The Reader: Summary and book reviews of The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, plus links to an excerpt from The Reader and a biography of Bernhard Schlink.

Hailed for its coiled eroticism and the moral claims it makes upon the reader, this mesmerizing novel is a story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, unfolding against the haunted landscape of postwar Germany. When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover--then she inexplicably disappears. When Michael next sees her, he is a young law student, and she is on trial for a hideous crime. As he watches her refuse to defend her innocence, Michael gradually realizes that Hanna may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder.

Media Reviews

The New York Times Arresting, philosophically elegant, morally complex. . . . Mr. Schlink tells his story with marvelous directness and simplicity.   Los Angeles Times A formally beautiful, disturbing and finally morally devastating novel.   The New York Times Book Review Moving, suggestive and ultimately hopeful. . . . [The Reader] leaps national boundaries and speaks straight to the heart.   Elle - Francine Prose, Haunting. . . . What Schlink does best, what makes this novel most memorable, are the small moments of highly charged eroticism.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by CC
THE READER REVIEW
it was an interesting read, totally unexpected that a 15 year old boy and 38 year old woman would get in to a relationship and have daily sexual practices like their baths, and their nightly sleeps together. The way that a 15 year old boy cared for...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Claudia
The hidden symbolism in The Reader
Marvelous book! Interesting that no review picked up on the incredible symbolism that the author wove into the story. If Hanna was first generation Germany, and Michael represented the second generation, post-war children, it fits very well....   Read More

Rated of 5 by lynn
Fire Survivors
I just wanted to answer the question posed by a previous reviewer who asked how the two women survived when there was no visible escape route from the inferno in the church. They climbed up into the gallery where they hid until the fire was...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Dakota Shelton
This book is great
This book is great!! I am a sophomore on high school and my teacher recommenced it to me. And I am glad that she did, because it is the best book I have ever read. The boy Micheal is the greatest kid lots of manners and all. And Hanna is a nice...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Chuck
One question that loses me
Thought it was excellent. Kept my attention but still needs a question to be answered. Woman who talked to the Judges told of the church. Beams on fire and doors locked. All died except her. How did she escape? Was she really in church or outside...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Arianna
The Reader
This is one of the best books I have ever read. My friend told me to read it. At first I was getting confused, but then I fell in love with it!!

...24 More Reader Reviews

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Books with similar themes

• Novels
  
• Europe 
  
• Germany 
  
• 1940s & '50s 
  
• Adult Books From A Child's Perspective 
  
• Foreign Language/Translation 
  
• In Time of War & The Effects of War