Summary
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink is a powerful and controversial novel that explores the complexities of post-World War II Germany. Published in 1995, the book became an international bestseller and was translated into over 45 languages. Set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, it tells the story of a passionate affair between a young man and an older woman with a dark secret.
Schlink's novel grapples with themes of guilt, shame, and moral responsibility in the aftermath of Nazi atrocities. Through the relationship between the protagonists, it raises difficult questions about how younger generations should reckon with Germany's troubled past. The book's unflinching examination of these issues sparked intense debate among critics and readers alike.
The Reader gained even wider recognition when it was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 2008. Directed by Stephen Daldry and starring Kate Winslet, the movie brought the story to new audiences and reignited discussions about the book's portrayal of perpetrators and victims. Despite controversy, Schlink's novel remains an influential work that continues to provoke thought about historical memory and accountability.
Plot
Set in post-World War II Germany, The Reader follows the relationship between 15-year-old Michael Berg and 36-year-old Hanna Schmitz. After Hanna helps Michael when he falls ill, the two begin a passionate affair. As part of their relationship, Michael reads aloud to Hanna from literary classics. Months later, Hanna suddenly disappears without explanation, leaving Michael heartbroken and confused.
Six years later, Michael is a law student observing a war crimes trial. He is shocked to discover that Hanna is one of the defendants - a former SS guard accused of letting 300 Jewish women die in a church fire during a death march. During the trial, Michael realizes Hanna is hiding a secret she considers more shameful than murder: she is illiterate. This explains many of her past actions, including why she had Michael read to her.
Hanna is convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Over the years, Michael begins sending her audio recordings of himself reading books. Using these tapes, Hanna teaches herself to read and write while incarcerated. After 18 years, she is up for release, and Michael agrees to help her transition. However, on the day she is to be freed, Hanna commits suicide in her cell.
In the aftermath, Michael learns that Hanna had been reading books by Holocaust survivors while in prison. He also discovers she left her meager savings to a survivor of the church fire. Michael travels to New York to meet this woman but she refuses the money, seeing it as an attempt at absolution. Michael ultimately donates the funds to a Jewish literacy charity in Hanna's name. The novel ends with Michael visiting Hanna's grave for the first and only time, ten years after her death.
Themes
Guilt and responsibility for the Holocaust
Intergenerational conflict and understanding
Literacy and its relationship to morality
Memory, history and coming to terms with the past
Love, sex and power dynamics in relationships
Justice and punishment for war crimes
Secrets, shame and self-deception
Setting
The novel The Reader is primarily set in post-World War II Germany, spanning from the late 1950s through the 1980s. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a nation grappling with its Nazi past and the lingering effects of the Holocaust. This setting allows the author to explore themes of guilt, shame, and reconciliation in German society after the war.
Much of the action takes place in an unnamed West German city, likely meant to represent a typical urban area in post-war Germany. Key locations within this city include the apartment where the protagonist Michael Berg has his affair with Hanna Schmitz, the courtroom where Hanna's war crimes trial occurs, and the university where Michael studies law. The novel also briefly shifts to other settings, including a former concentration camp site that Michael visits.
In the latter part of the book, the setting expands to include Hanna's prison, where she is incarcerated for her crimes. The story also touches on New York City, where Michael travels to meet a Holocaust survivor connected to Hanna's case. These diverse settings help to illustrate the far-reaching consequences of Germany's wartime actions and the global impact of the Holocaust.
Characters
Michael Berg: The protagonist and narrator. As a 15-year-old, he has an affair with an older woman named Hanna. Later in life, he becomes a law student and encounters Hanna again as a defendant in a war crimes trial. Michael struggles with his feelings for Hanna and grapples with Germany's Nazi past. He remains emotionally distant in his relationships throughout his life.
Hanna Schmitz: A former SS guard who worked at Auschwitz. She begins an affair with 15-year-old Michael when she is 36. Hanna is secretive and struggles with illiteracy, which impacts many of her life choices. She is later put on trial for war crimes. Despite her actions during the war, she shows some remorse near the end of her life.
Sophie: Michael's classmate and friend. He develops feelings for her after his relationship with Hanna ends. Sophie represents Michael's attempt to have a normal teenage relationship.
Michael's father: A philosophy professor who lost his job during the Nazi era for lecturing on Spinoza. He is emotionally distant from his children and requires them to make appointments to see him.
Jewish survivor: A woman who survived the death march from Auschwitz and wrote a book about her experiences. She serves as a key witness in Hanna's trial and later meets with Michael in New York.
Quick facts
The original German title of the book is Der Vorleser, which means “The Reader Aloud".
The novel was published in Germany in 1995 and became an international bestseller, translated into over 45 languages.
It was the first German book to reach number one on The New York Times bestseller list.
The Reader was selected for Oprah's Book Club in 1999, significantly boosting its popularity in the United States.
Bernhard Schlink wrote the novel based on experiences from his own life as a teenager in post-war Germany.
The book explores themes of guilt, shame, and reconciliation in post-World War II Germany across generations.
It won several literary awards, including the Hans Fallada Prize in Germany and the Boeke Prize in South Africa.
The novel was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 2008, starring Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz.
Schlink faced some criticism for allegedly creating sympathy for a former Nazi guard through the character of Hanna.
The Reader has been included in many high school and college curricula as part of Holocaust literature studies.
About the Author
Bernhard Schlink, born in 1944 in Bielefeld, Germany, is a renowned lawyer, academic, and novelist. His multifaceted career spans the realms of law, philosophy, and literature. Schlink's father, Edmund, was a prominent Lutheran theologian, which likely influenced Bernhard's intellectual pursuits. After studying law at the Free University of Berlin, Schlink embarked on a distinguished legal career, eventually becoming a judge and professor of public law.
Schlink's literary journey began with a series of detective novels featuring the protagonist Selb. However, it was his 1995 novel The Reader (Der Vorleser) that catapulted him to international acclaim. This partly autobiographical work, exploring themes of guilt, memory, and reconciliation in post-World War II Germany, became a global bestseller. It was translated into 39 languages and became the first German book to top the New York Times bestseller list.
Throughout his career, Schlink has received numerous accolades for his contributions to literature and law. He was awarded the Hans Fallada Prize, the Welt-Literaturpreis, and the prestigious Park Kyong-ni Prize. His works often grapple with complex moral and philosophical questions, drawing from his background in law and ethics. In addition to novels, Schlink has published collections of short stories, essays, and academic works on legal theory.
Schlink's impact extends beyond the written word. The Reader was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 2008, further cementing its place in popular culture. Despite his retirement from academia in 2006, Schlink continues to write and contribute to public discourse. His ability to bridge the gap between scholarly pursuits and popular literature has made him a unique figure in contemporary German culture, respected both for his intellectual rigor and his storytelling prowess.
