When I was a young girl of 8 or 9 growing up in a small town, I was friends with a set of twin girls my age. Their mother was the first person I'd ever met with a foreign accent. I was also very aware of the small black numbers on her arm, but had no clue of the meaning.
I first read this book in the mid 70s for a religion class I took during summer semester in college. It was intriguing, thought provoking, but also deeply shocking. Man's inhumanity to man, and the Jews being deprived of the most basic needs, caused them to lose all cares about the things that matter most in life. I cannot begin to fathom what they endured, why they went like lambs to the slaughter, nor how the Germans could be so nonchalant towards other human suffering. Around the same time, another book I'd read, "Holocaust" had been made into a mini series on TV. All this piqued my interest in learning more about the plight of the Jews in Nazi Europe. I've read several books about Auschwitz and the other concentration camps over the years. When Mr. Wiesel passed away, I knew I must read it again in remembrance.
Mr. Guidall does an excellent job of storytelling. In fact, he does it to perfection.
This book should be required reading, if it isn't already. It's not as graphic as some I have read, but the human factor is the thing. The raw emotions. As the survivors slowly leave this earth, we must never forget what happened to them. How the world was changed. Lives stolen. Pure evil.

His ability to put all his suffering, anger, sadness and the whole experience into words is heart wrenching. I hung on to every word.

This was a devastating and enlightening book. Elie Wiesel's story about his time in a concentration camp, the loss of his family, and his loyalty to them until the end, was heartbreaking. What made this story unique was how many questions were raised about how people live through such suffering. The most interesting question that was woven into this book was: how do people who believe in God, and whose lives revolve around their belief in God, understand the holocaust? How does someone in a concentration camp lose the ones they love, and live through such brutality and suffering, continue to believe in God?

He's been there!

A Day in the Life of Ivan Dennisovitch -- a look into the darker parts of men's souls.

No -- But I would listen again.

The whole book -- I was absolutely glued. It's not for the faint at heart, though.

If you are into WWII history, history of crime/punishment, or holocaust/gulag history, this should be in your collection.

A great combination of Elie Wiesel's story and George Guidall's performance makes this a masterful listen. I could have said wonderful but that is probably not the proper word considering the subject. However, the story--autobiography--Elie writes is so realistic and detailed it draws an exceptional picture of this period of horror and terror.

George Guidell is at his best...

"There is so much suffering crying out for our attention. Victims of hunger, racism and political persecution..." Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Award Speech

It is never easy to read books like this one. Full of heartbreak and suffering. But it is always important to hear the voice of those who stayed quiet and suffered as to it not be in vain.

I keep thinking back and ask myself how this could have happened? And then I look at the news and realize things like these are still happening in the world. We hear of the wars in the world, the devastation of the people going to through this and the refugees gained by other countries because humanity has been obligated to leave their own country because of them. The racism and the reverse racism that plagues the US at the moment.
The hunger of the Venezuelan people, the war against drugs and corruption in Mexico. It is only a small part of the suffering that many go through on a daily basis.

How do we keep letting this happen? What happened to our humanity?
In the words of Elie Weisel "It only takes one person with integrity to make a difference"
Then it is up to us to stand up and make a difference, bring our humanity back!

A must read for everyone. A very ery deep and emotional account of the darkest time of 20th century!

Elie Wiesel's account of the horrors of his captivity was gripping and painful to hear. I'd just finished when I heard he'd passed away. I cried as if I knew him.

His listening to his father calling him in the night and his not answering.

Pain, sorrow, fear and crushing regret. It was a visceral reading.

I didn't want to...but I was unable to stop.

This period in our history still leaves me weak. Every story worse than the last. I had the distinct honor to have interviewed Esther Hautzig [The Endless Steppe] before she died. We talked for hours over tea and plum cake. She was a remarkably genteel woman. It was one of the most profound interviews of my career.

It was Wiesel's death that put this book on my radar. My heart ached at the end of his story of his life, no existence in the concentration camps. I finally have a glimpse at the meaning of concentration. But then there were other entries from Elie himself and others that gave the magnitude of this story that we must forever tell. Will I read any of his other books? Eliezer himself said it is the one story all the others are based. This is the best historical account I think I have ever read. So from that I'll remember to put Dawn and Day on my to read list.

So very grateful he shared his life with others. The world will not forget. Blessings