read 52 books in 2009

The Reader – Bernhard Schlink

I liked the story, but not the writing (of course, something was probably lost in the translation). I liked how the story makes you contemplate difficult questions. How it offered a different perspective of the Holocaust. But I found it hard to accept the ambiguous way the Holocaust is presented. It never answered central questions it posed, and it even refused to address others. Was Hannah cruel, or merely a victim of her secret shame of being illiterate? Was she just following orders, or did she really hate the people she killed? Was she responsible for any of the killings? Did she understand that killing innocent people is wrong? Or did the thought never occur to her?

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

I absolutely loved it! Didn’t think it would be as “can’t-put-down-able” as it was. I just got lost in the language and the social commentary.

Just finished reading 52 books in 2008. I barely made it, but I did. I am going to try again this year and hopefully pace myself better. As well as reading 52 books I am also going to include a minimum of:
– 12 classics, and
– 12 non-fictions