The Reader in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Mar 05, 2010 Sana rated it really liked it

I'm usually wary of books with the Oprah seal. But I'm glad I picked up The Reader nevertheless.

The Reader is narrated by Michael Berg who as a teenager gets into a relationship with Hanna, an older woman. Where the narration of the first half captures the turbulent relationship that follows and is confined to the romantic notions of the fifteen-year old, the later half deals with Berg's generation coming to terms with the heinous Nazi crimes of the past and their parents' guilt, set against th ...more

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Mar 16, 2016 Yusra Asaad rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-stars

First of all this is an Oprah book for those who don't know! I didn't realize it when I started it, but while I was already in the middle of the book.

The story is set in Germany post WWII. It starts with Michael Berg a 15 year old boy getting sick while on his way home, a lady sees him, cleans him up and takes him home. When he is better his mom tells him to go thank the lady so he does.. Only to see her in an unappropraite position. When Hanna sees him, he runs away, only to visit her again a c First of all this is an Oprah book for those who don't know! I didn't realize it when I started it, but while I was already in the middle of the book.

The story is set in Germany post WWII. It starts with Michael Berg a 15 year old boy getting sick while on his way home, a lady sees him, cleans him up and takes him home. When he is better his mom tells him to go thank the lady so he does.. Only to see her in an unappropraite position. When Hanna sees him, he runs away, only to visit her again a couple of days later. He helps her bring up coal to her apartment and gets dirty in the process so she offers him a bath.. Then they kind of fall for each other and begin an affair for a while. He started reading to her before their ritual bath and roll in the hay!

Then one day she disappears with absolutly no trace!

Eight years later, he is attending a trial since he is studying law and one of the defendants is no other than Hanna!

He attended every single day of the trial.. trying to understand what has happened.. and happening in his life.. and during this time he discovers a secret she has been trying to hide from him and the whole world even if hiding it would give her a harder prison sentence.

When she is sentenced, he starts to read to her as he used to but through tapes he sends to her..

If I write more than that I will spoil the story so I'll stop here..

It took me awhile to write this review because of my mixed opinions about it, I liked the first part of it but the trial was boring, with too much details that didn't seem to add to the story.. The "Kid's" emotions were quite explainable, since she was his first love and the affair kind of "scarred" him for any other relationships because he was always comparing the other women with her.. but I didn't understand why he did not reveal her secret to help her or even talk her into revealing it herself!

The end was ok but I wanted a better ending! I can't say I hated the book, I liked it but that was it.. not a favorite nor a recommendation to anyone.. but I want to see the movie to compare ..

It's right there with Beloved and Atonement for me..! Well maybe a teeny bit better :) ...more

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Aug 30, 2014 Emilie rated it did not like it

Shelves: book-club-book

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Jan 27, 2009 Megan rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical, finished-2009, bookclub-ish

I was rather disappointed at how Hanna's true thoughts and motivations were never really given. I kept waiting for an "aha!" moment that never came. ...more

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