The Thief of
Auschwitz
Part Two Testament
Part Two Testament
This is one of those reads that I personally wish and don’t
wish to be over. The content is so excruciatingly hard to read yet Jon made it
so; well readable and enjoyable even.
I’m eager to hear what you thought about part two and the entire novel.
So let’s get right to it.
I’m eager to hear what you thought about part two and the entire novel.
So let’s get right to it.
Jon makes a point of telling Max’s story in between the chapters and he gave us a great clue in a response from week one when he says “One more note about Max: there's a very good reason that he comes back every fifteen pages or so...”
So give us your take on the Max of today.
And what was the reason we saw him every 15 pages or so?
Was there any one scene/part that spoke to you or that
you’ll remember more than others?
Final thoughts?
Okay, I'll confess. This is probably one of the shortest books you've selected since I've been reading with you, Deb, and I am having so much difficulty reading it. Not because it isn't interesting (it is)! Not because it isn't well written (it is)! The subject matter is so hard to face sometimes, it's like I read a few pages and have to put it down. So I can't really address the book in its entirety, but I can say that I really like the style. Maybe, selfishly, because I am reassured that Max persists into the future. Lydia had come and gone so quickly that I never felt any kind of 'bond' with that character, except for the fact that she was a little girl who met a sad, undeserved fate. As to why Max keeps reappearing, I'll have to read on a bit for that. So, I'll be back towards the end of the week, with a few more thoughts.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Elaine you should know that you never have to apologize for emotions during reads, they happen. it's a testament of how good the author is when that happens and the subject matter too.
DeleteFirst, let me start off by saying what an amazing book this was. As hard as the subject matter was to read, I am so glad I did. Going into this book, I suspected not all the characters would make their way out of the camp, but I still found myself holding my breath, hoping they would somehow manage to surprise me. I felt a deep connection with Max, Jacob and Eidel and as much as I wanted to finish the book to see how their lives played out, I found I was sad to turn the last page. In fact, the last sentence made me cry. I was so invested in the characters that I wasn't quite ready to leave their story behind just yet and I'm sure this book will be one that will stick with me forever.
ReplyDelete-April
Thanks April. I so agree with you about the subject matter and I too wanted a better outcome but obviously and in reality that couldn't have really happened but the way that Jon handled the tragedy was very good.
DeleteHow are you feeling?
How much through the night is the little one sleeping?
deb
This right here makes me all kinds of happy.
DeleteDeb, I'm doing great. In the last week Olivia has been sleeping for 5 1/2 hours at night. She'll wake up for an hour to eat and then will go back to bed for another 2 hours, so I'm getting a ton of sleep now. I can actually get things done during the day! :) We're getting ready for Halloween around here. My oldest wanted to be Cinderella and she insisted her little sister be baby Cinderella, so we have two princesses to take trick-or-treating this year. Hope all is well with you.
Delete-April
Jon, I can't say enough about your book. I absolutely loved it and I can't stop thinking about the characters even days after I've finished the last page. I'll be recommending it to everyone I know.
Delete-April
That's great April I can't believe how time flies that she's already sleeping that much through the night.
Deleteemail me some ghouly pics :)
Was there any one scene/part that spoke to you or that you’ll remember more than others?
ReplyDeleteAs horrific as it was to read about, one scene that has really stuck with me was when Vollmer discovered Eidel's secret drawing on her bunk and locked the capo in the women's block, burning it to the ground. Up to that point, I knew the horrible acts of violence that Vollmer was capable of just by his position in the Nazi party but until then we had never read about them in detail. I saw him interacting with Chaim and Jacob and later on Eidel and while he found every opportunity to degrade them and make them feel as if they were no longer human I couldn't even begin to imagine what he was really capable of. This act on his part proved him to be the monster he really was.
I couldn't help but wonder after this scene how Vollmer's children would react if they ever found out all the pain and death he had caused. Would there still be a hatred on their part toward the Jewish community or would they be ashamed of the views of their parents and themselves?
-April
Hmm, good question April.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that the scene that I still remember is when Vollmer removes the painting of Lydia, how hatred distorts beauty.
and the other scene that stays with me is when Jon is describing the Rosen's entering the camp. "The mother a painter, the father a barber and the children a boy of 14 and a small girl with a cold."
it's haunting.