Night - Elie Wiesel (Translated by Marion Wiesel)
Yes, I have to admit that Oprah led me to this book. I was watching her show one day and she interview Elie Wiesel and awarded college scholarships to the winners of her essay competition. (The students were required to write an essay on how 'Night' effected them.
The book is a memoir of Wiesel's time as a Jew in Europe during the second world war. The book follows Wiesel's journey from concentration camp to concentration camp as the end of the war draws near. We learn how Wiesel is unable to be shocked the the atrocities and why he is unable to sleep at night. The book is not a cheerful one, but I emensly enjoyed reading it.
The edition I have has only recently be translated from Yiddish to English by Wiesel's wife Marion. Wiesel tells us in the preface that this translation is much closer to the original text, that that which was translated some 45 years ago.
If I were to enter Oprah's essay compeition, I would write of emptiness that is Elie Wiesel at the time of liberation. He does not provide details of the months between his father's death and his own liberation. Horrors which I can not comprehend become a part of every day life for Wiesel and slowly, camp by camp, Wiesel is reduced to an emotionless human.
I recommend the reading of 'Night' simply for the amazing story of survival. Wiesel himself puts his survival down to chance, but he has used his chance to form some meaning of life.
The book is a memoir of Wiesel's time as a Jew in Europe during the second world war. The book follows Wiesel's journey from concentration camp to concentration camp as the end of the war draws near. We learn how Wiesel is unable to be shocked the the atrocities and why he is unable to sleep at night. The book is not a cheerful one, but I emensly enjoyed reading it.
The edition I have has only recently be translated from Yiddish to English by Wiesel's wife Marion. Wiesel tells us in the preface that this translation is much closer to the original text, that that which was translated some 45 years ago.
If I were to enter Oprah's essay compeition, I would write of emptiness that is Elie Wiesel at the time of liberation. He does not provide details of the months between his father's death and his own liberation. Horrors which I can not comprehend become a part of every day life for Wiesel and slowly, camp by camp, Wiesel is reduced to an emotionless human.
I recommend the reading of 'Night' simply for the amazing story of survival. Wiesel himself puts his survival down to chance, but he has used his chance to form some meaning of life.
posted by Amy J at
11:25 PM
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