wonderful and sensitive book - post WWII. A love story or abuse? The story was disturbing but so thought-provoking and so beautifully written - really a must read.

As I read this book I wondered where it was going...but the ending pulled it all together and I felt sorry for the guy!

Good book? Sure...worthy of the unbelievable level of praise? I'm not sure. I didn't think the "surprise" of the book was a surprise at all, as it seemed obvious to me about 1/2 way through. Interesting and worth reading but not a MUST read.

I found this book so easy to get through and it was a little distrubing in some aspects . I got through it in a few days and I did like it and did not expect the ending it had . I did like it .

"a formally beautiful, disturbing and finally morally devastating novel" is the review by the Los Angeles Times and I couldn't have said it better myself. I promise you'll want to discuss this book with others when you've finished reading it. Simply haunting.

I felt mainly luke-warm about this book as I was reading it. Compelling to read, but really not quite sure what I thought of it. I was surprised at just how much the ending moved me. Overall, a powerful story that conveys the devastation of a secret relationship, secrets between lovers, and the damage that a relationship between an older adult with a teenager can wreak. A difficult but powerful book. For all of the luke-warm feelings I had while reading it, I am so glad I stuck through to the end.

twisted and shocking read- can'y wait to rent the movie

I enjoyed the movie and decided to pick up the book. A short read but a thoughtful, intense one. I loved the description and the psychological exploration of the narrator's adolescence. Highly recommended!

Ugh.

Not my thing. Very boring read. Could not get into this. The description sounds so exciting, but the actual reading is not like that.

Could not finish this book to see if the ending was worth it. Just moved on.

And they made this into a movie? I hated it so much, I don't even care to watch the movie.

Terrific. Just terrific!

I really enjoyed this book, but definatly not one of my favorites. It does not take very long to read and I thought is was very intersting. It ended on a bittersweet note. Overall I would reccomend this book to read.

I read this book a while back and just reviewed it before watching the new Movie with Kate Winslet. It was a very thought provoking story. I found myself thinking about it for several days afterwards.

I Was very eager to read this book and ended up beng slightly disappointed. I thought that the story was fascinating, but found the writing to be too simple for the content and I didn't feel the emotion that the protagonist was trying to display. I guess I prefer more descriptive writing. Maybe it just didn't come through in the translation.

I read the first 59 pages of this book, put down and walked away, rather disappointed. The next day, I turned to page 60 and fell deep into a touching story. I didn't exactly enjoy it, but it resonated with me and I deeply respect it. Definitely worth the read, even if just for the questions about right an wrong that the author asks.

I tried to read this book more than once. I just can't do it. It's very boring. The movie may be great but the book is not.

Amazing book, it sucked me in right away. Had it not been for the fact that Oprah did an episode on the new movie I probably wouldn't have read this book. Boy, am I glad I did! Definitely worth the read.

This book was great. It combined the passion and love or lust between two people and what war does to people. It was interesting to me how Hanna, in her guilt over what happened, allowed most of the blame to fall on her in the trial, unwilling to hide anything and willing to take the blame. There was a time when she took the blame for writing a falsified report, even though she couldnt because she was illiterate, because she blamed herself so much that she wanted to be severly punished. While the true main perpetrators got small prison sentences, she got life, but in the end, she succeded and used her experiences bless others lives.

I can't say more than it was one of the best books I've read.

Ugh, this book was not very good at all. It had been recommended to me by a friend and I had to give it back. I only read 3 chapters and all I can say is BOOOORRRINNGG!!

I loved this book - short, different, moral challenge

This book changed my life.

This book is one from Oprah's Book Club. It took me awhile to get into it, but once I did, I enjoyed reading it. It's mostly about a boy growing up and learning about love and relationships. After his love affair ends, he discovers that the woman he loves is on trial for being a guard at one of the Germanany's concentration camps.

Serious but easy read. Compelling and hard to put down. Makes you think!

Overall, this was a powerful and interesting book to read but I found it difficult to get through and slow at times.

Oprah's book club choice..did not think I would like this book, but once I picked it up, couldn't put it down...the story starts with a 15 year old boy and goes into adulthood....good...

An intriguing story that makes you want to keep reading. It also had a clever ending, which is always important to me.

A rather erotic tale of a 15-year-old German school boy who has an affair with a woman old enough to be his mother. It's full of love and secrets mixed with horror and compassion. Set in postwar Germany.

A small story told in vivid detail - which becomes a little larger as time goes on. Engaging, heartfelt. One of the best books I've read this year.

Easy and fast read and the author describes a lot of the situations in detail but it makes you understand the emotion between the characters.

I thought this was an ok book. It was a quick read (I read it in one sitting) but at the same time it was a little boring and mundane. It is a "small" story--not many characters to keep track of, not much action going on, etc. I am glad that I read it though and I am looking forward to seeing the movie--I bet Kate Winslet did a wonderful job playing Hanna.

This book was beautifully written and, even though a sad story, I found it very easy to read.

Again, just wanted to read the book before I watched the movie. I liked the idea of the story, but honestly thought it was a tough read. I had to force myself to finish it.

Well Done. Disturbing book about horrific times.

The book was a very quick read. The chapters are very short, and the story captures the reader's interest right away. The story is set in Post Nazi Germany which was very interesting. The characters are distinct and you find yourself wondering what you would do if you were in a similar situation.

Overall I liked it, got a little lost & bored during the trial...wanted more detail of her time at the Nazi camp. she was a sympathetic character I thought, but the "big reveal" about her was no surprise, I figured it out very early on. Was over exagerrated by all the hype. Still will probably see the movie, love Kate Winslet.

Could not put this one down! Read it on one day. Easy to read. Interesting moral issues. Very good book.

Amazing book for me. I read this book many years ago and felt so saddened by the tragedy of circumstances and situations all through this book. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I doubt it can be as good as the book.

Good story, but sad ending. Got kinda lost during the trial, but it was worth sticking with.

A book about the things we are capable of, the things we hide, and the consequences of both. Easily read in a day or two and yet a very deep book.

Excellent book, can't wait to see the movie. We need to remember what a horrible time that was for the Jews.

This was a good book, but not as good as I expected. It did not keep me spellbound, and at times seemed slow.

Great book -- very compelling.

Boring, maybe the movie will be better.

Good book and a very interesting subject.

Loved it but it left some to the imagination, and I need to go a see the movie now to fill in the gaps hopefully!

One of the best books I have ever read.

Startling in both the moral implications and courtroom drama. I couldnt put it down; it was that good. A good book club read !!!

This book was boring to me. I kept waiting to see where it went and it never went anywhere good.

Wow, a powerfully compelling novel about relationships and moral judgements. A very quick read that stays with you for quite sometime.

As always, a good Oprah's Book Club choice

from Oprah's book club

Oprah's book club pick!

"Born and raised in Saratoga, NY, the three Saperstone siblings are scattered throughout the country leading very separate lives. But when their proud spirited mother dies, they are drawn back home. Here, her children discover they have inherited a stunning legacy: long-term investments bequeathed by Henry Ford, Harvy Firestone, and Thomas Edison - who called themselves 'the vagabonds' - to the Saperstone's grandmother. Hush money for a night of indiscretion and held in trust for generations, this unexpected windfall is about to utterly transform their lives." (from the back cover's description)

An Oprah Book Club book and a New York Times Notable Book Of The Year. A story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, enfolding against the haunted landscape of postwar Germany. When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen year old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover. Then she disappears. Michael meets up with her later when he is a lawyer and Hanna is on trial for a hideous murder.

Very good book- got me interested in the history of the time of the book.

The Reader is both a literary surprise and a moral challenge: a riveting, provocative, and deeply moving novel about a young boy's erotic awakening in a passionate, clandestine love affair with an older woman, and what happens to them both when the secrets in her past are revealed. Fifteen-year-old Michael Berg becomes ill on the way home from school. A woman takes care of him. Later, the boy arrives at her home with a bunch of flowers to thank her. And then comes back again. Hanna is the first woman he has ever desired. But there is something slightly off-key about her. His questions about her family and her life go unanswered. One day Hanna simply disappears. Michael's life goes on, but he can't forget her. Years later, as a law student observing a trial in Germany, Michael is shocked to realize that the person in the dock is Hanna. The woman he had loved so passionately is a criminal. Much about her behavior during the trial makes no sense. But then, suddenly and terribly, it does — Hanna is not only obliged to answer for a horrible crime, she is also desperately concealing an even deeper secret. As the past erupts into the present — both Michael's past with Hanna, and the past of Germany itself — Michael must accept that he will never be free of either of them.

A very moving read. A young man recollects his past and how it shapes who he is. "Michael falls ill on his way home from school" Hanna is twice his age but becomes his lover. Later in life she is on trial for horrendous crimes but she refuses to defend herself. Michael knows that she is hiding something she considers more shameful.

When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover. She enthralls him with her passion, but puzzles him with her odd silences. Then she inexplicably disappears.

When Michael next sees her, he is a young law student and Hanna is on trial for a hideous crome. But as he watches her refuse to defend herself, Michael gradually realizes that his former lover may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder.

Oprah's Book Club book

Disturbing, thought provoking fictional "memoir" of postwar Germany.

I loved the relationships in this book. This one is a lot bigger than it appears.

When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover, enthralling him with her passion but puzzling him with her odd silences. Then she disappears. He doesn't see her again until he is a young law student and Hanna is on trial for a hiedous crime. This book is different but beautifully written.

Oprah Book Club Book - pretty good.

An enthralling book.

A very deep morality book that will stay with you. Gut-wrenching

This is a moving story about a fifteen year old boy, his affair with a beautiful older woman, and how it affects his life when she disappears.

the Cover says "disturbing".....That is the truth. But very worth reading.

Great read; absolutely mesmerizing.

Love this book. Have reread it three times already.

Good

This book was so much more than I expected it to be! Read it!

This book really touched me - it appealed to both my heart and my mind. Set in the desolate lanscape of postwar Germany, 15 year old Michael becomes involved with Hannah, a woman twice his age. Her secretive nature puzzles Michael. One day she inexplicably disappears. When Michael next sees Hannah he is a law student and she is on trial for some terrible crimes. Though other women are on trial for the same crimes, Hannah stays silent, taking almost the full brunt of the guilt and sentence. At first, Michael is puzzled at Hannah's silence but then figures out the other secret she's keeping. The book ends tragically and despite Hannah's alleged crimes and pride, you can't help but feel compassion for her. A must read for anyone who struggles with moral dilemmas or anyone who just wants a good, erotic, mystery to read.

Wonderful book,Fast read, Moving story.

a beautiful, disturbing but romantic book.

Strange and off

The book follows the relationship between a young man named Michael Berg and a woman, Hanna, who is twice his age. They develop an odd friendship until her disappearance. When they meet again, Hanna reveals a powerful secret.

An Oprah Book Club book. A book you can really read into but don't necessary need to for the gist of it. A good read.

Good enough for Oprah's Book Club.

Oprah's Book Club

Oprah Book Club® Selection, February 1999: Originally published in Switzerland, and gracefully translated into English by Carol Brown Janeway, The Reader is a brief tale about sex, love, reading, and shame in postwar Germany. Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman. He never learns very much about her, and when she disappears one day, he expects never to see her again. But, to his horror, he does. Hanna is a defendant in a trial related to Germany's Nazi past, and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime. As Michael follows the trial, he struggles with an overwhelming question: What should his generation do with its knowledge of the Holocaust? "We should not believe we can comprehend the incomprehensible, we may not compare the incomparable.... Should we only fall silent in revulsion, shame, and guilt? To what purpose?"

The Reader, which won the Boston Book Review's Fisk Fiction Prize, wrestles with many more demons in its few, remarkably lucid pages. What does it mean to love those people--parents, grandparents, even lovers--who committed the worst atrocities the world has ever known? And is any atonement possible through literature? Schlink's prose is clean and pared down, stripped of unnecessary imagery, dialogue, and excess in any form. What remains is an austerely beautiful narrative of the attempt to breach the gap between Germany's pre- and postwar generations, between the guilty and the innocent, and between words and silence.

"The Reader" is both a literary surprise and a moral challenge: a riveting, provocative, and deeply moving novel about a young boy's erotic awakening in a passionate, clandestine love affair with an older woman, and what happens to them both when the secrets in her past are revealed. Fifteen-year-old Michael Berg becomes ill on the way home from school. A woman takes care of him. Later, the boy arrives at her home with a bunch of flowers to thank her. And then comes back again. Hanna is the first woman he has ever desired. But there is something slightly off-key about her. His questions about her family and her life go unanswered. One day Hanna simply disappears. Michael's life goes on, but he can't forget her. Years later, as a law student observing a trial in Germany, Michael is shocked to realize that the person in the dock is Hanna. The woman he had loved so passionately is a criminal. Much about her behavior during the trial makes no sense. But then, suddenly and terribly, it does; Hanna is not only obliged to answer for a horrible crime, she is also desperately concealing an even deeper secret. As the past erupts into the present; both Michael's past with Hanna, and the past of Germany itself; Michael must accept that he will never be free of either of them.

Not my usual type of book, but I loved it!

Thought-provoking. Good read.

I almost gave up on this, thinking it was just about a love affair, but then, with the turn of one page I couldn't put it down.

Haunting and disturbing story. Beautifully written.

A very sad and haunting love story. I loved it!

Unbelieveable! You will be pulled into this book from the first few pages. The dynamic of history, passion and mystery makes this book amazing. I couldn't put it down. If you enjoy Oprah books, this is one of the best.

** International Best Seller
** Oprah's Book Club
** New York Times Notable Book of the Year
** Los Angeles Times Book of the Year

This is a former Oprah's Book Club selection. Good novel. Worth the read.

A haunting story. I really enjoyed this book.

Unusual and thought provoking. From the back cover "When he falls illon his way home from school, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover. She enthralls him with her passion, but puzzles him with her odd silences. Then she inexplicably disappears." The subsequent meeting years later reveals " . . . a secret she considers more shameful than murder."

A story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, unfolding against the haunted landscape of postware Germany. A May/December (male/female) romance unfolds

While the idea of the book was excellent, I found it a bit difficult to get interested. I wasn't drawn to any of the main characters and had to force myself to pick it up at times to read it. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't the best.

Great Book. Better than I thought from reading the back of the book.

I really enjoyed this book for its questions about morality coupled with eroticism. It is an intelligent book, and the characters are unusual and passionate. Even mystery is addressed in this novel, a guarded secret even more shameful than murder, in one of the characters' eyes. A very good read.

An interesting book...I would definitely read again!

Once you pick up this book you will be hard pressed to put it down. It is a very easy book to read and the author really takes you into the minds of his two main characters.

A somber, thought provoking story of love, betrayal, horror and compassion, set in postwar Germany.

From Oprah's Book Club.

VEry good book.

When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen year old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover. She enthralls him with her passion, but puzzles him with her odd silences. Then she inexplicably disappears.
When Michael next sees her, he is a young law student and Hanna is on trial for a hideous crime. But as he watches her refuse to defend herself, Michael gradually realizes that his former lover may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder.

A sadly touching story,it made me think about myself and the roles we all choose to play. A quick read!

ONE OF OPRAH'S FIRST BOOKS!!!

this is a wonderful love story of forbidden set in Germany.read it, you will be glad you did

Very entertaining!

FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Reader is both a literary surprise and a moral challenge: a riveting, provocative, and deeply moving novel about a young boy's erotic awakening in a passionate, clandestine love affair with an older woman, and what happens to them both when the secrets in her past are revealed. Fifteen-year-old Michael Berg becomes ill on the way home from school. A woman takes care of him. Later, the boy arrives at her home with a bunch of flowers to thank her. And then comes back again. Hanna is the first woman he has ever desired. But there is something slightly off-key about her. His questions about her family and her life go unanswered. One day Hanna simply disappears. Michael's life goes on, but he can't forget her. Years later, as a law student observing a trial in Germany, Michael is shocked to realize that the person in the dock is Hanna. The woman he had loved so passionately is a criminal. Much about her behavior during the trial makes no sense. But then, suddenly and terribly, it does — Hanna is not only obliged to answer for a horrible crime, she is also desperately concealing an even deeper secret. As the past erupts into the present — both Michael's past with Hanna, and the past of Germany itself — Michael must accept that he will never be free of either of them.

Enthralling and engaging, I read it from cover to cover on a transatlantic flight, and I was sorry when it was over.

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