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The Tattooist of Auschwitz
(The Tattooist of Auschwitz #1)
by
In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.
Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atro ...more
Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atro ...more
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Hardcover, 262 pages
Published
September 4th 2018
by Harper
(first published January 27th 2018)
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Start your review of The Tattooist of Auschwitz (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #1)
Jan 25, 2018
Debra
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
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favorite-books,
netgalley
I'll never hear Yiddish again....
I'll never go to the German Consulate with her again...
I’m gutted reading this book. To some I have shared that my family's "MA" was in Auschwitz (everyone called her MA - her daughters, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, her friends, etc.). She used to say "I have lost everything that can ever be lost “and "I have given everything can that ever be given". She passed away in 2017 at the age of 95. We just had her headstone unveiling. This was probably no ...more
I'll never go to the German Consulate with her again...
I’m gutted reading this book. To some I have shared that my family's "MA" was in Auschwitz (everyone called her MA - her daughters, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, her friends, etc.). She used to say "I have lost everything that can ever be lost “and "I have given everything can that ever be given". She passed away in 2017 at the age of 95. We just had her headstone unveiling. This was probably no ...more
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Holocaust fiction books in the English language alone. This is not the one to read.
This kind of book is hard to rate. It's based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who volunteered to go to Auschwitz to save his older brother and, through a combination of true grit and luck, he's able to survive and even fall in love. Who wants to give the story of a Holocaust survivor just two stars? Isn't that a bit heartless?
But it's not subject of the b ...more
This kind of book is hard to rate. It's based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who volunteered to go to Auschwitz to save his older brother and, through a combination of true grit and luck, he's able to survive and even fall in love. Who wants to give the story of a Holocaust survivor just two stars? Isn't that a bit heartless?
But it's not subject of the b ...more
What a waste of an amazing story on an incapable writer. There is no 'prose', there is really just "he did this, and then he did that". No depth of emotion, no depth of characters, heck - no characters! I couldn't tell you ONE personality trait of Gita's. Lale also, is so thinly drawn I know nothing about him other than he is supposedly charming.
The dialogue between characters is ridiculously empty and the whole thing feels like the most superficial experience of Auschwitz possible.
The love sto ...more
The dialogue between characters is ridiculously empty and the whole thing feels like the most superficial experience of Auschwitz possible.
The love sto ...more
Jan 11, 2018
Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
readers-first
Considering "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" is a harrowing true story, it was truly compelling and utterly unputdownable. It's without a doubt one of only a few books that will stay with me a very long time, it's that unforgettable and one that keeps you thinking about the story well after you've put it down.
Lale Sokolov is a well dressed, charming ladies' man - however he is also a Jew. On arrival at Auschwitz in 1942 he immediately stands out to his fellow prisoners who save his life when he tak ...more
Lale Sokolov is a well dressed, charming ladies' man - however he is also a Jew. On arrival at Auschwitz in 1942 he immediately stands out to his fellow prisoners who save his life when he tak ...more
Jul 08, 2019
Emily (Books with Emily Fox)
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
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audiobooks
This is part of my Goodreads reading challenge for 2019 as the runner up in the "Historical Fiction" category.
It has since been brought to my attention that this isn't historically accurate but it doesn't really change my review.
As awful as it sounds, I felt so… detached from the characters. Characters inspired by true events during WWII.
It wasn’t to reflect the detachment of the characters to the events unfolding in an attempt to protect themselves. It was simply not well written.
You would tel ...more
It has since been brought to my attention that this isn't historically accurate but it doesn't really change my review.
As awful as it sounds, I felt so… detached from the characters. Characters inspired by true events during WWII.
It wasn’t to reflect the detachment of the characters to the events unfolding in an attempt to protect themselves. It was simply not well written.
You would tel ...more
Oct 29, 2017
Angela M
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley-reviews
Right after I started reading this book there was a story on the local news about a new exhibit at the Jewish Community Center in our area. The exhibit highlights the Holocaust survivors from this area. At kiosks you can click on a name, read a bio but what struck me the most was that you can also see a video of the survivor telling their story. The utmost importance of these stories is reflected at the beginning of this book by author Graeme Simsion: "It reminds us that every one of the unimagi ...more
I recall, as a child, accompanying one or the other of my parents to our family jeweler countless times. It seemed as if some piece always needed to be repaired or purchased for one occasion or another. For my tenth birthday I received a small sapphire and diamond ring which was too large and needed to be resized. One day after school off we went to see Marty and Irv. It was an unseasonably warm fall day and Irv had his shirtsleeves rolled up. When he placed his arm on the glass countertop, I sa
...more
An interesting tale based on a true story but not really comprehensively told. I enjoyed what was there but there seemed to be so much left out.
Lale was obviously a charming rogue who managed to survive all those years in Auschwitz despite bringing himself to the attention of the authorities repeatedly and in very serious ways. It was amazing that a life long love affair could have begun in such a place and even more amazing that they both survived and found each other again after the war. Obvio ...more
Lale was obviously a charming rogue who managed to survive all those years in Auschwitz despite bringing himself to the attention of the authorities repeatedly and in very serious ways. It was amazing that a life long love affair could have begun in such a place and even more amazing that they both survived and found each other again after the war. Obvio ...more
A unsettling but gripping novel, based on the true story of Lale, a Slovakian Jew caught up in the horrors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during WW2. He speaks several languages, so soon finds himself employed in the camp as the tattooist, the man responsible for inscribing prisoners numbers on their arms. He soon meets and falls in love with Gita, a fellow inmate., but can their love survive the horrors of life inside a concentration camp?
This is a beautifully told tale, Heather ...more
This is a beautifully told tale, Heather ...more
Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this book, it fell quite short for me. Perhaps it was the expectation I always harbor for a book about the Holocaust, or perhaps the book contained things that I just had a hard time believing.
This was basically a love story between two people, Lale and Gita who met while she was waiting to be tattooed by Lale and instantly fell in love. They manage to meet on many occasions and share time together and even make love. Lale, meanwhile is able to collect ...more
This was basically a love story between two people, Lale and Gita who met while she was waiting to be tattooed by Lale and instantly fell in love. They manage to meet on many occasions and share time together and even make love. Lale, meanwhile is able to collect ...more
“If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day.”
This was a really tough novel to read - I mean obviously, it is set in Auschwtiz - it was hardly going to be a walk in the park!
I don't think I quite prepared myself, or wasn't able to entirely remove myself from the novel, so became completely invested and because of this, it absolutely tore me apart.
Based on a true story - Lale uses his education and knowledge of languages to get himself a job as the Tatowierer after each Jewish family must ...more
This was a really tough novel to read - I mean obviously, it is set in Auschwtiz - it was hardly going to be a walk in the park!
I don't think I quite prepared myself, or wasn't able to entirely remove myself from the novel, so became completely invested and because of this, it absolutely tore me apart.
Based on a true story - Lale uses his education and knowledge of languages to get himself a job as the Tatowierer after each Jewish family must ...more
4.5 stars!!
This is a historical fiction novel based on a true story. Lale Sokolov tells his story based on true events. He became the main tattooist of Aushwitz and falls in love at first sight with Gita who he first met tattooing her arm. He tattoos all the new prisoners with their identification numbers. Lale is a Jew. He is on the first transport of men from Slovakia to Auschwitz in 1942. The concentration camp was very horrifying. Lale did have some special privileges, since he was the tatto ...more
what a comfort it is to know that, even in the most desperate and tragically unfathomable of circumstances, love and hope are possible and can be found.
this was a truly touching story about lale and gita and how the love they found for each other in auschwitz helped them survive. the story is based on true events, information gathered from lales interviews with the author. lale waited until after the death of gita to open up about his experiences due to fear of being perceived as a nazi sympath ...more
this was a truly touching story about lale and gita and how the love they found for each other in auschwitz helped them survive. the story is based on true events, information gathered from lales interviews with the author. lale waited until after the death of gita to open up about his experiences due to fear of being perceived as a nazi sympath ...more
Aug 31, 2020
MarilynW
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio,
hoopla-overdrive
I wanted to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris, before I read a book that I've put off for too long, Cilka's Journey. Rather than read the print version of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I chose to listen to the audio version, narrated by Richard Armitage, who is becoming a favorite narrator of mine. In this book, we follow twenty six year old Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau, in 1942. We learn of his love for a you
...more
Audiobook....narrated by Richard Armitage....( done well):
Survivors guilt.......
a lifetime traumatic tattoo for a tattoo artist.....
Incapable of being apprehended by the mind of the senses.
Stories that need to be told....
This one sat for many years - decades - untold...
Shame - love - guilt - survival - Love ..... it’s all here.
Thank you to the ‘already’ moving & thoughtful reviews which came before me. Sad - Beautiful- powerful - emotional - honest reviews.
Survivors guilt.......
a lifetime traumatic tattoo for a tattoo artist.....
Incapable of being apprehended by the mind of the senses.
Stories that need to be told....
This one sat for many years - decades - untold...
Shame - love - guilt - survival - Love ..... it’s all here.
Thank you to the ‘already’ moving & thoughtful reviews which came before me. Sad - Beautiful- powerful - emotional - honest reviews.
The German government needed workers for their labor camps. In 1942, all families in Slovakia were ordered to provide a child eighteen or older for work detail or risk having the entire family sent to concentration camp. Lale Sokolov hoped that by going to Prague to await these instructions his family would be safe. He did not expect to be forced into a cattle wagon and be transported to Auschwitz. He was determined to do as he was told, reveal little about himself and always be observant.
Lale's ...more
Lale's ...more
This is an incredible book with a story that demands to be heard.
The year is 2018 and it gladdens me that books like this are still being written. It’s important that we never forget Auschwitz and that we never forget the war crimes Nazi Germany committed. Why? Because we need to know and understand what humanity is capable of, we need to know what extreme hate looks like so we can work towards building a world free from it. This is one of our darkest hours, and we need to remember it.
This ...more
The year is 2018 and it gladdens me that books like this are still being written. It’s important that we never forget Auschwitz and that we never forget the war crimes Nazi Germany committed. Why? Because we need to know and understand what humanity is capable of, we need to know what extreme hate looks like so we can work towards building a world free from it. This is one of our darkest hours, and we need to remember it.
This ...more
It’s not the story that I am giving 1* here, but the godawful writing. Reading this book is literally like reading a set of bullet points. The book is heavy on dialogue (not terribly well written either) with little description in between. The author thanks the real Lale Sokolov for allowing her to write his story, but I wish to god somebody else had written it instead. The absolute worst thing about the author’s take on this story is that she made me feel NOTHING. This is an incredibly emotive
...more
”Based on an incredible true story”
as this states on the cover, this is the story of Lale Sokolov and Gita, the woman who he meets at Auschwitz, both prisoners there. At first Lale is working on a roof, and this is what he does for a while until his kapo says he needs a boy to do his bidding, run errands, bring him food and the like. Then fate intervenes somewhat again for Lale when he becomes the tattooist, the Tätowierer for both Auschwitz and Birkenau, a position under the Political Wing
...more
Reviewing a novel about the Holocaust on Holocaust Remembrance day seems both apropos, and a great responsibility. Never forget! As long as there are people who need to tell! Their stories, I will continue to read and remember. This is a fictionalized account of a true story, told to the author in the final days of his life. Lale was a young Jewish man from Slovakia, with much to look forward to, when in an effort to save the rest of his family, he is taken to Auschwitz. There he will become the
...more
This is the true story of real survivors who are determined, strong and brave enough to breathe and fight no matter what they’ve been through. They were just chosen innocent victims did what they had to so they could stand against the monsters hid inside human furs and at the end they fought back with their tears, endurance, wit, belief and they won against the vicious, vulgar, savage hand life dealt to them.
Lale and Gita’s heartfelt, poignant, unconditional love and surviving story will always ...more
Lale and Gita’s heartfelt, poignant, unconditional love and surviving story will always ...more
3.5 Stars
"Save the one, save the world."
The story of Lale Sokolov is certainly one that needed to be told, to be remembered....his bravery....the risks...his determination to help others....to survive the horrors of Auschwitz....and, of course, how he found the love of his life.
The cattle train, the starvation, the crematoria and the evil Dr. Mengele; it's all here, but still, I did not feel the terror in the narration as compared to the many other holocaust novels I've read.
That being said, I
...more
This is a very, very difficult book to review.
There are certain books that tell a story so important that it overrides other aspects of itself, and therefore can overcome certain narrative shortcomings. The Hate U Give, for example, may not have been the most well-written thing I’ve ever read, nor will the characters stay with me forever - but the story will.
I’m in a similar situation here.
This is the story of Lale, a Jewish man who became the tattooist at Auschwitz and used the relative privil ...more
There are certain books that tell a story so important that it overrides other aspects of itself, and therefore can overcome certain narrative shortcomings. The Hate U Give, for example, may not have been the most well-written thing I’ve ever read, nor will the characters stay with me forever - but the story will.
I’m in a similar situation here.
This is the story of Lale, a Jewish man who became the tattooist at Auschwitz and used the relative privil ...more
This is a novel based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz. Lale, being able to speak many languages, was given the job of tattooing the numbers on the incoming prisoners, he met Gita when she was in his line to be tattooed and was immediately taken with her.
Being the tattooist at the camp gave Lale much more freedom of movement then most prisoners and he came upon money and jewels from the murdered Jews to get food to keep other prisoners alive ...more
Being the tattooist at the camp gave Lale much more freedom of movement then most prisoners and he came upon money and jewels from the murdered Jews to get food to keep other prisoners alive ...more
Against all odds...
The story of two extraordinary people, Lale and Gita survive the horrors of Auschwitz and find solace in each other. The book is based on their true story.
Lale has the job of tattooist and must tattoo numbers on the arms of countless men, women and children. One day he tattooed #34902 on the arm and Gita. He recalled this day as the day "he tattooed her number on her left arm, she tattooed her number on his heart."
An incredible and memorable story that shows the strong will o ...more
The story of two extraordinary people, Lale and Gita survive the horrors of Auschwitz and find solace in each other. The book is based on their true story.
Lale has the job of tattooist and must tattoo numbers on the arms of countless men, women and children. One day he tattooed #34902 on the arm and Gita. He recalled this day as the day "he tattooed her number on her left arm, she tattooed her number on his heart."
An incredible and memorable story that shows the strong will o ...more
Feb 11, 2020
chai ♡
marked it as to-read
Will I finish this book or will it finish me? I guess we will find out
Feb 04, 2018
Brenda - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a compelling and unforgettable story of hope and courage that is so beautifully written based on interviews with Holocaust Survivor Auschwitz-Birkenau Tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov. Lale with compassion and sensitivity, tattoos numbers on the arms of prisoners. While doing this he forms a connection with Gita that leads to a tender and charming love story.
Heather Morris does a good job capturing the life of Lale and the conditions he lived with, without adding un ...more
Heather Morris does a good job capturing the life of Lale and the conditions he lived with, without adding un ...more
"If you wake up in the morning, it's a good day."
~ Lale Sokolov
A book based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, who was imprisoned during the Holocaust of 1942 at Auschwitz. It gives an in-depth perspective of the lives during that time.
...more
~ Lale Sokolov
A book based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, who was imprisoned during the Holocaust of 1942 at Auschwitz. It gives an in-depth perspective of the lives during that time.
...more
What a powerful novel! More so since it's based on a true story, the life of Lale Sokolov while a prisoner in Auschwitz/Birkenau.
I never want to forget about the Holocaust and fiction books based on it are always found on the top of my TBR. I've read many non-fiction books about it over the years and I'm always affected by the lack of humanity by the nazis and the perseverance of the imprisoned.
Lale Sokolov was taken in April 1942 when he was a young man. He was living with his parents in Krompa ...more
I never want to forget about the Holocaust and fiction books based on it are always found on the top of my TBR. I've read many non-fiction books about it over the years and I'm always affected by the lack of humanity by the nazis and the perseverance of the imprisoned.
Lale Sokolov was taken in April 1942 when he was a young man. He was living with his parents in Krompa ...more
I’m always reluctant to read works of fiction dealing with the Holocaust - although I’ve read my fair share. It’s not that I find it too hard to read about atrocities, it’s that I worry that unless they are done right, fictional accounts run the risk of trivializing this horrific chapter in human history.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz reads like fiction, but is based on interviews the author conducted with its protagonist, Lale Sokolov, over a three year period very late in Lale’s life. A Jew transp ...more
The Tattooist of Auschwitz reads like fiction, but is based on interviews the author conducted with its protagonist, Lale Sokolov, over a three year period very late in Lale’s life. A Jew transp ...more
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| Irmo Branch Libra...: Was Lale a hero? | 5 | 7 | Jan 05, 2021 03:02PM | |
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| Irmo Branch Libra...: Is Gita's character underdeveloped? | 1 | 5 | Dec 28, 2020 05:41AM | |
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I am a Native of New Zealand now resident in Australia, working in a large public hospital in Melbourne. For several years I studied and wrote screenplays, one of which was optioned by an academy award winning Screenwriter in the U.S. In 2003, I was introduced to an elderly gentleman "who might just have a story worth telling". The day I met Lale Sokolov changed my life, as our friendship grew and
...more
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“If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day.”
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