noori86's reviews
142 reviews

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a novel that tells the story of Lale, a Slovakian Jew during the WWII. During that time, Germany requested that each family should send one of their sons, eighteen or older, to a German camp or else the whole family would be taken. After hearing that, Lale decides that he is the one who should go since his older brother has a wife and kids. At the camp, he witnesses the horrific, heartless actions of the German soldiers. He gets lucky and secures a job as a Tattooist, his job is to tattoo identification numbers on the prisoners’ arms. That’s where he meets the love of his life, Gita. The novel continues describing how they survived, escaped death many times and how eventually they gained their freedom.
I had an odd experience with this novel, as I found myself trying so hard to feel some attachment to it. I think I held very high expectations when I started reading it because of all the hype that surrounds it. The novel moved me, as a human being able to feel compassion for others, but to be honest, something in the writing just constantly made me feel as an outsider; I couldn’t feel myself “inside” the novel. It was like watching a movie, always being aware that I’m reading the book, not experiencing it.
Having said that, I’m not denying the emotional effect it had on me (I’m a very emotional person and I know I will be depressed for a few days because of this novel). I did feel sorry for the horrific situations that Lale was forced into, I know from experience how life can be when innocent people are outnumbered by “people” who have lost their humanity and the ability to feel love and compassion for others. Lale’s story is no doubt one worth telling and be known. It did make me cry and it did leave me depressed after finishing it. It is always hard for me to imagine these events, and the idea of people practicing such inhumane treatment on defenseless, innocent people is inconceivable to me.