Author: Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 34 Comments

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Publisher: Vintage
Publication Date: 1997 (United States)
Categories: Literary, Historical Fiction
Source: My own copy

Description:

Hailed for its coiled eroticism and the moral claims it makes upon the reader, this mesmerizing novel is a story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, unfolding against the haunted landscape of postwar Germany.

When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover—then she inexplicably disappears. When Michael next sees her, he is a young law student, and she is on trial for a hideous crime. As he watches her refuse to defend her innocence, Michael gradually realizes that Hanna may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder.

My Thoughts:

I watched the movie before I read the book. That is never a smart move but it was especially dimwitted in this case. In my defense I didn’t know the movie was based on a book. How did I not know that?  

The big secret wasn’t so secret. I already knew the big reveal. It didn’t ruin the book for me but I did read it from a different perspective since I knew what was coming.

I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more conflicted about a book. The relationship between Michael and Hanna is wrong in every way and yet there is something beautiful about it. Hanna’s past actions cannot be excused and yet I felt pity for her. 

This slim volume is packed with big messages. There isn’t much more that I can say without laying out a bunch of spoilers. I don’t want to do that. If you haven’t read this you should. Take a bit of advice? Don’t see the movie first. 




Heaven Should Fall by Rebecca Coleman

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 12 Comments
Heaven Should Fall by Rebecca Coleman
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: September 2012
Category: Literary
Source: Book Reporter/Faithful Reader
Description:

Alone since her mother’s death, Jill Wagner wants to eat, sleep and breathe Cade Olmstead when he bursts upon her life—golden, handsome and ambitious. Even putting college on hold feels like a minor sacrifice when she discovers she’s pregnant with Cade’s baby. But it won’t be the last sacrifice she’ll have to make.

Retreating to the Olmsteads’ New England farm seems sensible, if not ideal—they’ll regroup and welcome the baby, surrounded by Cade’s family. But the remote, ramshackle place already feels crowded. Cade’s mother tends to his ailing father, while Cade’s pious sister, her bigoted husband and their rowdy sons overrun the house. Only Cade’s brother, Elias, a combat veteran with a damaged spirit, gives Jill an ally amidst the chaos, along with a glimpse into his disturbing childhood. But his burden is heavy, and she alone cannot kindle his will to live.

The tragedy of Elias is like a killing frost, withering Cade in particular, transforming his idealism into bitterness and paranoia. Taking solace in caring for her newborn son, Jill looks up to find her golden boy is gone. In Cade’s place is a desperate man willing to endanger them all in the name of vengeance…unless Jill can find a way out.
My Thoughts:

When you first read the synopsis of this book it sounds like a romancey type of thing doesn’t it? Oh ho ho, it’s so much more. Jill and Cade do fall in love. There’s your romance. That’s about it. Shortly after Jill becomes pregnant they go to stay with Cade’s family and things take a dark, twisty and crazy turn.

The characters in Heaven Should Fall are wonderfully thought out. They are real, they are flawed and they make you want to slap them across the face a time or two..or maybe give them a hug? I really connected with these people and I know I’ll be thinking about them for a while.

How much can a person stand? How far can someone be pushed before they lose sight of what and who they were? This book is compelling and desperate and compulsively readable.