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The Thief of Auschwitz
"The camp at Auschwitz took one year of my life, and of my own free will I gave it another four."
So begins The Thief of Auschwitz, the much-anticipated new novel from Jon Clinch, award-winning author of Finn and Kings of the Earth.
In The Thief of Auschwitz, Clinch steps for the first time beyond the deeply American roots of his earlier books to explore one of the darkest moments in mankind’s history—and to do so with the sympathy, vision, and heart that are the hallmarks of his work.
Told in two intertwining narratives, The Thief of Auschwitz takes readers on a dual journey: one into the death camp at Auschwitz with Jacob, Eidel, Max, and Lydia Rosen; the other into the heart of Max himself, now an aged but extremely vital—and outspoken—survivor. Max is a renowned painter, and he’s about to be honored with a retrospective at the National Gallery in Washington. The truth, though, is that he’s been keeping a crucial secret from the art world—indeed from the world at large, and perhaps even from himself—all his life long.
The Thief of Auschwitz reveals that secret, along with others that lie in the heart of a family that’s called upon to endure—together and separately—the unendurable.
So begins The Thief of Auschwitz, the much-anticipated new novel from Jon Clinch, award-winning author of Finn and Kings of the Earth.
In The Thief of Auschwitz, Clinch steps for the first time beyond the deeply American roots of his earlier books to explore one of the darkest moments in mankind’s history—and to do so with the sympathy, vision, and heart that are the hallmarks of his work.
Told in two intertwining narratives, The Thief of Auschwitz takes readers on a dual journey: one into the death camp at Auschwitz with Jacob, Eidel, Max, and Lydia Rosen; the other into the heart of Max himself, now an aged but extremely vital—and outspoken—survivor. Max is a renowned painter, and he’s about to be honored with a retrospective at the National Gallery in Washington. The truth, though, is that he’s been keeping a crucial secret from the art world—indeed from the world at large, and perhaps even from himself—all his life long.
The Thief of Auschwitz reveals that secret, along with others that lie in the heart of a family that’s called upon to endure—together and separately—the unendurable.
274 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2012
12 people are currently reading
2503 people want to read
About the author
Jon Clinch
11 books326 followersJon Clinch’s first novel, Finn—the secret history of Huckleberry Finn’s father—was named an American Library Association Notable Book and was chosen as one of the year’s best books by The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Chicago Tribune. His second novel, Kings of the Earth, was named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and led the 2010 Summer Reading List at O, The Oprah Magazine. A native of upstate New York, Jon lives with his wife in the Green Mountains of Vermont.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 4, 2022
Story was hard to follow. I really didn’t get a lot out of it. It follows a family as they attempt to survive the holocaust in Auschwitz. The fears and nightmares that loom around them.
April 9, 2013
Jon Clinch has a gift for exposing the heart and souls of his characters, even in the darkest of circumstances. I loved "Kings of the Earth, and I expected to "The Thief of Auschwitz" to bring that unique combination of beautiful writing, uncomfortable settings and dark topics, dark settings.
Clinch pulled me in from the first line and it was impossible to put this down from that moment on.
Clinch pulled me in from the first line and it was impossible to put this down from that moment on.
March 31, 2019
Clinch, a master storyteller, effortlessly moves into a Holocaust story here, following a family, as it struggles to survive Auschwitz. He avoids the over-melodramatic, by keeping the narrative grounded, although there is still plenty here to break your heart. This is my third read, by Clinch and all were excellent. He is batting a 1,000, in my book.
January 6, 2013
I'm a longtime fan of Jon Clinch, and though this book is very different in feel from Finn and Kings of the Earth, I liked it just as much. Without minimizing or diluting the horrors of Auschwitz, Clinch demonstrates how literature can show us the light and shadows in even the darkest experiences. Clinch's characters bring us close to the story, and while we feel the pain and know what lies ahead, we keep reading, because we care.
Want to read
January 27, 2013Jon Clinch has written another novel for my top ten list. The Thief of Auschwitz is as beautifully written as all of his books, but the style is much more spare and unadorned - like the setting where the story unfolds. In all Holocaust books the suffering of the victims is overwhelming, but in this story the inhumanity of the Nazis is equally horrifying in its detached, measured cruelty. Somehow, though, the novel manages to be uplifting. One thing the Nazis couldn't destroy was the loving tie between parents and children - even those who were torn from each other on earth. And even certain death can't diminish the joy of imagining that even if you perish, your child might survive.
I highly recommend Clinch's other novels too - Finn is right up there with Faulkner and Steinbeck - and Kings of the Earth is a classic for our time. Clinch has definitely established himself as one of the very best writers of this generation, and I'm so grateful he's young enough to produce a few more masterpieces for my bookshelf before I "go on ahead."
I highly recommend Clinch's other novels too - Finn is right up there with Faulkner and Steinbeck - and Kings of the Earth is a classic for our time. Clinch has definitely established himself as one of the very best writers of this generation, and I'm so grateful he's young enough to produce a few more masterpieces for my bookshelf before I "go on ahead."
August 7, 2013
What a story !!! The Author, Jon Clinch, stayed the course, never wandered into something meaningless. He kept me interested thru out.
The Story is about a Jewish family - mom, dad, daughter and a 14 year old son, that did ALL they could to stay alive as a FAMILY. The Mother, an artist and the dad a barber make thier mark at Auschwitz. Unfortunately the daughter loses her life the first day. Now, the artist, the barber and the son, must figure out how to survive of what's left of the family. Ahhh, but an old painting of the daughter pops up at the HOME of the evil commandant.
The story unfolds. A MUST READ. I was a first reader winner from Goodreads.com
Charlie
The Story is about a Jewish family - mom, dad, daughter and a 14 year old son, that did ALL they could to stay alive as a FAMILY. The Mother, an artist and the dad a barber make thier mark at Auschwitz. Unfortunately the daughter loses her life the first day. Now, the artist, the barber and the son, must figure out how to survive of what's left of the family. Ahhh, but an old painting of the daughter pops up at the HOME of the evil commandant.
The story unfolds. A MUST READ. I was a first reader winner from Goodreads.com
Charlie
January 30, 2020
Captured in their native Poland, Jacob and Eidel Rosen and children Max and Lydia arrive at Auschwitz. Men and women reside in separate quarters with little interaction. The family never sees Lydia again. Jacob wisely tells twelve-year-old Max to lie about his age to avoid the gas chamber where children are sent. The only thing remaining of Lydia is a portrait painted by Eidel which now hangs in an official's home. Will using that work of art as a bargaining chip boost the family's odds of survival? Read along to find out. Each chapter ends with a reflection by an elderly Max. The horrors of Nazi Germany's concentration camps always make me wonder how humans could treat others this way. Clinch captures the climate well, demonstrating both the prisoners' struggle for survival as well as the abuses they suffered.
March 17, 2013
Oh but for that elusive fifth star, a conscious decision in reviewing THE THIEF OF AUSCHWITZ for which I'm admittedly being unfair to Jon Clinch. I found it impossible to review this book in a vacuum, outside the context of the vast swath of Holocaust literature that precedes it obviously, but also outside the context of the author's short but prodigious career.
From Anne Frank to Elie Wiesel to the newly rediscovered Hans Fallada, the voices of the Holocaust cast long shadows over this canon of literature. What can a Philly advertising agent turned English teacher from Vermont possibly add to the discussion? As it turns out, a lot more than I expected. Told in two intertwining narratives, THE THIEF OF AUSCHWITZ takes readers on a dual journey: one into the death camp at Auschwitz with Jacob, Eidel, Max, and Lydia Rosen; the other into the heart of Max himself, now an aged but extremely vital—and outspoken—survivor. Max is a world-renowned painter, and he’s about to be honored with a retrospective at the National Gallery in Washington. Now, author Howard Frank Mosher called THE THIEF OF AUSCHWITZ, "The best and most powerful work of fiction ever written about the Holocaust." I wouldn't go that far. I never felt quite as emotionally invested in Lydia as I wanted to be, although without giving away the plot there's a metaphor later in the story that makes me think this might have been Clinch's intent. Overall, the author does manage to pull off an authenticity that's hard to fake. All that being said, I'd be willing to call THIEF, at the very least, the best Holocaust novel by an American-born writer.
Then there's the other matter of Clinch raising the bar pretty damn high for himself. His debut novel FINN grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and, when it wasn't punching my teeth in, almost singlehandedly resurrected my faith in the American novel with its dense, dark Faulkner stylings. (When this thing becomes a movie, good luck casting Pap Finn; I expect nothing less than to piss myself in the theater.) Even better, Clinch kicked me in the ribs while I was still on the ground with KINGS OF THE EARTH--a throwback novel I often handsell alongside Philipp Meyer's AMERICAN RUST just so I can say to someone, "See, I told you American fiction still has a big penis!" What in the hell is an author supposed to do for an encore after those two books? A sweeping Holocaust novel? Really?
THE THIEF OF AUSCHWITZ is unexpected, but all the more beautiful for the author's courage in writing it. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a meaty slice of literary fiction, but it would also make for a very accessible novel for a high school or college Holocaust curriculum.
From Anne Frank to Elie Wiesel to the newly rediscovered Hans Fallada, the voices of the Holocaust cast long shadows over this canon of literature. What can a Philly advertising agent turned English teacher from Vermont possibly add to the discussion? As it turns out, a lot more than I expected. Told in two intertwining narratives, THE THIEF OF AUSCHWITZ takes readers on a dual journey: one into the death camp at Auschwitz with Jacob, Eidel, Max, and Lydia Rosen; the other into the heart of Max himself, now an aged but extremely vital—and outspoken—survivor. Max is a world-renowned painter, and he’s about to be honored with a retrospective at the National Gallery in Washington. Now, author Howard Frank Mosher called THE THIEF OF AUSCHWITZ, "The best and most powerful work of fiction ever written about the Holocaust." I wouldn't go that far. I never felt quite as emotionally invested in Lydia as I wanted to be, although without giving away the plot there's a metaphor later in the story that makes me think this might have been Clinch's intent. Overall, the author does manage to pull off an authenticity that's hard to fake. All that being said, I'd be willing to call THIEF, at the very least, the best Holocaust novel by an American-born writer.
Then there's the other matter of Clinch raising the bar pretty damn high for himself. His debut novel FINN grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and, when it wasn't punching my teeth in, almost singlehandedly resurrected my faith in the American novel with its dense, dark Faulkner stylings. (When this thing becomes a movie, good luck casting Pap Finn; I expect nothing less than to piss myself in the theater.) Even better, Clinch kicked me in the ribs while I was still on the ground with KINGS OF THE EARTH--a throwback novel I often handsell alongside Philipp Meyer's AMERICAN RUST just so I can say to someone, "See, I told you American fiction still has a big penis!" What in the hell is an author supposed to do for an encore after those two books? A sweeping Holocaust novel? Really?
THE THIEF OF AUSCHWITZ is unexpected, but all the more beautiful for the author's courage in writing it. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a meaty slice of literary fiction, but it would also make for a very accessible novel for a high school or college Holocaust curriculum.
October 19, 2012
This new book from Jon Clich was an unexpectedly fast read for me (almost finished it in one sitting). It manages to convey the harsh realities of World War II concentration camp life, the value of art and the acts and impact of love, while using a sly, sardonic humor to avoid becoming too dark and too depressing. Central to the novel is a painting of young girl bathed in sunlight and the novel itself seems to glow with that same sunlight, contrasting the darkness and shadows all around it. The book reminded me of Vonnegut with its counterbalance of comedy and tragedy, especially the modern day voice over bits from Max, an artist and camp survivor. Clinch leaves many things unsaid even as he tells his story in great detail. I can't wait for the book to be released, so I can put it in the hands of my customers.
January 15, 2013
The story starts in 1942 when the Rosen family with no other alternative arrives at the train station to Auschwitz where for the next year through death, humiliation, degradation and torture their lives are documented. The story is told in excruciatingly painful words to read but also with all the humanness that makes this such an important novel. We’re introduced to all sorts of characters from the soldiers to the prisoners, from the truly cruel to those who’s cruelty resulted from the circumstances created by camp life.
And between the chapters of terror we learn of Max, the son who’s obviously made it through to an old age, who’s obviously followed in the footsteps of his artist mother, who suffers no fools, but has suffered greatly from the experience of monsters in the death camp known as Auschwitz.
There have been many stories written of the Holocaust; of the atrocities of the Nazis to the people they thought beneath them, who they thought less than human, most of who were Jews. I hope that trend continues especially now when we’re loosing the last of the victims, the heroes and all those who lived through WWII in one way or another.
In Jon Clinch’s latest novel he gives us a unique perspective of Auschwitz, the most recognized death camp during the Nazi devastation of Europe. He follows one family, not necessarily religious Jews, a family of some influence who unfortunately with no where left to run, no where left to hide found themselves at the train station deceptively made to look inviting by the flower boxes and the trompe-l’oeil clock always set at half passed three. The mother a painter, the father a barber and the children a boy of 14 and a small girl with a cold.
As all of these stories whether true or fiction it wasn’t easy to read, it’s comprehension is somewhat unbelievable to those of us who can’t imagine such evil. But it’s none the less an important story and I’m fortunate for the opportunity to have read it.
I will definitely be reading more of Clinch’s work.
Also I have a special Q&A with the author on my B&N forum right here-http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t...
And between the chapters of terror we learn of Max, the son who’s obviously made it through to an old age, who’s obviously followed in the footsteps of his artist mother, who suffers no fools, but has suffered greatly from the experience of monsters in the death camp known as Auschwitz.
There have been many stories written of the Holocaust; of the atrocities of the Nazis to the people they thought beneath them, who they thought less than human, most of who were Jews. I hope that trend continues especially now when we’re loosing the last of the victims, the heroes and all those who lived through WWII in one way or another.
In Jon Clinch’s latest novel he gives us a unique perspective of Auschwitz, the most recognized death camp during the Nazi devastation of Europe. He follows one family, not necessarily religious Jews, a family of some influence who unfortunately with no where left to run, no where left to hide found themselves at the train station deceptively made to look inviting by the flower boxes and the trompe-l’oeil clock always set at half passed three. The mother a painter, the father a barber and the children a boy of 14 and a small girl with a cold.
As all of these stories whether true or fiction it wasn’t easy to read, it’s comprehension is somewhat unbelievable to those of us who can’t imagine such evil. But it’s none the less an important story and I’m fortunate for the opportunity to have read it.
I will definitely be reading more of Clinch’s work.
Also I have a special Q&A with the author on my B&N forum right here-http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t...
February 25, 2013
Yet another holocaust novel that is well written and full of revolting details on atrocities that, actually if I'm honest, sometimes I'd rather "unknow", given that this fiction is based on the most unbelievably horrific crimes committed in the fairly recent past.
In "The Thief of Auschwitz" the author investigates the parental love angle; how far will parents go to save their beloved child, or even the memory of their child? I don't think we even need the extreme circumstances of a concentration camp to know the answer to that question.
How many different angles can the literary world cover when it comes to the horrors of the Nazi era? I'm not sure I can take (m)any more.
In "The Thief of Auschwitz" the author investigates the parental love angle; how far will parents go to save their beloved child, or even the memory of their child? I don't think we even need the extreme circumstances of a concentration camp to know the answer to that question.
How many different angles can the literary world cover when it comes to the horrors of the Nazi era? I'm not sure I can take (m)any more.
February 17, 2013
As its survivors slowly leave us, the brutal cost of the Holocaust for millions upon millions of families grows dim even though Shoah projects across the globe scramble to preserve stories of the perished and connect survivors. The Thief of Auschwitz is an intimate, necessary representation of one family’s love and sacrifice in this horrific context. Even if the convergence of events would have been unlikely in the randomness of the larger reality, this compelling tale reminds us to honor such families in an important, transcendent way.
January 22, 2013
After finishing this book, I realized that the thief was Auschwitz. Stolen were people's stories. A survivor, an artist in his own right, attempts to recapture the one told on canvas by his mother. Auschwitz: the place of thousands of horror stories, a place where stories were stolen. Stories that elude recapture.
April 2, 2013
Since I teach the Holocaust each year, I felt like I had a pretty good idea of the time period and the atrocities that took place. The Thief of Auschwitz is a brief look at life in Auschwitz - specifically about what happens to one family as they enter the camp. Compelling and gripping, The Thief of Auschwitz is a new look at a horrific time in history.
March 4, 2021
This book is griping, and I couldn't put it down. You really felt like you knew the characters week and could feel for them. Jon Clnch does an excellent job telling a story about a nightmarish time in our world history.
December 11, 2012
I finished this book this morning and immediately marked it as finished on Goodreads and gave it a four-star rating. After lunch, when I was more lucid, I couldn't really think of why I would give it a four. Yes, it was good. It was intriguing. There was nothing outstandingly terrible about it...yet nor was there anything outstandingly wonderful.
In modern times, Max Rosen is a famous artist who has been forced to look back on his life now that he is - on paper, at least - nearing 80 years old. He reflects on art and The Artist, especially in terms of himself and his mother, who was also an artist though not nearly as famous as Max would become. But his recollections are a mere fraction of the book; the vast majority of it is dedicated to the story of Max's parents, Jacob and Eidel Rosen, and the whole family's sufferings and trials at Auschwitz.
Even seventy years later, we are still fascinated with World War II and the Holocaust. Some people claim it has been overdone and it's time to let the whole issue rest. I, personally, haven't read an excessive amount of literature dedicated to it, so I come at it more or less fresh. What is really intriguing is reading The Thief of Auschwitz so soon after Garden of Stones; the former is about Auschwitz while the latter deals with Manzanar. The contrasts and similarities are so striking, even in a purely fictional light.
In spite of the subject matter, this was a fairly easy read. Since I had a PDF ARC, I could pull it up on the computer when I was bored and had nothing else to do. This meant I would sometimes go two or three days without so much as glancing at it, yet I had no trouble remembering where I was or what had happened previously. There was no need to backtrack or retrace my steps.
I had two fairly big problems with this novel: the title and the ending. I spent the whole book wondering who the thief was supposed to be, and it wasn't revealed until the last twenty pages or so. Which normally isn't a big deal, except the thief really wasn't the thief OF Auschwitz. He was more accurately the thief who happened to come from Auschwitz. And the ending seemed to be building up to a great, gripping climax, but at the last moment the author turns away from the real horror of the story and brings the reader back to present-day Max. It was a bit of a letdown, and the biggest reason I decided to change my rating from a four to a three.
In modern times, Max Rosen is a famous artist who has been forced to look back on his life now that he is - on paper, at least - nearing 80 years old. He reflects on art and The Artist, especially in terms of himself and his mother, who was also an artist though not nearly as famous as Max would become. But his recollections are a mere fraction of the book; the vast majority of it is dedicated to the story of Max's parents, Jacob and Eidel Rosen, and the whole family's sufferings and trials at Auschwitz.
Even seventy years later, we are still fascinated with World War II and the Holocaust. Some people claim it has been overdone and it's time to let the whole issue rest. I, personally, haven't read an excessive amount of literature dedicated to it, so I come at it more or less fresh. What is really intriguing is reading The Thief of Auschwitz so soon after Garden of Stones; the former is about Auschwitz while the latter deals with Manzanar. The contrasts and similarities are so striking, even in a purely fictional light.
In spite of the subject matter, this was a fairly easy read. Since I had a PDF ARC, I could pull it up on the computer when I was bored and had nothing else to do. This meant I would sometimes go two or three days without so much as glancing at it, yet I had no trouble remembering where I was or what had happened previously. There was no need to backtrack or retrace my steps.
I had two fairly big problems with this novel: the title and the ending. I spent the whole book wondering who the thief was supposed to be, and it wasn't revealed until the last twenty pages or so. Which normally isn't a big deal, except the thief really wasn't the thief OF Auschwitz. He was more accurately the thief who happened to come from Auschwitz. And the ending seemed to be building up to a great, gripping climax, but at the last moment the author turns away from the real horror of the story and brings the reader back to present-day Max. It was a bit of a letdown, and the biggest reason I decided to change my rating from a four to a three.
March 5, 2013
The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch is an ARC sent by Kelley & Hall. Clinch took an unusual step in self-publishing this novel: could have been risky-- but maybe not, because he had already made a name for himself with his first novel Finn, which was "named a best book of the year by the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune and the Christian Science Monitor." Other critical acclaim came from the ALA, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Kirkus.
I can't say that I "liked" Finn, but I appreciated the quality of the writing and the content. It is one of the rare novels that you don't exactly enjoy (I mean, Pap Finn is a wicked protagonist), but you recognize its worth and admire the author, and you know that it is a good book and are exceedingly glad you read it.
The Thief of Auschwitz, however, shows Clinch's versatility as an author. The protagonists in this novel are people you care for, the loving and compassionate Rosen family, who show courage and loyalty in the midst of the hell in which they find themselves.
Clinch relates the Rosen family's journey, before and during their incarceration in Auschwitz, in two different narratives. Max Rosen, a famous artist, is preparing for a retrospective at the National Gallery in Washington, and we have Max's voice in the present, a survivor who has met with remarkable success. The alternate narrative of the family's experiences in Auschwitz is the heart of the book. Max, now an old man, knows the importance of remembering what happened, and his voice in the present is vital, irreverent, and aware of the importance of remembering and honoring those who perished, and how, and why.
I feared it would be a tear-jerker, but it wasn't. While Clinch lets us know the atrocities of which man is capable, he does it in a way that avoids sentimentality and mawkishness. There is a sense that Clinch genuinely cares for these individuals, he is...solicitous? Yet he doesn't manipulate our emotions, and there is definitely a trick to that. Especially when dealing with the Holocaust, it is difficult to tell a story without exploiting the many avenues of tragedy, but Clinch manages to involve us deeply with the characters without excessive sentimentality.
He somehow mingles sadness and hope
OK - This one is worth your time.
Thanks to Jocelyn at Kelley & Hall for sending me a copy.
Literary Fiction. 2012. 258 pages.
I can't say that I "liked" Finn, but I appreciated the quality of the writing and the content. It is one of the rare novels that you don't exactly enjoy (I mean, Pap Finn is a wicked protagonist), but you recognize its worth and admire the author, and you know that it is a good book and are exceedingly glad you read it.
The Thief of Auschwitz, however, shows Clinch's versatility as an author. The protagonists in this novel are people you care for, the loving and compassionate Rosen family, who show courage and loyalty in the midst of the hell in which they find themselves.
Clinch relates the Rosen family's journey, before and during their incarceration in Auschwitz, in two different narratives. Max Rosen, a famous artist, is preparing for a retrospective at the National Gallery in Washington, and we have Max's voice in the present, a survivor who has met with remarkable success. The alternate narrative of the family's experiences in Auschwitz is the heart of the book. Max, now an old man, knows the importance of remembering what happened, and his voice in the present is vital, irreverent, and aware of the importance of remembering and honoring those who perished, and how, and why.
I feared it would be a tear-jerker, but it wasn't. While Clinch lets us know the atrocities of which man is capable, he does it in a way that avoids sentimentality and mawkishness. There is a sense that Clinch genuinely cares for these individuals, he is...solicitous? Yet he doesn't manipulate our emotions, and there is definitely a trick to that. Especially when dealing with the Holocaust, it is difficult to tell a story without exploiting the many avenues of tragedy, but Clinch manages to involve us deeply with the characters without excessive sentimentality.
He somehow mingles sadness and hope
OK - This one is worth your time.
Thanks to Jocelyn at Kelley & Hall for sending me a copy.
Literary Fiction. 2012. 258 pages.
September 6, 2015
The Thief Of Auschwitz was a deeply moving look at one family's quest to survive the notorious death camp, Auschwitz. Upon arrival, Jacob and his son, Max were immediately separated from his wife Eidel and daughter Lydia. The narration was very detailed and had several peaks that were emotional and thought-provoking.
Jacob made a niche for himself as the barber for the SS after protecting Max by telling him to say he is 18 instead of 14. The lie was enough to save Max from being taken to the gas chambers upon his arrival. Jacob's thoughts were consumed with saving his family, and this made him a silent hero. After much consideration over the impacts of telling a high-ranking official his wife could paint the family portrait he craved, Jacob offered Eidel for the job. That aspect detailed how a person's life could be so dependent upon a Nazi Officer's whims. Eidel became a star whem she made a big statement through a quite revolt that only an artist could accomplish.
The third person point of view allowed me to follow Jacob and his family throughout the camp, but didn't provide enough insight about how the family was feeling and reacting to their situation. I wanted to hear more from their characters, but their voices were heard infrequently. That was intermixed with a first person narrative of Max. The majority of his chapters were focused on art and painting, but seemed removed from the main plot. By the end I saw that this was a stunning story that revolved around a portrait that stirred emotions and courage in the people who saw it.
This was written in a very tasteful manner. At times, it was almost so tepid it didn't exactly portray life inside the camp. Still, it was a beautiful statement on love and art.
Please read more of my reviews on my blog: http://fastpageturner.wordpress.com
or follow me on twitter at @dana_heyde
Jacob made a niche for himself as the barber for the SS after protecting Max by telling him to say he is 18 instead of 14. The lie was enough to save Max from being taken to the gas chambers upon his arrival. Jacob's thoughts were consumed with saving his family, and this made him a silent hero. After much consideration over the impacts of telling a high-ranking official his wife could paint the family portrait he craved, Jacob offered Eidel for the job. That aspect detailed how a person's life could be so dependent upon a Nazi Officer's whims. Eidel became a star whem she made a big statement through a quite revolt that only an artist could accomplish.
The third person point of view allowed me to follow Jacob and his family throughout the camp, but didn't provide enough insight about how the family was feeling and reacting to their situation. I wanted to hear more from their characters, but their voices were heard infrequently. That was intermixed with a first person narrative of Max. The majority of his chapters were focused on art and painting, but seemed removed from the main plot. By the end I saw that this was a stunning story that revolved around a portrait that stirred emotions and courage in the people who saw it.
This was written in a very tasteful manner. At times, it was almost so tepid it didn't exactly portray life inside the camp. Still, it was a beautiful statement on love and art.
Please read more of my reviews on my blog: http://fastpageturner.wordpress.com
or follow me on twitter at @dana_heyde
Want to read
December 10, 2012A family of four, Jacob, the father a barber; Eidel, the mother a very talented artist; Max, the 14-yr old son, big for his age and Lydia, a little slower and asthmatic but a beautiful child. They are taking a train ride like no other – to Auschwitz. Yes, they are Jews. Their trials, brief moment of happiness bring together an epic tale of love and sacrifice. Bittersweet reunions of a sort and the ultimate escape by one of them.
This story was so moving to me that I actually cried through quite a bit of (hindsight, you know). Jacob and Eidel’s strength doing what they must in order to keep hopes alive in all of the ones who are left. The research that went into this was amazing and it was so well written that I could smell the ovens and even feel the chill of the hurt prisoners who went to hospital which had no heat, no good water and no hope of coming out any better than you went in unless. Unless you had an “in” with someone. Jacob did, in fact as one of the camp lieutenant’s wanted a family painting done and he knew of just the person thereby gaining favor with the officer, heat and extra bits of food for Eidel and recuperative time for Max who “somehow” had broken a leg.
This is book is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII, concentration camps or just a wonderfully sad tale of the truth.
This story was so moving to me that I actually cried through quite a bit of (hindsight, you know). Jacob and Eidel’s strength doing what they must in order to keep hopes alive in all of the ones who are left. The research that went into this was amazing and it was so well written that I could smell the ovens and even feel the chill of the hurt prisoners who went to hospital which had no heat, no good water and no hope of coming out any better than you went in unless. Unless you had an “in” with someone. Jacob did, in fact as one of the camp lieutenant’s wanted a family painting done and he knew of just the person thereby gaining favor with the officer, heat and extra bits of food for Eidel and recuperative time for Max who “somehow” had broken a leg.
This is book is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII, concentration camps or just a wonderfully sad tale of the truth.
January 6, 2013
Clinch has the gentle touch necessary to tell a tale like this, one of the millions of small stories that make up such a staggeringly big one. He steers clear of pathos or melodrama, instead using his story to bear witness to the significance of one family's lives. That it also happens to be a captivating -- all right, I'll say it: entertaining -- book doesn't discount its seriousness at all. The tale of Jacob, Eidel, Max, and Lydia Rosen is a reminder that while storytelling generally can't save anyone, it serves to keep hearts intact and unhardened -- it's the polar opposite of Hannah Arendt's banality of evil.
More on these thought in an upcoming Bloom article. But in the meantime -- a really good novel, full of kindness and entirely lacking in sentimentality (but not in sentiment).
More on these thought in an upcoming Bloom article. But in the meantime -- a really good novel, full of kindness and entirely lacking in sentimentality (but not in sentiment).
April 27, 2015
I listened to the Audible version of this instead of reading it because the story is told from two perspectives: that of The Rosen family (Eidel - mom, Jacob - dad and Max - son) in Auschwitz and also that of Max at age 80 reflecting back. The nature of the two perspectives lends itself naturally to having two narrators, one for the story in Auschwitz and another for the elderly Max looking back over his life. The two perspectives intertwine well throughout the book though I found myself constantly wishing to hear more from Max about how he felt after the passage of time about the things that happened to his family. The story is well crafted, as expected from Jon Clinch and also well narrated. I enjoy well done historical fiction and this qualifies, placing the reader in the midst of the times and events of the story.
February 8, 2013
Because I loved Jon Clinch’s Finn and Kings of the Earth so much I could hardly wait to get my hands on The Thief of Auschwitz. Unfortunately, Clinch set the jump pretty high for himself with the first two books, so that I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed in this one. Perhaps it’s because so many books have been written about the Holocaust, or perhaps it’s because I’ve read way too many. This is a well-written book that I plowed right through. But…but… Don’t get me wrong, it’s an excellent book, but I expected something exceptional, and this wasn’t.
March 8, 2013
This is the inspirational, heartbreaking story of the Rosen family, Jacob, Eidel, Max and Lydia, caught in the Nazi takeover. Jacob is a barber and Eidel is an artist. Both skills are utilized in the concentration camp. The story alternates with a narrative by Max as an old man, living in America. Moving and horrifying, it is a story of unbelievable courage and the need to remain human while enduring extreme brutality.
August 24, 2014
I can't put my finger on why I didn't love this book, but I didn't. For such an emotional subject matter, I never felt any true emotion in the characters. They all seemed flat and I had trouble caring about them (even though they were in such a horrible setting). Maybe it was the writing style that I had trouble with, but whatever it was, I didn't enjoy this book.
October 24, 2014
My favorite from Jon Clinch - very different from his other two - he did a wonderful job of conveying the horror of the camp without actually providing any detailed events - I really felt the bond between the members of the Rosen family, manifested in spite of their physical separation. A touching novel, at once sad and triumphant.
November 24, 2013
Wonderfully written, and although describes the absolute horrors and suffering of Auschwitz, it's the little vignettes that will stay with you. These stories humanize it for all of us who can't fathom what it was like. A must read.
April 14, 2013
I met Jon this past weekend and I told him I knew I was going to like his book after I read the first sentence. A truly wonderful and heartfelt story.
June 27, 2013
Jon Clinch writes a bit harsh and hard, the story is a Good one, but I had trouble connecting with the characters
January 30, 2020
Appropriate to write this review on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
After I just discovered this author via his newest book, Marley (which I greatly enjoyed), and then slogged through a mediocre novel set in WWII/holocaust, I decided to go in reverse order and read the author’s second to last book next (And it was apparently self-published, so I couldn’t even find it in the multiply linked libraries in the N. California area (and beyond), so I actually had to buy it). Glad I did.
Any book about the camps not only can be depressing, but can descend to maudlin descriptions, scenes of horror, etc. Clinch is able to capture the daily grind in personal, human terms, although I had to read it in small doses, as the horrors were still there. Making it a story about one family, and their effort to get one of them to safety, worked well.
My only quibbles: 1) Some of the extraneous modern commentary by the surviving character, who spends a great deal of spleen dissing Andrew Wyeth (because his model Helga was German?? was hidden from his wife and family??), as well as one critical aside against Jackson Pollack (and much modern art in general?). I didn’t really get that, although maybe that’s my shortcoming.
2) The character Chaim: too cute and smart, and hard to believe that someone like that would be allowed free run of the camp.
Overall a gripping story that felt more real than a lot of fiction from that setting.
After I just discovered this author via his newest book, Marley (which I greatly enjoyed), and then slogged through a mediocre novel set in WWII/holocaust, I decided to go in reverse order and read the author’s second to last book next (And it was apparently self-published, so I couldn’t even find it in the multiply linked libraries in the N. California area (and beyond), so I actually had to buy it). Glad I did.
Any book about the camps not only can be depressing, but can descend to maudlin descriptions, scenes of horror, etc. Clinch is able to capture the daily grind in personal, human terms, although I had to read it in small doses, as the horrors were still there. Making it a story about one family, and their effort to get one of them to safety, worked well.
My only quibbles: 1) Some of the extraneous modern commentary by the surviving character, who spends a great deal of spleen dissing Andrew Wyeth (because his model Helga was German?? was hidden from his wife and family??), as well as one critical aside against Jackson Pollack (and much modern art in general?). I didn’t really get that, although maybe that’s my shortcoming.
2) The character Chaim: too cute and smart, and hard to believe that someone like that would be allowed free run of the camp.
Overall a gripping story that felt more real than a lot of fiction from that setting.
May 19, 2018
This book is a well written depiction of the family Rosen, from the pre-WWII courtship and marriage of father Jacob, a barber, and Eidel, a painter, and the births of their children Max and Lydia. The story touches on their survival in occupied Poland, until their arrival at Auschwitz, where Lydia is selected the first day and Max survives by passing for 18 rather than his actual 14 years of age. The plans, hopes, and agony of the remaining three are evocative.
The jarring note is the page or two at the end of each chapter, in which the now 70 year old Max offers observations on life and fellow artists. These notes, other than the last, seem to be irrelevant to the story, except to illustrate his contempt for people and hatred of all things German. In particular, Max sums up Andrew Wyeth as a dirty old man who painted 250+ paintings of a German, nudes at that. True, Helga was born in Germany, in either 1933 or 1939, making her six or 11 at war's end. There were some 40 paintings and 200 sketches, a distinction artist Max might be presumed to know. And, really, disapprobation of an artist painting nudes, even if clandestinely.
The jarring note is the page or two at the end of each chapter, in which the now 70 year old Max offers observations on life and fellow artists. These notes, other than the last, seem to be irrelevant to the story, except to illustrate his contempt for people and hatred of all things German. In particular, Max sums up Andrew Wyeth as a dirty old man who painted 250+ paintings of a German, nudes at that. True, Helga was born in Germany, in either 1933 or 1939, making her six or 11 at war's end. There were some 40 paintings and 200 sketches, a distinction artist Max might be presumed to know. And, really, disapprobation of an artist painting nudes, even if clandestinely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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