Read “The Reader.” Maybe.

I’m having a hard time deciding whether to recommend this book or not.

I’m a little late to jump on this book’s bandwagon given it’s already been made into a movie. Regardless, I was really excited about finally getting a chance to read it. I saw the movie when it was in theaters, and I can remember walking out of it in a daze… The story is a powerful one to say the least. A young boy’s heart is broken by a woman twice his age who he later discovers is a former prison guard at a Nazi concentration camp. Throughout his life, he struggles with reconciling the woman he loved with the monster she’s accused of being. But the thing is, the movie left more of a lasting imprint on me than the book did. I was shocked because I always love the book more than its corresponding movie.

Maybe it’s because I already knew the story. Maybe it’s because I had Kate Winslet in my mind rather than having a blank slate for the story to unfold. Or maybe the movie is just better than the book. I leave it up to you to decide.