The Tattooist of Auschwitz
1 journaler for this copy...
Purchased for book club.
I read this book for my bookclub and I'm looking forward to hearing other people's opinions.
This story is supposed to be based on real people but it felt too fictionalized me. While the love story between Lale and Gita was lovely, and I'm delighted they managed to find each other once the war ended, I found it somewhat unbelievable that they found the opportunities they had to fall in love at all. Everything I've learned about Auschwitz (and I'm not an expert) has led me to believe that these kinds of casual and recreational moments did not exist. The villains in this story seemed caricatures, and the Lale and Gita seemed too fortunate and too one-dimensional. I would have liked to have had deeper introspection into their faith, their fears, their guilt, their emotions. These complaints are complaints about the way the story is told, not complaints about the story itself.
Having just finished By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz by Max Eisen, the winner of 2019 Canada Reads and a Holocaust memoir written by a 90 year old Auschwitz survivor, I can't help but make comparisons. And this novel, while also based on a true story, does not carry any of the emotion and depth and clarity of voice that Mr. Eisen's book does. If you enjoyed this book, even a little, I urge you to find a copy of By Chance Alone. You will be profoundly moved, which is something I found lacking in Tattooist.
This story is supposed to be based on real people but it felt too fictionalized me. While the love story between Lale and Gita was lovely, and I'm delighted they managed to find each other once the war ended, I found it somewhat unbelievable that they found the opportunities they had to fall in love at all. Everything I've learned about Auschwitz (and I'm not an expert) has led me to believe that these kinds of casual and recreational moments did not exist. The villains in this story seemed caricatures, and the Lale and Gita seemed too fortunate and too one-dimensional. I would have liked to have had deeper introspection into their faith, their fears, their guilt, their emotions. These complaints are complaints about the way the story is told, not complaints about the story itself.
Having just finished By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz by Max Eisen, the winner of 2019 Canada Reads and a Holocaust memoir written by a 90 year old Auschwitz survivor, I can't help but make comparisons. And this novel, while also based on a true story, does not carry any of the emotion and depth and clarity of voice that Mr. Eisen's book does. If you enjoyed this book, even a little, I urge you to find a copy of By Chance Alone. You will be profoundly moved, which is something I found lacking in Tattooist.
Journal Entry 3 by CynthiaA at Little Free Library -- Dufferin Ave in Brantford, Ontario Canada on Saturday, July 10, 2021
Released 2 yrs ago (7/10/2021 UTC) at Little Free Library -- Dufferin Ave in Brantford, Ontario Canada
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