Hello all,
I'm progressing slowly, way too slowly, through this excellent book. It's always interesting to read a book written by a man (or woman) in which the main character is a woman (or man). I've come to identify strongly with Liesel. Her tentative nature, her passion for books, and her fears about the larger world around her seem just about right as I recall being 11 and 12. While reading TBT, I'm also reading "O Jerusalem" and flipping through Jimmy Carter's book on Palestine. I have the latter book because Marv, who you all know (except maybe Shula...not sure you've met him), forced the book on me a year or so ago and demanded that I read it. So you can see that I've got a lot of overlap in my reading.
Back to TBT:
The hand-made book that Max gave Liesel for her birthday was a wonderful addition to the story, and also to the physical book itself. I'll probably remember that long after I've forgotten details of the story.
Every few pages or so my mind flips back to 6th grade at McCormick Elementary. I remember sneaking into the girls' room with my copy of the Diary of Ann Frank and reading a few pages before I dashed back to the classroom. I also can feel the same inner turmoil about how to accept that friends of mine had relatives who suffered the same fate, and worse, as Ann Frank and Max Vandenburg. So hard to absorb into my mind and heart that such evil exists, such prejudice exists, such cruelty is committed over and over again.
And then there's the issue of Hans and Rosa, Germans who could have been related to me. (I'm half German on my dad's side and half German on my mom's side, which makes me half German and half English. And let's face it about the English. They are not noted for their open-mindedness either.) All of my German ancestors came to America long before the 20th century, but I certainly have distant relatives who were in Germany during the Nazi era. Do I feel some guilt? Yes. Should I? Don't know.
So that's my little report.
Who else is reading? Shula, Paula, and Larry F. Did you start Ed?
Pam
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4 comments:
I just finished Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. FoS is extremely impressive. I should be able to start TBT very soon.
As for your question about whether you should feel guilty about the possibility of having German/Nazi ancestors/relatives. . .
People have to work that out for themselves. Certainly, to feel guilty about people who may or may not have existed is a bit of a stretch. That's different from feeling guilty about the outcome of their actions.
In my view, 60 years later, I think the response to the Holocaust is what's important.
In my case finidng an "appropriate" response to the Holocaust was one reason for deciding to live in Israel so long ago. Included in that was the possibility of getting married and raising Jewish children here. For me, that was the best response to the Holocaust I could think of and act on. I've done that and now, 30 years later, I'm not at all sorry.
So, by asking the question it's as if you haven't worked out the answer. The fact is, you have worked out the answer. You are interested in potential complicity of someone who may have been related to you. Why are you interested? To me it's obvious: "If I were living in Germany would I have had the strength to fight Nazism?" or "Would I have gone along with the mainstream -- esp. considering economic and social factors at the time."
One of life's imponderables.
As for the other books you're reading, O, Jerusalem! is excellent. I keep meaning to re-read it. Esp as I walk through parts of the city that are central to the book.
Ed
Hi,
First, about potential guilt: I don't think there's a need to feel guilt about actions of others or about possible actions you might have taken in a situation you did not experience. The fact that you are feeling any angst about your family's possible involvement speaks to your goodness and moral character. There must be so many other things that you really are guilty of; don't beat yourself up over something that you're not!
I am loving TBT. I am only on page 158 and Max is just about to arrive on Himmel Street. I think the perspective is brilliant; the story intriguing and captivating; and the writing excellent. Here's an example from page 146:
"When Liesel left that day, she said something with great uneasiness. In translation, two giant words were struggled with, carried on her shoulder, and dropped as a bungling pair at Ilsa Hermann's feet. They fell off sideways as the girl veered with them and could no longer sustain their weight. Together, they sat on the floor, large and loud and clumsy. *** TWO GIANT WORDS ***
I'M SORRY"
I keep wondering why this book is being billed as a "Young Adults" Book and is filed in that section in book stores and libraries.
One last thought: Pam, when I read what you said about sneaking out to read, it reminded me of when I was a kid and used to read in bed at night when I was supposed to be asleep. We kept the hall light on and I would read by that light. When I heard my dad coming up the stairs, I would slip the book under my pillow. I remember several occasions (I guess I wasn't too bright after all) when my father would ask me what I was doing and I would say nothing and he would tell me to pick up my pillow and I would slide my hand under the book and lift up both book and pillow. Then my father would lift the pillow off the book...
More to come, Paula
I am finding out that I have nothing or very little to say about fiction as a genre. For every 10 books I read, one might be fiction. I just enjoy the factual reality of non-fiction, especially history. Now, some would say that non-fiction is really fiction but I do know the difference when I see it. So I'm passing on this book although I did finish it and did enjoy it immensely. I just have nothing to say about it. My reading fiction brings to mind Giacometti's Walking Man, a figure diminishing along the perspective.
I understand completely about non-fiction. I read at least two or three non-fictions for every fiction I read. I often don't finish the non's but I read enough to get what I want or need. And I'm sort of addicted to them. Mostly from the library but I buy a fair number too. Fortunately, I still love fiction too. I rarely finish a non-fiction and have that nice, full feeling where your brain goes "ahhhh....that was SO good." I'll keep reading fiction until that "ahhhh" moment stops coming.
So Larry, even if you don't keep on reading fiction with us at least pop in from time to time and let us know what non-fiction you're reading.
Pam
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