Sometimes I Like to Pick Up Threads I Dropped Years Ago

[waywardbard]

Before I forget (because that does have a tendency to happen), I've been reading some Primo Levi lately. He was held up as a paragon of the genre by my law school friend in the discussion that prompted the entry I wrote about two years ago about whether or not Elie Wiesel's Night was good or not. I think I did a fair job of defending my position

Comments

[teaandcows]

Well now I feel the burning desire to read Survival in Auschwitz (and re-read Night). But without reading, it's pretty easy to see you conclusions are fairly accurate as to why the writing styles must differ, and it does seem to be a taste issue. I'd also make the argument that adolescents do tend to be more emotive in general, and with the time lag in between being emancipated and writing his book, most of Wiesel's memories would be emotive experiences - the details are lost but the feeling remains. Episodic memories from 10 years are entirely unreliable, but the emotion that remains is his true EXPERIENCE. Reminds me of Tim O'Brien's book, The Things They Carried about his experience in Vietnam. It's definitely his experience - how he felt - rather than a chronicle of events.

[waywardbard]

Ooh, good analogy to The Things They Carried. And I agree with your point about memories vs emotions; I always enjoy your psychological insight. But yes, I encourage you to read Survival in Auschwitz at some point because it is very good. Just a different experience from Night.