The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

I struggled for a long time over what rating I should give this book. I loved it, and I hated it. It is such a morally problematic book that drags you in and forces you to think about all of these things. The writing is beautiful, and it's a book that is easy to read. While I didn't love the characters, I was able to pity them, laugh with them, and hurt for them. Hanna was a character I didn't understand in the beginning. She was an awful partner to Michael; verbally and physically abusive, but because he was enjoying the sex, freedom, and maturity of their relationship, he was never going to leave her. She definitely took advantage of this poor young boy, which made me strongly dislike her. In the end, once readers get her whole story, I began to feel slight pity, but still dislike for her. Michael was just pitiful throughout the whole story, first with Hanna, and then again when he grew up and met Hanna again from a distance. Again, I didn't love the characters, and I didn't hate her, but I was still able to feel strong emotions for both of the characters, which is a strong point in Schlink's favor. It was a book that I wanted to put down because it made me uncomfortable, but by the end, I was so glad I kept reading it. It was uncomfortable, but that uncomfortable-ness forces you to think about what you would do in that situation, and where the line is between right and wrong. I wanted to judge the characters, but I found I couldn't because I wasn't (and still am not) sure what I would do in their shoes. I gave this book a four out of five star rating. I probably won't read it again, but I'm so happy I did read it because, like I previously mentioned, I was forced to think about so many different things that are very difficult to think about.