The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (#25, Fiction)

The subtly of this book is what makes it great.  It contains such difficult topics: statutory rape, the holocaust, life in prison and death, yet it was a simple and quick read.  It sounds wrong to say that about such a deep book, but it read so easily.

I had no idea about the plot of the novel other than what is says on the back.  I had no idea I was picking up another book about the holocaust.

Somehow in this book you don't get the ick feeling with the relationship between the 15 year old and 36 year old.... maybe because it's a young boy rather than young girl?  But as the novel concludes and you've seen how his life has been extremely affected and molded by his love affair with an older woman you reassess your feelings about what you didn't judge as harshly at the beginning.

4 out of 5.