The Notebook the Proof the Third Lie: Three Novels

Rating:
Summary: Three Great Novels or One Wonderful Novel?
Review: "the Notebook" is one of the most powerful books I have ever read, and it is written the way books should be: easy to read, engaging, to the point, short, and thoroughly thought-provoking. When you are done with "The Notebook", it forces you to sit and ponder what you have just read. The book really twists the conventions of the first person narrative, so that even though the narrator(s) are thoroughly convincing, you are not sure what to believe. This convention also makes the narrators' often immoral and reprehensible acts believable and understandable. This only adds to the moral conundrum of this story, a cunundrum that is at the heart of war-time life.

I first read this in 1994; I'm extremely happy to see it finally in print again, and with the two sequels thrown in as well. A terrific and engaging novel!

Rating:
Summary: work of genius
Review: I am usually not a big fan of novels. I read them occasionally, in between non-fictions that I prefer, and most of the time end up disappointed. This triology is one of really few novels I was really impressed and loved (another such book was Flowers for Algernon, although quite differen t).The three stories are so finely constructed and intertwined, and make up such a world ... you got to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Changing perspectives
Review: The Notebook (by far the best of the 3 books) describes the lives of a nameless twins that grow up in a Hungarian border village during the second world war. The are raised by their grandmother, or maybe it is better to say that they grow up despite the presence of their grandmother. The children find ways to survive the war: on the one hand they can be extremely friendly and caring, for example for the girl next door, on the other hand they are 2 extremely awful boys who steal, deceive, betray and even murder whenever they think this is necessary. A beautiful, oppressive book about what war does to children, but also about the capacity of children to survive under extreme conditions.

The Proof describes the life of Lucas, who remains in the Hungarian village after the war. He tries to get a decent life, but every time he seems to have some luck something awful happens which brings him back to square one. At the end of the book a German appears in the village who may or may not be his brother Claus.

The Third Lie consists of 3 parts: one in which Claus describes the search for his brother after his return to the capital. Finally he finds an old, misanthropist poet whose name is also Klaus and who denies to be his brother. In the second part this Klaus describes why he does not want to recognize his brother.

It is fairly difficult to write one review of 3 books, even when these books are a logical sequel of each other. In every new book the perspective changes and the reader is left in doubt. Did this twin brother really exist? Who is Lucas and who is Claus? In the end the common denominator of the three books is the notion that real friendship does not exist, that nobody can be trusted and that every story can be told in different ways, depending on the perspective.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely unmissable!
Review: There aren't that many amazing books to read in the world. How often do you take a book and find that it lacks that something that keeps you awake at night or makes you wake up early (when you adore sleeping) just to read it? This is not a thriller (which can have the same effect but for different reasons). This is a monster itself, but in the best sense possible. You just can't miss it. For anything.