The Reader

Rating:
Summary: An incredible story!
Review: What a beautiful story. Although there were a few slow moments, I thought it was a great read, and a truly touching novel.

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking questions/Cold and Clinical Writing
Review: I enjoyed the book and I will always carry some of Schlink's questions with me. I have to admit that I never considered the second generation of Germans after the Holocaust and how difficult their position is (was). A quick read. I wanted to feel more for their relationship and for them. I was more interested in how his life was affected because of the affair at such a tender age. This aspect was barely touched.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and Empty
Review: The book started off well but "quickly" lost it's interest, I'm not sure if it was due to the lose in translation. The "few" parts I did find interesting were quickly skimmed over, while the remaining were boring and empty! At times it was hard to understand where the author was coming from, was this due to once again bad translation? I found myself re-reading those sections only to find that I still didn't understand the point being made. Save your money and time, better spent on something else.

Rating:
Summary: Solid, written with elegance and profound characters.
Review: The Reader is an excellent example of modern literature. Schlink writes an erotic moving story, that also questions deep issues regarding liberty, crime and punishment. In a solid, elegant and concise prose, Schlink describes with perfection the complex structure of his characters

Rating:
Summary: Insightful, very well done!
Review: This novel is a sort of combination of "The Triumph and the Glory", "Sophie's Choice", with a dash of "Schindler's List" thrown in for seasoning. Not a real original plot premise, but "The Reader" has enough going for it to satisfy most readers. Four stars.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not that good.
Review: Full of questions, wonderments, and themes, The Reader overloads you with morals and overwritten questions. A book with few errors, but also with little to excite who is reading the book.

Rating:
Summary: I did not like this book. Boring, predictable.
Review: How arrogant that her shame in being unable to read and write would be the premise of such a pitifull life. It is really almost sick and I too and surprised at Oprah - I have enjoyed almost all of her previous picks.

Rating:
Summary: Deep thoughts??
Review: When I bought this book, it was because of the unusual name and the fact that it was a New York Times Bestseller. Also, I had read another Oprah book, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I decided that perhaps Oprah and I had the same taste for books, what I like to call life books. While I adored "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb and am enjoying what I've read so far of "Jewel" by Bret Lott, this books seems to have left me asking too many questions. I feel as if I don't have closure. While there were some beautifully written passages and clever word usage, I really think this book could have ended after Hanna left him for the army. It wouldn't have had much point then, but at least it wouldn't have rambled on for the next hundred passages. I felt as if the author had much to say, but wasn't really able to say it eloquently or articularly. While it did leave me with some deep thoughts about the Holocaust and made me once again think about this awful tragedy, I feel something was lacking in the writing. I felt almost as if the author wasn't able to really identify with the tragedy, or if he was he couldn't really put into words or portray what he was really feeling. All in all, it was an okay book, but definitely not as good or as well-written as Miss Winfrey's other choices. =) =)

Rating:
Summary: One of the deepest, most profound books I have ever read.
Review: I would like to have comment on a point that was debated in a book discussion recently. One of our members, a teacher, said that Hanna had a learning disorder and, therefore, could not read nor write. Another in the group disagreed and said that Hanna had never been taught to read. I would like to hear back from others with their opinions.

Rating:
Summary: Waste of time.
Review: I saw the book at half-price, bought it, read it, all the while wishing I hadn't and when I finished it, I donated it to the local library as I did not want it in my book collection. I did not like the characters, the setting, the subject matter or the underlying theme of literacy. Why Oprah chose this book, I'll never know.