Night (1955)

Elie was a teenager, a Talmud scholar, in 1944 when the SS arrived in his town. He and his family were taken to the concentration camps, where they endured unimaginable suffering. He and his father manage to stay together, but his father will not live to see liberation. Before the war ends, Elie sees the death of his family, his innocence, and his faith.

A moving and important work. After reading Maus, I realized that this was another primary source on the Holocaust that I had not yet read, so I addressed that issue. It's a powerful book that everyone should read. ( )

This was a very difficult book to read. I did not like reading it, but I am glad I did. It was very well written. It's amazing what abhorrent things humans can do to other human beings, which is why the people were unable to believe that it was imminent or even possible; if they had, they might have avoided it. Perhaps enough other people will read this book so that if/when it happens again, we can watch for it and stop it quickly. Humans CAN be monstrous; it is not impossible, not even difficult for some to envision. It is important for everyone to be aware of this and guard against it... ( )

Audiobook.

Hard to listen to, but important to hear and witness the evil that grows from fanatical control.

This version included Wiesel’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech from 1986 (or ‘84, can’t remember the year, now) and his preface to this newer translation. ( )

A review for this book would not do it justice, and it just doesn't feel right to even try. The way he tells his story is captivating, even though you know more or less how the story is going to end. His passion, anger, brutal honestly, love, hurt, are felt plenty of times throughout this book and this author has a gift of expressing his emotion in a way the reader can almost get a sense of how he felt at the time. Wow, great book. When I went to go pick up my poboys for dinner from R&O's, a couple younger people, a guy and a girl, acknowledged my book and said how much they enjoyed it. (Whenever I go somewhere where I am expecting to wait, something like food or the pharmacy, I'll bring whatever book I'm reading at the time and read while I wait on whatever it is. Because I'm cool like that, that's why.) ( )

"Most people thought that we would remain in the ghetto until the end of the war,until the arrival of the Red army.Afterword, everything would be as before.The ghetto was ruled by neither German nor Jew;it was ruled by delusion."

The last sentence sums up the treachery of hope in face of peril for the thousands of Jews in that small village of Sighet,who had just been forced out of their homes to live in a ghetto , still oblivious of their fate that would soon place them in the hell of Auschwitz concentration camp in matter of days.

This book explains quite vividly the height of human cruelty , be it the Nazis of Germany or the denizens of their own country who threw bread crusts to the cattles of prisoners only to watch them fight among themselves for a crumb ,or a son beating his own father for a slice of bread .We have to remember the events ,so we don't forget what we as a society of "humans" are capable of doing to our own. ( )