Narrated by Michael
Berg, a lawyer recollecting on his past, the story is told in three parts. The
first features a 15-year-old Michael as he began a relationship with Hanna
Schmidt in post-WWII Germany. Hanna is a much older woman who reveals very
little of herself to Michael. There is tenderness in their relationship, and
the two spend much of their time together with Michael reading classic novels
aloud to her. Then, Hanna suddenly leaves and Michael is left wondering what
happened to her. All his subsequent relationships are tarnished by the memory
of Hanna.
Years go by and the
second part shows Michael at university studying law. The Nazi war crimes
trials are being held and Michael discovers that Hanna is on trial for her role
as a concentration camp guard. Michael
realises that he never really knew Hanna.
Is she guilty or was she too a victim? Did she really understand what
she was part of it? Can she atone for crimes? Michael grapples with these
questions and struggles with his feelings.
The third part is
much later with Michael corresponding to an imprisoned, older Hanna. He is
trying to reconcile the love he had for her in his youth and his hatred of the
evils she committed.
Schlink has an easy
style, gently unfolding the tale in layers.
The story is complex, raising deeply moral questions, and yet is a
quick, accessible read. It is effectively a study in guilt and atonement, using
the Holocaust as the catalyst to reflect on generational responsibility and the
legacy of what came before. Innocence is lost, secrets are revealed and judgments
are made.
The character of
Hanna is difficult to reconcile. She used a young man, committed horrible
atrocities so the reader can see her as a war criminal and a paedophile. And
yet the reader can feel empathy for her tragic life. Faced with the dilemma of
self-preservation or resistance, Hanna made a fateful choice. As she asks the
judge in her trial “What would you have done?” This question leaves readers
wondering what they would have done in her shoes.
The film
version of this novel was directed by Stephen Daldry and starred Ralph Fiennes
as the adult Michael and Kate Winslet as Hanna. Winslet was excellent in the
role, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress. I thought the film was very good but lacked
the punch of the novel, in some ways glossing over the complexities I found in
the book. It is still very much worth watching, but I would encourage reading
the book first.