The Reader | Bernhard Schlink | Cliff Note Books
“The Reader” is a novel written by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink. It was published in Germany in 1995 and translated into English in 1997. Here is a brief summary of the book:
The novel is set in post-World War II Germany and is divided into three parts, narrated by Michael Berg. As a 15-year-old boy, Michael becomes ill returning home from school, and Hanna Schmitz, a 36-year-old tram conductor, assists him. After recovering from his illness, he returns to thank Hanna, and they begin a summer-long love affair. During this time, Michael reads various texts to Hanna before their lovemaking sessions, which forms a routine in their relationship.
In the second part of the novel, the narrative jumps forward several years. Michael is now a law student attending a trial that involves several women who served as Nazi guards during the Holocaust. To his surprise, Hanna is one of the defendants. During the trial, Hanna admits to writing a report on a church fire that resulted in the death of many Jewish women, which she did not. However, she would rather take the blame than admit that she is illiterate. This revelation brings up feelings of guilt in Michael, who realizes that he could have intervened during the trial with his knowledge of Hanna’s illiteracy, possibly changing the outcome.
In the last part of the novel, Michael, now a legal historian, begins to record himself reading books onto tapes, which he sends to Hanna in prison. After receiving these tapes, Hanna starts to teach herself to read and write. Eventually, she commits suicide in prison the day before her release. Michael discovers that Hanna has left him a small amount of money, asking him to give it to a survivor of the church fire, which he does. In the end, he visits the survivor to whom he has given Hanna’s money and tells her about his relationship with Hanna, an admission that forms the climax of his long struggle with guilt, shame, and responsibility.
“The Reader” is a complex exploration of guilt, responsibility, the aftermath of the Holocaust, and the moral implications of keeping secrets.
QUOTES FROM THE READER
“I wanted simultaneously to understand Hanna’s crime and to condemn it. But it was too terrible for that. When I tried to understand it, I had the feeling I was failing to condemn it as it must be condemned. When I condemned it as it must be condemned, there was no room for understanding.”
“We should ask ourselves what it means when a woman leaves us, or perhaps we have left her, or we mutually lose interest in each other, and we say, well, it was lovely for a long time, and basically we have no regrets. Probably we are masking something when we say that, or we are afraid of stirring up too much of the past and too many old wounds and injuries.”
“There’s no need to talk, because the truth of what one says lies in what one does.”
“When I was young, I learned to love ancient tragedies. They have in them consolation and the promise that pain gives our life weight and its fulfillment a certain dignity.”
“She was so unyielding, so unapproachable; not out of arrogance or vanity or a sense of superiority, but out of fear of being taken and then dropped.”
“Sometimes the memory of happiness cannot stay true because it ended unhappily.”
“I was resolving a case that had never even been discussed, whose terrible symbolic power would cast into the shadows any concern with particulars.”
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR OF THE READER
Bernhard Schlink is a German author, law professor, and judge. He was born on July 6, 1944, in Bielefeld, Germany, and grew up in Heidelberg. Schlink is the son of a German theologian, Edwin Schlink, and Swiss mother, Irmgard. His upbringing was heavily influenced by the aftermath of World War II and the cultural reckoning that occurred in Germany during his formative years.
Schlink studied law at the University of Heidelberg and at the Free University of Berlin. After his studies, he worked as a scientific assistant, but later he became a professor for public law and philosophy of law in Bonn in 1982. He then taught at the University of Frankfurt, and from 1992 to 2009, he was a professor for public law and the philosophy of law at Humboldt University, Berlin.
Parallel to his academic career, Schlink started his writing career. He first came to prominence with his crime novels featuring the character Selb—a play on the German word for “self”—who was a private detective. These works explored themes of guilt, responsibility, and memory, which would also feature heavily in his later works.
Schlink gained international fame with his novel “The Reader” (“Der Vorleser” in German), published in 1995. This novel grapples with the legacy of the Holocaust and questions of guilt, both individual and collective. The book became an international bestseller and was translated into dozens of languages. In 2008, “The Reader” was adapted into a major motion picture starring Kate Winslet and David Kross.
Schlink’s other works include “Homecoming” and “The Weekend”, among others. His books often deal with themes of moral ambiguity, the Holocaust, the nature of guilt, and the process of remembering and understanding history.
As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, Bernhard Schlink continues to contribute to literature and legal philosophy, blending his legal acumen with his storytelling abilities to create thought-provoking narratives.
THEMES IN THE READER
“I wanted simultaneously to understand Hanna’s crime and to condemn it. But it was too terrible for that. When I tried to understand it, I had the feeling I was failing to condemn it as it must be condemned. When I condemned it as it must be condemned, there was no room for understanding.”
“We should ask ourselves what it means when a woman leaves us, or perhaps we have left her, or we mutually lose interest in each other, and we say, well, it was lovely for a long time, and basically we have no regrets. Probably we are masking something when we say that, or we are afraid of stirring up too much of the past and too many old wounds and injuries.”
“There’s no need to talk, because the truth of what one says lies in what one does.”
“When I was young, I learned to love ancient tragedies. They have in them consolation and the promise that pain gives our life weight and its fulfillment a certain dignity.”
“She was so unyielding, so unapproachable; not out of arrogance or vanity or a sense of superiority, but out of fear of being taken and then dropped.”
“Sometimes the memory of happiness cannot stay true because it ended unhappily.”
“I was resolving a case that had never even been discussed, whose terrible symbolic power would cast into the shadows any concern with particulars.”
DISCUSSION POINTS WHEN STUDYING THE READER
The Role of Literacy: How does Hanna’s illiteracy influence her life and choices? What is the significance of reading in the relationship between Hanna and Michael?
Guilt and Responsibility: How does the theme of guilt manifest in the book? How does Michael grapple with his feelings of guilt and complicity? How is the guilt of the post-war generation portrayed in the novel?
Justice and Morality: Discuss the trial of Hanna and the other female guards. How is justice sought and achieved (or not achieved) in the novel? How does the book comment on the limitations of law in dealing with atrocities like the Holocaust?
The Relationship between Hanna and Michael: Discuss the power dynamics, age difference, and moral implications of Hanna and Michael’s relationship. How does their relationship evolve and affect their lives?
Shame and Secrecy: How does Hanna’s shame over her illiteracy drive her actions? How does secrecy affect the characters and the course of events in the novel?
The Role of Memory: How does the novel explore the theme of memory, particularly in relation to traumatic historical events like the Holocaust? How do the characters deal with their own memories, and how do these memories shape their identities?
Interpretation of the Holocaust: How does the book approach the subject of the Holocaust and the role of ordinary Germans in it? How does it address the issue of collective guilt and responsibility?
The Function of Narration: The story is told from Michael’s perspective. How does this affect our understanding of the events and characters in the book? Are there limitations to this perspective?
The Theme of Redemption: Does the novel suggest that redemption is possible for Hanna? How do the characters seek forgiveness and redemption, and to what extent are they successful?
The Symbolism of the Bath: Bathing has a recurring presence in the novel, from the baths Michael and Hanna share to the showers in the concentration camps. Discuss its symbolism and importance in the story.
SUMMARY OF THE READER
Part One of “The Reader” introduces us to the two main characters, Michael Berg and Hanna Schmitz, and the beginning of their relationship. The story starts when 15-year-old Michael becomes ill while walking home from school. He is found by Hanna, a 36-year-old tram conductor, who helps him get home.
After recovering from his illness, which turns out to be hepatitis, Michael visits Hanna to thank her. This visit leads to the start of their intimate relationship. Hanna often asks Michael to read to her from the texts he is studying for school before they make love. This becomes a ritual for them, establishing a pattern of bathing, reading, and lovemaking that defines their relationship throughout the summer.
The relationship is not devoid of issues, however. Hanna is often unpredictable and has a fiery temper, leading to occasional outbursts over seemingly small disagreements. Michael is left confused and hurt when Hanna abruptly disappears one day without any explanation, leaving him with feelings of guilt and abandonment.
Meanwhile, Michael finishes school and prepares to go to the university. He struggles to forget Hanna but finds himself continually haunted by their memories. The narrative of Part One is essentially a recollection of this relationship from the perspective of an older Michael, examining his youthful naivety and the lasting impact of his relationship with Hanna.
Part Two of “The Reader” is a significant shift from Part One, focusing on Michael as a law student attending a trial involving several former Auschwitz employees. The trial is a part of his seminar on law and morality.
To his shock, one of the defendants is Hanna. She and several other women are accused of letting 300 Jewish prisoners die in a church fire during a death march at the end of the war. The women were supposed to keep the prisoners in the church overnight, but when the church caught fire, they failed to unlock the doors, causing the prisoners to burn to death.
Throughout the trial, Michael wrestles with his feelings for Hanna. He realizes Hanna is illiterate when she accepts full responsibility for a report written about the fire, which she couldn’t have written. He is torn about whether to reveal this secret to the court, which could potentially reduce her sentence.
The question of individual responsibility in the face of monstrous crimes is central to this section of the novel. The law students debate it in their classes, and Michael grapples with it in a personal sense as he considers Hanna’s fate and his knowledge of her illiteracy.
Despite the evidence that the other women defendants shifted blame onto Hanna, she is sentenced to life in prison while the others receive shorter sentences. The trial also forces Michael to reflect on his own guilt and complicity, as he chose to remain silent about Hanna’s illiteracy, thus indirectly influencing the outcome of the trial.
In Part Three of “The Reader”, we follow Michael Berg as a legal historian, divorced and living a largely solitary life. Michael’s life is characterized by a kind of emotional detachment, which seems to stem from his complicated history with Hanna.
Haunted by their past and trying to deal with his feelings of guilt and confusion, Michael begins to read books onto cassette tapes, which he sends to Hanna in prison without any personal messages or letters. Hanna, in turn, uses these tapes to teach herself to read and write. Michael never receives a reply from Hanna, but he hears from the prison warden that Hanna has been making progress with her literacy.
Years pass, and one day Michael receives a call from the prison informing him that Hanna will soon be released. The warden explains that Hanna has nobody on the outside to help her adjust to life after prison and asks Michael to find her a place to stay and work. He agrees to find her an apartment and a job, but he makes it clear that he does not want a personal relationship with Hanna after her release.
However, on the day before her scheduled release, Hanna commits suicide. Michael is tasked with dealing with her small amount of personal effects. He discovers that she has been reading books about the Holocaust, including survivor testimonies, which indicate her attempt to come to terms with her past.
Hanna leaves Michael a tea tin with cash inside, asking him to give it to the Jewish woman who survived the church fire and later wrote a book about her experiences. He finds the woman, now living in New York, and offers her the tea tin. She refuses to take the money but suggests that he donate it to a Jewish charity for illiteracy.
Finally, Michael visits Hanna’s grave accompanied by the prison warden. The novel ends on a note of melancholy, with Michael continuing to grapple with his past, his relationship with Hanna, and the broader questions of guilt, responsibility, and the possibility of redemption.