"Never Shall I Forget"

    

     The three novels, out of the many I have read on the topic of Holocaust Literature, that I have chosen to share are three that I think provide the most interesting narratives, mediums, and perspectives not considered previously. The first selection was my most current read. In fact, I just finished this novel yesterday. My selection is Primo Levi's "Survival in Auschwitz: If this is a Man." Originally titled in the Italian : "Se questo e un uomo" : If this is a Man, and later changed to Survival in Auschwitz: If this is a Man, the novel describes Primo Levi's experience in the Auschwitz concentration camp. A chemist and writer, his representation of the Holocaust, and Auschwitz in particular,  focuses on the decimation of the human spirit and the obliteration of "man" as human species. His account is written without the romanticized stylings of lyrical and symbolic motif driven narrative, but is rather philosophical and observational in its depiction of guard, prisoner, perpetrator, and victim interaction. Nuanced in its very methodical and poignant yet subtle approach, Levi's work perhaps gets to the very heart of the unique horror of Auschwitz death camp.

The next selection you may be more familiar with, as it was turned into a major motion picture starring Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet. Bernhard Schlink's " The Reader" (or "Der Vorleser" in the original German)  is a fascinating novel about the phenomenon of second generation German guilt after the atrocities committed during World War II and the Holocaust were revealed. Weaved and represented by a sexualized relationship between an illiterate former SS officer and a fifteen year old boy, the novel deals with the conflicts and dilemmas faced by the children of the perpetrator generation. An extended allegory done in three parts, the main character of this novel, Michael Berg, navigates the difficulties of at once loving and condemning those parents, uncles, lovers, and sons accused of grave crimes against humanity and genocide. A unique perspective and thought provoking novel, I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in a fresh and interesting representation of perpetrator literature and I highly suggest that the book be read over the film, as the film does not do the novel justice.

                                                          

Finally, my last selection is a book of poetry called "Holocaust Poetry," compiled and introduced by Hilda Schiff. Written by some of the most talented and emotive writers of Holocaust literature, these selections are at times more powerful than any novel can or will be read on the subject matter and spans all range of styles, language, craft, and message. No exploration of such literature can truly be complete without reading the poetry inspired by the atrocities, the unimaginable and inconceivable, of the Holocaust.

 "Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself  ... Never."