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Book Review of The Reader

The Reader
mizparker avatar reviewed on + 87 more book reviews


I read this book over a few days (it was easy to put down) and while I enjoyed it, I felt guilty that I didn't enjoy it more, as it's clearly a really good book. Perhaps it just wasn't to my tastes. It's definitely unlike anything I have ever read before, but I didn't find myself getting invested in the characters or particularly caring about them. Again, perhaps it's just me. To summarize - a 15-year old German boy finds himself seduced by an older woman, and carries on an affair with her. The affair ends when she mysteriously disappears, and the boy (as an adult) attends the trial which may hold the key to why she disappeared. Meanwhile, he has a secret that could set her free, but will he share it? I can see why lots of people enjoyed this book, but I thought it was just okay.