The Reader

I havent seen the movie and I have received mixed reviews. I did, however, read the novel and while I was intrigued, I was not captivated. I wouldnt suggest it to people who are not a fan of reading in general. Its by no means has the sucking/mind washing powers over the masses ( see Twilight). I did enjoy it and overall appreciate the novel for being unique and poignantly introspective on the male characters point of view. Generally speaking I tend to feel that the male species lacks the ability to analyze and express any emotion besides...arousal.

Bernhard Schlink captures himself perfectly at age 15 to 25 and finally 45. It is his revelations at each age that create the novel relatable, humanistic and overall profound. In a nutshell it's a story about discovery. Discovery of oneself, one's life and one's love.

A tragic ending but ultimately hopeful.

Some excerpts I particularly liked :D

"It wasnt that I forgot Hanna. But at a certain point the memory of her stopped accompanying me wherever I went. She stayed behind, the way a city stays behind as a train pulls out of the station. It's there, somewhere behind you, and you could go back and make sure of it. But why should I?"


"You could see the resistance Hanna had had to overcome to make the lines into letters and the letters into words. A child's hand will wander off this way and that, and has to be kept on track. Hanna's hand didnt want to go anywhere and had to be forced. The lines that formed the letters started again each time on the upstroke, the downstroke, and before the curves and loops. and each letter was a victory over a fresh struggle, and had a new slant or slope, and often the wrong height or width........

I looked at the Hanna's handwriting and saw how much energy and struggle the writing had cost her. I was proud of her. At the same time, I was sorry for her, sorry for her delayed and failed life, sorry for the delays and failures of line in general."


"The tectonic layers of our lives rest so tightly one on top of the other that we always come up against earlier events in later ones, not as matter that has been fully formed and pushed aside, but absolutely present and alive."