Anyone picking up Bernhard Schlink’s novel, as I did, planning on being titillated by the older woman-younger man romance will be blind-sided by the moral complexities of the book. What was I expecting, Nora Roberts does post-war Germany?
The story centers on Hanna, a woman in her thirties, who helps teenage Michael after he becomes sick on his way home from school. After a long illness, he returns to thank her, leading to their becoming lovers. The relationship continues for months, until she suddenly disappears. Many years later he is training as a lawyer and enters the courtroom to find her on trial for activities in WW2. His dilemma, reactions and memories lead the reader into pondering the meaning of good and evil, personal responsibility, fate and love. All those Big Questions of Life. There are many layers and symbols woven through the book, which one continues to unravel long after one has finished. Reading the book more than once reveals even more.
Some readers, such as the majority of my local discussion group, will not be able to get past the age difference of the unconventional relationship. For me, it was what I perceived as Michael’s cowardice that made me angry. He makes Hamlet look decisive. This is a book which provokes a strong response in the reader.
A film based upon it is to be out in late 2008, with Kate Winslet as Hanna and the handsome Ralph Fiennes as the adult Michael. It will be interesting to see how they interpret this complicated story filled with secrets and emotions.
Interesting, Jackie. I read the first half of this a while ago, but abandoned it – not because of the age difference, but because the whole thing felt a bit lifeless and ridiculous to me… the sudden start of the romance being the ridiculous bit, and the clinical sexiness of it all being the boring one. But your review makes it sound like the latter half of the novel is the really interesting part, and I think I’ll pick it up again.
As I read, however, I wrote down one quote near the beginning that I quite liked:
“Something – whatever that may be – goes into action; ‘it’ goes to the woman I don’t want to see anymore, ‘it’ makes the remark to the boss that costs me my head, ‘it’ keeps on smoking although I have decided to give up, and then gives up smoking just when I’ve accepted the fact that I’m a smoker and always will be. I don’t mean to say that thinking and reaching decisions have no influence on behaviour. But behaviour does not merely enact whatever has already been thought and decided. It has its own sources, and is my behaviour, quite independently, just as my thoughts are my thoughts, and my decisions my decisions.”
Seems to me that this particular idea lies at the very heart of the novel.
(The mind boggles at the thought of Ralph Fiennes playing someone 20 years younger than Kate Winslet. Relieved to hear he’s not playing a fifteen-year-old, though
)
“Anyone picking up Bernhard Schlink’s novel, as I did, planning on being titillated by the older woman-younger man romance will be blind-sided by the moral complexities of the book. What was I expecting, Nora Roberts does post-war Germany?”
You made me laugh out loud a couple of times in this one, Jackie.
I, too, was wondering how they’ll handle the age-gap in the film – Keira Knightley as Hanna and Sean Connery as the young Michael perhaps?
Interesting. Rather like “Notes on a Scandal”, I wonder if readers would be less bothered by the age difference if it was the other way around (young woman, older man)?
The plot seems interesting, and I like the sound of the layers and symbolism too. I shall look out for both book and film. How many times have you read this one, Jackie? I hardly ever reread books anymore (apart from LOTR, which I reread every year or so) as VL keeps me occupied with new books. I’d have to really love a book to reread it these days.
“… it was what I perceived as Michael’s cowardice that made me angry. He makes Hamlet look decisive. ”
This line in your review intrigued me, Jackie so I looked up other reviews of it. It seems to be one of those books that people either love or hate.
It’s a fascinating subject, how the second generation Germans feel about WW2. I remember trying to find our way to the concentration camp in Dachau (it’s now a WW2 museum) which is very discreetly signposted and, although we asked lots of people in the town of Dachau the way (in German) nobody seemed to know where it was. It’s a difficult thing.
I’ve only read this one twice, Lisa. Once last summer, before I knew about the film and then again recently for my local book group. I was surprised at how much more I found in it the second time.
Leena, you raise a good point about how they are going to age Kate Winslet in the film. I’m really curious to see what they do with the whole thing. Hope they don’t mess it up.
I’ve probably read “Oscar and Lucinda” more than 100 times. I love that book.
Oh Jackie … I do love your reviews so much. You have a killer hand with the one-liners …
Can’t say I’m terrible tempted to read the book, though.
I finally finished this one (largely thanks to your review, Jackie) and I’m glad I did; the latter parts of the book were indeed much better than the beginning. The ending from the scene in Hanna’s cell onwards was especially powerful, I thought.
No idea how it would work as a film, though…
I also finished reading The Woman Who Waited by Andreï Makine, and found a strange similarity between the books, despite the obvious differences. Perhaps the woman-as-conundrum/symbol thing?
I really enjoyed this book and read it a second time. I was intrigued by the way Michael’s view of Hanna changed from his schoolboy love to almost hatred, but when he found an excuse for her actions (illiteracy) he seemed to be able to look for love again, although he could never quite bring himself to face her.