The Reader by Bernhard Schlink ****

There are two primary themes in this book, both of which are relevant and thought provoking. In one sense it is an exposure of the problem of literacy and the psychological impact it has on individuals who cannot read or write. The extent of their humiliation leads to multiple decisions that may be personally detrimental but they would rather risk that than experience the humiliation of admitting that they are illiterate.

The second theme deals with the Post WW II generation of German youth. The embarrassment and humiliation and even mortification with which they have to deal as a result of the atrocities committed by their parents, relatives and other German’s who participated in the War. Their confusion as to how to deal with their own emotional confusion is exemplified in the primary character, Michael Berg. The first part of the book sets the stage for the real drama that follows in Part Two. At the youthful age of 15 he has an affair with a woman who is more than twice his age. Even at that age he recognized the complex relationship among thinking, reaching a decision and behaviour.

“I don’t mean to say that thinking and reaching decisions have no influence on behaviour. But behaviour does not merely enact whatever has already been thought through and decided. It has its own sources and is my behaviour, quite independently, just as my thoughts are my thoughts, and my decisions my decisions.”
This insight occurs early in the book but does not help him to deal with the degradation that he feels while attending a trial of former Nazi prison guards being tried as war criminals (one of whom is the woman with which he had his youthful affair) and his inability to understand why the previous generation behaved with such impunity to the grief and suffering that they imposed on other human beings.

The translation from the original German is by Carol Brown Janeway. I do not know enough about the German language to know if this is a typical translation. The language is simple with little embellishment or metaphoric references. It is precise and definitely not extravagant. It is easy to read but one could not suggest it is colourful. The story captivates the reader, not the elegance of language.