Book 5: Night by Elie Wiesel

[bian]

Night by Elie Wiesel, 144 pages
In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once

Comments

Night

[thegoaliegirl]

I read it several years ago while taking a course on the Holocaust... we read books by survivors (if you want more good books by survivors, let me know) and had about 1-2 survivors come in and talk to us a month. It was the most moving class I've ever taken. Our classroom and lecture halls were sacred... it was ok to show emotion there and just break down. I don't know how many times the class was crying, guys included. It was so powerful. The more we studied and read, the more we really got into the feeling of what the survivors went through... It was a class you don't easily forget.

Re: Night

[bian]

Yes, I'd love some recommendations! Actually, which *one* survivor book do you feel everyone should read? I'm glad you were able to experience a class such as that. Wow. I couldn't imagine the emotions that would be running through the air. I know it will stay with you forever.

[treefrog]

I envy people who have time to read. I haven't read a book in 3 years. :S Oh well..maybe when I'm an old granny I can catch up. :)

[bian]

I only just started reading again (after many years with no excuse for avoiding it). I think you could find the time though, even if its just for a few minutes a day.

[measi]

I read this last spring-- I was cleaning out our office bookshelves in preparations for the move, and found a ratty copy of it that had some ex-employee's name in it. It looked to have been sitting there for a long time, unclaimed, so I permanently borrowed it. ;)

Once I started it, I had to read through the entire thing. The rest of my life just stopped.

I'm glad that Oprah highlighted it for her book club selection to get the masses to read it.

[measi]

Oh my, I just love Oprah. For everything she does. & yes, I am glad she chose this one too. I never would have heard of it otherwise (like most people!).

[bian]

& that was just me. :)

[babychee]

I read this book about 8 years ago, when I was in high school. I thought it was an amazing book. I actually read it all in one sitting. I believe Kimie is reading this book now as well!! I want to read Million Little Pieces...it's the first book I'm actually looking forward to in several years.

[bian]

Yes, Kimie bought it too! :) Why didn't I hear of it before? I'm quite glad your highschool was studying it, more of them should.

[bian]

Oh, & let me know when you read A Million Little Pieces! I want to hear what you think. :)

[coneycat]

I've read this book twice, and while it deserves to be read more often, I just can't. It's astonishing how such a brief book could have such weight.

[bian]

Exactly. It has SO much in its few pages.

The author is going to be on Oprah in February. I'm not sure how you feel about her, but anyone who has read the book might be interested in checking that out.