The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.

"A brutally honest re-telling of the Holocaust and how amidst all the suffering, love was still possible."
3 Stars
Pros:Based on true life events
Cons: There way the story was told didn't convey what the characters were feeling, I felt it was too factual.

Full Review:
Lale is a young, charming, successful man with his entire life ahead of him, that is, until he volunteers to be shipped off to Auschwitz in order to keep his family safe. His sacrifice his noble enough and as he begins to learn what life is like at the most infamous Concentration Camp, he is at least glad that he could spare his family this horror, or so he hopes.

He is quickly sought out and given the assignment as the Tattoowierer, or the Tattooist, the man who tattoos the numbers onto the incoming prisoners. And though he hates it, hates inflicting pain on anyone, he dose what he must in order to survive. His days are cruel, laborious, gut wrenching and when he isn't forcing numbers into peoples skin, he is starving, freezing, suffering at the hands of the Nazis, all because he is Jewish.

His days are very much the same, until one day, he happens to lift his head and catches the eye of the girl he's tattooing and he is instantly smitten. They managed to find one another again and get to know each other. Her name is Gita, but she refuses to tell him anything else about her because she feels there is no reason, no hope, they are not making it out of Auschwitz alive. Lale believes differently and asks her to promise him that on the day they leave this place, she will at least tell him her last name.

The book moves quickly, told factually and unemotionally. Yes, there are moments when Lale or Gita suffers a terrible loss, but the author tries to leave the emotions out of the narrative. With life at Auschwitz being so unpredictable and death always looming, the narrative keeps you attentive and intrigued because you have to know what happens. At times it seems a little too convenient, things seem to work out surprisingly well for Lale, but if this is truly a fictional re-telling of true events, then I believe it could have happened.

This book was not an easy read, simply for the fact that it dealt with the single most horrific time in our human history. The subject matter aside though, it was a quick read, nothing too complex about the plot and the plight of Lale and Gita is enough to keep the pages turning.

I would recommend this book to anyone really. Though the lack of emotions from the characters is a little off putting at times, overall, it's a startling, honest and necessary tale of the horrors of the Holocaust.

Comments

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end." ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific. Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd. Full Review: Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...

The Glutton by A. K. Blakemore

"Though dark, disturbing and at times, truly disgusting, Blakemore has created an unforgettable character in Tarare and his sad, sordid tale. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time for many different reasons and to me, that's a sign of a great read." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ Pros: Tarare wasn't a monster, it just seemed that the world was against him/I liked Lozeau and his strange band of misfits/Dr. Dupuis seemed like a genuinely good person, or at least, he had his moments. Cons: Some of the timeline/people of the French Revolution were just white noise to me/Courville was a despicable man. Full Review: The Bottomless man, the Glutton of Lyon, Tarare the Terrible. The man who has many titles but who's name is simply, Tarare, is dying in a hospital in Versailles. Citizen Doctor Tissier has written to his friend, Dupuis, in hopes that he'll be able to cure this mysterious illness that plagues Tarare. For now though, he lays, chained to his bed and waits for...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

All the Books.

Search This Blog