Synopsis- The Reader

Simply Breath-taking’

 I had reservations when picking this book up. I deliberated, how can the author, Bernard Schlink, offer an alternative experience to a story- that I have already witnessed as a moving image? And how can the passionate relationship between a fifteen year old boy, and his much older lover; be told in the same captivating way that the film conjured up? Bernard, only needed a few chapters to convince me, that in my opinion, the book is superior to the film. It took me to places that I’ve never been to before; I was in awe of the style, the characters, the dialogue and was equally surprised how receptive I was to the emotion of the plot.

  The metaphorical forbidden fruit for Michael, was thirty five year old train conductor Hanna. The chance encounter between the pair, led to a rather unusual relationship. Set in post-war Germany, the subject of the Holocaust, which is invariably an emotive subject; is carefully covered by the author, demonstrating his writing ability.

  Michael Berg, is recovering from Hepatitis, and it appears that sex is the best medicine. The novel, gets raunchy, when Michael takes a bath in Hanna’s house, after helping her to transport coal. And when Michael feels a naked body touching his, it all becomes rather steamy (pardon the pun). However, this is surprisingly, not the bizarre part of the story. Everytime the duo meet, they bathe, have sex, and then Michael reads to Hanna, often in the form of classical literature, such as- ‘The Odyssey’ and Chekhov’s ‘The Lady with the Dog’ (both of which Michael is studying at school.)

  Michael is then sent on a roller coaster of intricate emotions, seven years later when he is a student at a law school. He is part of a group observing a war crimes trial, which centres on a group of middle aged women, who served as SS Guards at Auschwitz. They have been charged with allowing three hundred Jewish women, under their protection to die in a fire in a locked church, that had been bombed during the evacuation of the camp. Michael is perplexed to see Hanna in the dock (whom he had not seen for all this time) and she appears to be unremorseful about the whole situation. It truly is a gripping read, and if/when you do pick up the novel; you will not be disappointed.