Prisoner 88: The Man in Stripes

by Roy D. Tanenbaum

What happens to a man who spends his 'university years' in Auschwitz? This book presents the story of the tragedy of a Roman Catholic imprisoned in Auschwitz; and, the tragedy of a man who subsequently unsuccessfully tries to erase four-and-a-half years from his life.

347 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I met Sigmund Sobolewski while he visited my high school in 2001 when I received this book. Unfortunately I am just reading it now! Though I think his is an incredibly important story, I wish he had found a better writer to capture it. The writing is nearly impossible to comprehend. There is no real structure of the timeline and is all over the place. At points the story is almost totally incoherent! It is almost like this is a direct transcript of interviews typed out verbatim (old memories mixing with newer, then back and forth) opposed to a biography. It's a real shame!!

I rate all biographies I read 3/5, so I have to do the same here despite Sobolewski's story has been mangled by this writing "style".