Remembering the Holocaust
One of the great things about books is how they help us remember our history. Lots and lots of books have been written about one event in history we sometimes would rather forget, the Holocaust.
Thursday was Holocaust Remembrance Day. In honor of that, here are some powerful books I have read about the Holocaust. Feel free to add to the list:
"The Diary of Anne Frank." Of course. I've been meaning to reread this book because I tend to forget what a wonderful writer she was. If you're really interested in Anne Frank, you might like to read "Anne Frank Remembered," a memoir by Miep Gies, one of the people who helped hide the Franks. It gives the story a whole new perspective.
"Maus: A Survivor's Tale," Art Spiegelman. I think I mentioned this one in my blog about comics. It's an autobiography/graphic novel (I use that term here because it actually is a novel, unlike those collections of individual comic books) about the author's troubled relationship with his father, a Holocaust survivor. Except in the book, the Jews are mice, the Nazis are cats and the bystanders are pigs. Great work.
"The Devil's Arithmetic," Jane Yolen. This is a young adult novel that was turned into a movie starring Kirsten Dunst. It's about a Jewish teen who doesn't think about her heritage, until one day she's magically sent back to the reality of the Holocaust.
"Stones from the River," Ursula Hegi. This book isn't about the Holocaust per se, but the Holocaust is a major plot point. The book is about people who are different, whether they be Jews, homosexuals or a dwarf living in a German village.
"Night," Elie Wiesel. You could probably polish off this novel in an afternoon. I've been meaning to read the sequels, "Dawn" and "Day."
May 9, 2008 at 11:40 a.m.
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We actually had to explain to some youth in our church, what the Holocaust was. Our history books and political correctness of the society have swept this nastly little event under the rug. No wonder the bleeding hearts of our city want to elect Obama, have we forgotten why we are at war. Terrorism attacks, thousands of people massacured under Sadam's rule, and our national security theratened are the reasons we must fight to keep the history and evil from being repeated. Hitler was often refered to as crazy or insane, but before the world learned of his terrorism they stated in numerous countries that he was a carasmatic and diplomatic leader or the people. He was no different than Joesph Stalin, Sadam or North Korea.
Allowing evil to florish because it is politically correct is the first step twoards the end. Don't be fooled there are dangers out there that want to end our freedoms
May 6, 2008 at 8:42 a.m.
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Thanks gazettefan.
May 5, 2008 at 4:41 p.m.
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It's a hoax. Have a look.
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:qSV...
May 5, 2008 at 4:40 p.m.
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ncpanfan, it's a myth, I'm pretty sure.
May 5, 2008 at 4:34 p.m.
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I received an e-mail stating that the UK recently removed the Holocaust from their history reports because it was offending Muslims who do not believe that it happened. Does anyone know if there is any truth to the story?
May 5, 2008 at 2:05 p.m.
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I read this book when I was a teenager, it changed my life:
I Cannot Forgive (AKA I Escaped from Auschwitz) Rudolf Vrba
May 5, 2008 at 11:21 a.m.
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Oh my gosh, you guys need to read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It's one of my favorite books. It's generally found in the young adult section of the library (not sure why). It's amazing. I highly recommend it.
May 5, 2008 at 10 a.m.
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"Survival In Auschwitz," by Primo Levi. Levi had a great literary career, I understand, but this is the only book of his that I've read.
May 3, 2008 at 9:12 p.m.
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How about the Pianist? I read it, and it was an amazing book!
I will read some more of these suggested books.
May 2, 2008 at 4:57 p.m.
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Stacy, Kyle,
Thanks for the suggestions. This is by far my favorite moment in history to study and read about.
"Night" is one of my favorites. In fact, I have a fairly new edition, which includes an updated foreword by the author.
"The Diary of Anne Frank" is one I, too, have been meaning to re-read.
May 2, 2008 at 7:43 a.m.
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This is an interesting topic to me. I read a lot about Holocaust memorials...it's a fascinating topic. Here's a few suggestions:
At Memory's Edge: After-Images of the Holocaust in Contemporary Art and Architecture - James E. Young
Preserving Memory: The Making of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Edward T. Linenthal (I got to study under him at UW-Oshkosh)
It's interesting to see how we chose to remember, or if we remember at all. With the Holocaust, many of the memorials focus on the presence of absence...trying to bring attention to the millions of people who are gone.
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