The Reader

Book Review

«The Reader» is a novel by German author Bernhard Schlink, first published in 1995, that tells the story of the complex and contradictory relationship between young Michael Berg and his lover Hanna Schmitz, who is later revealed to be a former guard at a Nazi concentration camp. The main themes of the book are guilt and redemption, moral responsibility and the complexity of choice, love and shame, set against the backdrop of post-war Germany. Through the characters' relationships, Schlink addresses issues of national memory and intergenerational understanding. The novel sparked significant resonance and has been translated into numerous languages, as well as adapted into a film. «The Reader» prompts reflection on the weight of the past, how individual destinies intertwine with history, and how people confront moral dilemmas in extreme circumstances.