(Translated from [“Vorleser” ] German in 1997 by Carol Brown Janeway)

The author was born in Germany in 1944. Living in Bonn and Berlin, he is a professor of law at the University of Berlin and a practicing judge.

When fifteen-year-old student Michael Berg became extremely ill with vomiting in the street of his town in Germany, he was taken by Frau Hanna Schmitz into her home to relieve his suffering and clean him up. He returned to her home later, not only to thank her for her kindness, but because he found her sexually appealing despite her being twice his age. One particular pleasure that Frau Schmitz received from Michael was his willingness to read aloud to her. It was only later after he no longer came to visit her that he found out why this was so important to her.

Here is a novel that is both beautiful and terrible at the same time. There are so many ideas about looking back at the Holocaust from different perpectives. It is a heart-wrenching examination of connection versus numbness. Excellent writing. Stunning story. By the end of the novel, it is extremely hard to determine whether this story is fact or fiction. It leaves you pondering possible answers to all of the unanswered questions it poses.