The Reader

Rating:
Summary: hauntingly beautiful
Review: Yes of course Micheal is obessed with his first love; this woman has reparented a young boy who had been emotionally neglected by his own parents. For some of us our first loves stay in our hearts forever; those are the readers who will truly understand the value of this touching story.

Rating:
Summary: What a dissapointment
Review: Social cause, historical context, I should have been in heaven. Instead, it took him years to figure out what I knew on the bike ride and the historical context was just there to trigger all of the emotion that each reader brings with themself about the holocaust. If you want a book to sink your teeth into, there are unlimited titles that would do a better job than this. Oprah's Book Club is a wonderful idea, but I think that she missed the mark with this one.

Rating:
Summary: Did I read the same book?
Review: Even more surprising than how boring this book was is the fact that some people actually loved it. It had absolutely no depth or insight as to motivation, character, or more importantly, the gravity of the holocaust. I'll never forget the glorious moment I finished it. Keep to talk shows, Oprah.

Rating:
Summary: Lame
Review: I was really dissapointed with this book. I thought the language dragged the plot out endlessly and I couldn't stop putting it down. I took me mush longer to read this than "I know this much is true" and it was so much longer. I didn't enjoy this book at all.

Rating:
Summary: Best book I've read in years...
Review: ...and I DO read quite a bit! I have just finished this masterpiece and am still reeling from the subtle beauty, the heartbreak- this book has just secured a spot on my all-time Top Three. The Reader is the kind of book you will want to read again and again- it already feels like an old friend.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely not a friendship
Review: The first few pages of the booked grabbed my attention, but the rest seemed too distant from the beginning part of the book. This is not a story about friendship at all. A friendship is when two people benefit from the relationship. The fact that the child is 15 and she is much older, has nothing to do with my rating. Though I morally have a problem with it, the fact that the "love" he felt for her seems to have driven the path of his life bothers me even more. The story isn't very believable. We all remember our first loves, but we do manage to move one. Hanna's character is more believable than Michael's, but it's almost like the book should have been about her past, with which she is obsessed, not about Michael's obsession. I was rather dissappointed in Oprah's pick. Robin, Worcester

Rating:
Summary: Strong, thought provoking, and unique.
Review: So many issues come to light in this book, yet it is written in an understated, almost simple manner. The questions of how a generation of young Germans must deal with the Holocaust, and the specific contradictions in Michael Berg's situation because of his involvement with Hanna are presented in a way that invokes the reader's sensibilities. The book is not perfect, however, as there are some flaws, especially with the question of what was Michael actually doing during WWII, how it effected his life, etc. To not have dealt with this left me feeling a bit jiped, but the overall idea of the book and its resolution (or perhaps lack of one) made it a very compelling and worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: I should have read up on my German history first!
Review: What an interesting and thought-provoking novel. I have never read a book quite like this one, one that deals with the Holocaust, Jews or concentration camps. I have to admit I am pretty ignorant about the topic, so I had a hard time understanding the trial. Aside from that, I was moved by the story and how it developed and ultimately how it ended. Very quick read, so even if it isn't your kind of book, stick with it because it takes so little time to finish. And, as in my case, you may even end up liking it.

Rating:
Summary: A Strange Disappointment
Review: I have enjoyed reading a selection of books from Oprah's Book Club including Jewel, Where The Heart Is and Black and Blue. However, this book was very disappointing. I had to force myself to finish it. I must admit Part Three was the best section of the book. I could never find any "attachment" to the characters; could not sympathize with Hannah or feel any emotion toward her or the narrator. All in all, this book was extremely different from all the others.

Rating:
Summary: ABSOLUTELY BORING!!
Review: GAWD WHAT A SLEEPER!! I found myself scanning through in the middle of the book just to get to the end! And why the heck didn't he say anything about her being illiterate!!?? Uh...i don't get it...