The Painted Bird

Rating:
Summary: The Best Manditory Book I Ever Read
Review: I had to read this book for my World Literature class in my senior year of high school. That was only 8 years ago. I thought that this book was a bit too much for most teenagers, but until this very day, I still think of the book. I really didn't care too much for reading the assigned books, but once I picked this book up, I just couldn't put it down. I was a teenager at the time experiencing what every teenager experiences...the hard times of growing up...the why me's...the my life can't get any worse, but then I saw that a child of only 6 years old could experience such cruelty in the world. It brought tears to my eyes and gave me more appreciation for my own life. I am very happy that my teacher made us read this book because it would have never reached my hands and changed my life if he didn't. I say that Kosinski did a great job portraying what the world was like in that time period. If it is not assigned reading to my child when she is a senior, then I shall share the book with her myself. I would love to see this book as a movie. I feel that the big screen can't come close to "painting" such a picture in the mind as Kosinski can with his descriptive writing in "The Painted Bird".

Rating:
Summary: a minor classic on WWII
Review: If ever you thought there wre limits to human cruelty and depravity, all you need do is read this book. It is the closest thing to a tour of hell that the 20C could provide.

The story centers around a sensitive and intelligent child, who was left in the hands of a caretaker in the countryside during WWII. When the caretaker dies suddenly, the child is left to fend for himself in the Polish countryside, where the population is superstitious and poverty stricken. He lived through a succession of horrors, including beatings, exposure to sex, and threats to his life. He survives, of course, and makes extremely interesting observations with the clarity - and peculiar warp - of a child. He also becomes as cruel as his tormentors, but still reachable and able to grow. It is a glimpse of what that war was like.

This makes Painted Bird a brilliant novel, undoubtedly Kozinski's best though also his first. It is a tradegy that Kosinski lied about his past, perhaps to market the book and also to create a myth about himself, saying that this was autobiographical when in fact he had spent the war in relative comfort with his parents. When the truth became known, he committed suicide. But that does not diminish the magnitude of his acheivement here.

Rating:
Summary: Painted Bird
Review: I read this book when I was taking a World History class in 1980.
It was mandatory reading.
I have never read another book that affected me as much as this book. At the time, I was a grandmother returning to school after many years. I had a grandson at the time about the same age as the little boy in the book. It was difficult for me to imagine my grandson going through these kinds of events. I still think about it on occasion after all these years.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books ever
Review: Kosinski's book has got to be one of the best books ever written. I love the book simply because he doesn't sugarcoat anything. Kosinski experienced a lot as a child and I believe he chose to display parts of his life as a fiction. I've known a few people to find the book offensive as fiction, I could not imagine if he wrote it as nonfiction. People don't want to hear about the harsh realities of life and when they do, they call it fictious and offensive. Is a female being raped offensive. Sure for the female that was raped and all those that can empathize her pain. But surely retelling the truth, cannot be offensive! Anyone who calls Kosinski's book offensive is in denial of harsh realities of life. I'm happy that Kosinski decided to share his life with those that are willing to believe. Even if parts of the books were elaborated or made up, the book should be used to give an example of the life someone can experience. It makes me feel priveldged to never have experienced a life even close to the book. I have yet to find another book so vivid, interesting and sad all at the same time. I read this book when I was 18 and will buy my children a copy when they turn 18. I'd love to see this book as a movie, but I wonder if the movie would do the book justice?

Rating:
Summary: A Frightening Reality
Review: This could be the most revealing book ever written about Occupied Poland. There are no visions of death camps, or trains of people being herded to there death. It is quite simply the true story of a young Jewish boy who must survive the paranoia and hatred that overtakes normally decent people in times of stress. If it is not the most important book written in the twentieth century, it is surely one of them. Each one of us is a painted bird.

Rating:
Summary: Very surprised
Review: It's been such a long time since I have read The Painted Bird, however, I felt like I needed to write a short review because among others, this book was also recommended to me by my highschool English professor. I was intrigued by The Painted Bird and no other book has stuck with me throughout the years like this one has. This book forces you to question EVERYTHING not just for a couple of days, but years later, you will still be compelled by this book. In lieu of current events now, I think everyone could benefit from this book. If it was not for my English teacher, I may have never of stumbled across this outstanding book. Definately, a must read.

Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: I like his writing style a lot... so its a shame that I had to skip over so much of this book because I found it to be tasteless and callous. Too much sexual content for me.

Definitely not for kids or high minded adults.

Rating:
Summary: Feel the love
Review: A horrifying and fascinating book by a horrifying and fascinating author who ultimately slit his wrists while lying in his bathtub one night, because he could no longer ski downhill due to a medical condition.

Answers the pressing contemporary literary question, who needs vampires when you've got human beings to work with?

Although it defies everything that popular culture teaches us about childhood, this is for some reason considered in some circles to be a children's book. Or at least an adolescent's book. Man's inhumanity to man or some other hackneyed high school English class theme?

I don't know, but I fully endorse exposing children to it. They ought to know just how dangerous it is out there in the world. On the other hand if you think subliminal lyrics in rock songs exhorting kids that Satan is lord, or something similar, are problematic at best, then you may not want your kids to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: This book is amazing. It is written very matter of factly which leads me to believe that Mr. Kosinski saw some of the terrors of which he wrote first hand. This novel shocked me and touched me and I felt utter sorrow for the protaganist. I truly believe that everyone should read this book, not only to feel compassion for the less fortunate, but also to remember how fortunate they really are. My college professor urged me to read this book. I'm so grateful he did. I can't wait to read another Jerzy Kosinski book.

Rating:
Summary: Not a novel
Review: This is not a novel. It is the true story of Jerzy N Koshinski's WWII experiences.