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The Reader
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
218 posts | 335 read | 3 reading | 98 to read
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 loverthen 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.From the Trade Paperback edition.
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review
Rachael_reads
Vorleser: Roman = The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Mehso-so

This might be an unpopular opinion but I wished there was less court stuff and more relationship content. I got a little bored.

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Soubhiville
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

This was even darker than I anticipated. It‘s been on my shelf for ages.

It‘s about a 15 year old boy who falls in love with an older (30s?) woman. They have an affair that lasts about a year, then she disappears.

The next time he sees her he is in law school, and attends a trial for SS officers (this takes place in Germany) and she is one of the women on trial.

It‘s strangely both emotional and detached, I think because he doesn‘t have ⬇️

Soubhiville Clear ideas of his own feelings for her and the things she is accused of doing during the war. 3mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3mo
Suet624 Did you see the movie? 3mo
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Soubhiville @Suet624 I haven‘t seen it yet. I was thinking of seeing if it‘s available to stream on one of the platforms I have. Is it good? 3mo
Suet624 Both if the actors are 🔥🔥 but I honestly don‘t remember if I liked it. 3mo
ShelleyBooksie Adorable reading buddy ❤️😍💖 3mo
bthegood loved this book and movie - 💕 3mo
72 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Bookworm54
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

Michael visits Hanna after she helped him get home when he was ill, and so begins an affair. While the age difference is an issue, I don‘t think any part of the relationship is super healthy. Then one day Hanna leaves. Years later Michael meets her in court, she is on trial for crimes during the holocaust.

It was a thought provoking read.

#FoodAndLit #Germany

Catsandbooks Interesting 🇩🇪 2y
LitStephanie That does sound really interesting! 2y
Reggie I really liked this book. I read it in my late teens. It is also the first time I really wanted to punch the author because of the last 2 pages. 2y
47 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Daisey
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

I wasn‘t quite sure what to expect based on what I had read about this book, and it definitely took some time to get into. However, over time it developed into a story that pulled me in and made me think. I ended up really enjoying it.

#1001books #audiobook #Translated #FoodAndLit2022 #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #Germany

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erzascarletbookgasm
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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#AlphabetGame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

My choice for #letterR is sad, moving, and thought provoking.

BarbaraBB Wonderful choice 🤍 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing 📚 2y
37 likes2 comments
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Hilary427
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

Quick, interesting look at what started out as a pedophilic affair which then delved into German guilt regarding the Holocaust.
⭐️: 3.5/5

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Teichii
Der Vorleser | Bernhard Schlink
Pickpick

Zwar nicht das, was ich sonst lese, aber trotzdem extrem interessant. Man bekommt einen Einblick in Gedanken und die psyche eines Menschen, dessen Leben sich durch früh erlebte - gesellschaftlich gesehen etwas fragwürdige - Ereignisse zwar nach außen hin nicht vom Rest der Welt unterscheidet, sich jedoch nach innen nach viel selbstreflektion dem Leser als relativ weit von der breiten Normalität entfernt erweist.

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triplem80
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

My January #doublespin! I've had this book on my shelf forever, and even though I've seen the movie, I was surprised how much I liked this book. I'll admit that I find the relationship between Michael and Hanna "icky"...yet I couldn't put this book down.

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smjohns
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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What a great book! It has been a while since I have picked up a book and not put it down until I was finished.

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WanderingBookaneer
Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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I went to the library to pick up ONE hold. I left with enough books that the librarians offered me a cute bag. How many books did I borrow?

ravenlee 20? 3y
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SaunteringVaguelyDownwards Wow, lucky guess! 3y
Libby1 ❤️Manatees❤️ 3y
hissingpotatoes ❤❤❤ 3y
54 likes6 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Librariana Very important announcement indeed! 3y
LibrarianRyan I have been seeing this all over. I am getting my list ready.

BTW - You match asked me a question, I could not remember. What grade are you teaching now? Are you still teaching?
3y
WanderingBookaneer @LibrarianRyan : Still teaching. I am teaching 9th and 10th grade this year. 3y
56 likes4 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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JacqMac Don‘t panic?!? I might be panicking…. 3y
Patchshank Time to riot. That's not the same as panicking right? (Joking of course.) 3y
kspenmoll How not to panic!!! 3y
40 likes3 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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I can never decide what I want to read in the hammock so I always pack a bag. 😬

Hazel2019 That‘s a really cool bag! 😊 3y
Deblovestoread I love this! The bag and the idea. 👍🏼 3y
70 likes2 comments
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Carlie_jc
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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I read these 5 books during my quarantine this past week. An interesting assortment, but I loved them all! The reader was oddly engaging and the movie was good too. The others were all romances and they were great. FBAA is a new obsession of mine now!! 😄

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MariaW
Vorleser: Roman = The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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School‘s almost over - time to read again. I am so looking forward to the summer. Teo years of Corona in school - now I am able to survive everything! 💪💪💪

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Elizabeth2
Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

I saw the movie years ago, without knowing that it was a book. From what I remember of the movie, it is a very good adaptation of the novel. This novel is complicated. It brings the perspective of the children of those who served in Hitler‘s regime. It looks at morality vs duty, and the guilt we carry for the decisions we make. It is much more than its surface, but the ending felt rushed. I wanted more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is my #bookspin for June!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
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Elizabeth2
Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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My #sundaymorning plans. #Broodx is way to loud to enjoy my favorite reading spot outside, plus I‘d end up a landing spot and my coffee would be in constant peril. 😉 They are really active - flying everywhere. I think we might be at the peak for these 17 year cicadas. ❤️📚☕️

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kellyannprz
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Mehso-so

Picture from yesterday✨ I AM SO CONFLICTED WITH THIS ONE! One one hand, I found myself unable to put it down. On the other hand, I just don‘t know how to feel about it! If anyone has read it, opinions are always more than welcomed😅

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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Being back to Switzerland means being back to reading my favourite newspaper. #diezeit

julesG That reminds me... I have the epaper edition! 🤦🏻‍♀️ I keep forgetting. 4y
CoffeeAndABook So viele Stunden Lesegenuss ?? ... und genau das richtige Wetterchen dafür ? 4y
MariaW @julesG Genau deswegen kaufe ich immer noch die Papiervariante. 4y
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julesG @MariaW Gab's für "umme" im Anschluss an eine online Konferenz letzten September. Früher hab ich die Zeit in der Bibliothek gelesen. Zeitung und online finde ich ne schwierige Kombination, aber ich bin zu geizig für die print Ausgabe. ? 4y
MariaW @julesG Da ich ja nur ab und zu „da“ bin, geht das mit der Print-Ausgabe. Und so lese ich jeden einzelnen Artikel. Ich kenn mich, online würde ich das nicht machen. ? Aber cool, dass du sie kostenlos bekommen hast. (edited) 4y
julesG Ich denke alle paar Wochen mal dran, dass ich das Abo habe. Dann lade ich die Ausgabe runter und lese sie doch nicht. Ich vermisse meine Stunde in der Bib während die Kinder sich Bücher aussuchen. 😩 4y
MariaW @julesG Nicht mehr lange und dann geht das wieder. 4y
41 likes8 comments
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GatheringBooks
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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#JumpIntoJanuary Day 31: Here is my #JanuaryStats - not too shabby! 💕🧚🏻‍♀️📚📚📚🤓

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WanderingBookaneer
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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We haven‘t been to the library in almost a year, but this is a fairly accurate description of me back in the day.

Velvetfur 😂 I miss my physical library, online version isn't the same... 4y
rabbitprincess This was me when the library reopened in July after a 3-month shutdown 😂😂 We‘re under a stay-at-home order at the moment and the library is doing curbside pickup, but I switched to ebooks to avoid standing in line in minus 25 Celsius temps in January 🥶 4y
WanderingBookaneer @rabbitprincess: Waiting in line at that temperature is quite the commitment! 4y
WanderingBookaneer @velvetfur: I miss the librarians. 4y
jewright Our library only does curbside right now, and you can only put 10 books on hold at a time. I have to get books for my kids too, and we usually checked out 20 books every week for them. They miss going to the library too. I understand, but it makes us sad. 4y
77 likes5 comments
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thereflectiveflaneur
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

I re-read this novel in a day. I read it years ago and have seen the film. To me, it is a complicated novel. It is interesting when you re-visit a novel how your perceptions of it change .

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MrBook
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Our monthly meeting of #ThePoconoBookClub happened this afternoon, and it was wonderful 😁! It‘s the only one of my book clubs that currently meets in-person. For today, we all read a different book—whichever one we won at the Holiday Book Grab Bag during December‘s meeting. Mine was the tagged book, which I enjoyed. Accompaniment for me was: cheesesteak, sweet potato waffle fries, and Left Hand Galactic Cowboy Nitro stout beer 🍺. 😋

rather_be_reading yum! 🤩 4y
emilyhaldi How nice to have a group that meets in-person 🥰 4y
mommyincolortv That cheesesteak looks pretty good! 4y
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TheSpineView Looks so good! I have not had cheesesteak in several years! 🤩 4y
ShelleyBooksie Meal looks delish! 4y
Crazeedi Omg you are making me soooo hungry! So glad to hear you met for a book group. That's so needed 4y
121 likes7 comments
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MrBook
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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#BookNDinner! Forgot to post from this evening! Supporting a local business 🙂! Accompaniment this cold and dreary evening was: shrimp, lobster tail, salmon, mashed potato, cheddar biscuits, unsweetened iced tea, and a salad that was already a delicious memory. MMmmmm 😋! Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Kimberlone Cheddar biscuits 😍 4y
MargaretPinardAuthor That is some feast!! 😚 4y
TheSpineView That looks so good! I have not had seafood in a long time.😍 4y
Caroline2 Yum 😋 4y
VanderAnna Looks so good! 4y
89 likes5 comments
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MrBook
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this cold and wet evening is: rotisserie chicken, cheddar mac ‘n‘ cheese, steamed green beans, and a sparkling energy drink (it doesn‘t really give me energy, lol, it‘s tasty way to get some ginseng and other good stuff in me 😁). MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻👌🏻

ValerieAndBooks Looks great!! 4y
TheSpineView Yum! 4y
magyklyXdelish Yum!!! Also I‘ve never heard of that brand of drink! I‘ll have to check it out. 4y
See All 6 Comments
wordslinger42 That mac 'n' cheese looks incredible 😍 4y
MrBook @ValerieAndBooks Thank you ☺️! @TheSpineView 😋 @magyklyXdelish It‘s different! I like it far more than soda, and it‘s more flavorful than sparkling water 🙂. @wordslinger42 It came out well, whew 😊! You changed your pic 😁! 4y
wordslinger42 @MrBook You can't go wrong with mac 'n' cheese! Haha I did! Something more wintry seemed appropriate 😊 4y
99 likes1 stack add6 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Not too shabby.

Aims42 Nice job! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
Gissy Wow!!!451boojs!!!😱📚📚📚📚📚👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏Congratulations!💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚 4y
Traci1 Wow! 😮 4y
Bookzombie Awesome!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
bookaholic1 Congratulations!! 4y
62 likes5 comments
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GatheringBooks
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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#InspiredNewYear Day 2: (posting a day in advance so that I give myself a day off tomorrow) - methinks this is an #Admirable Jolabokaflod stack, right?

TheKidUpstairs Some great looking titles there! 4y
kspenmoll Impressive!! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Adorable 🥰 4y
62 likes3 comments
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GatheringBooks
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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#DecemberSong Day 31: What #HomeForTheHolidays look like to me. Taken years ago in Singapore with my youngling-reader.

Eggs Precious ❤️📚❤️ 4y
BarbaraBB Gorgeous pic 😍 4y
54 likes2 comments
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Susanita
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Thanks for the tag! @rockpools

I had to cheat for V and use my mother‘s college yearbook!

You also get to see the scratches Kili made on the headboard.

Who wants to join the fun? (Spell November in book titles.)

#sweetnovember

rockpools I think we need a healthy amount of cheating - no, creative thinking - in this one! Having your mum‘s yearbook in there is v cool. 4y
Kloves2read Eye spy Sue Grafton 😍 4y
Susanita @Kloves2read I could have used her books for nearly all of the letters. 😏 4y
43 likes3 comments
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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After all that literary tourism back to reading newspaper by the rive Aare. 🤗🤗🤗

Gissy 😍❤️❤️❤️ 4y
55 likes1 comment
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GatheringBooks
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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#FlyHighJuly Day 31: My #JulyStats - read a fair bit of picturebook biographies for our research project, and it shows!

BiblioLitten Beautiful picture 😍 4y
Cathythoughts 👍🏻❤️ 4y
48 likes2 comments
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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More than a newspaper and its articles or some poems are not possible right now. I hope I will be able to read more soon again. 🤔

Heideschrampf Don‘t feel pressured to read, it‘s perfectly normal to not be able to sometimes. Maybe an audiobook helps getting over it? 4y
Bookwomble Poetry is excellent in so many ways when longer works demand too much cognitive space. Be kind to yourself 🤗❤ 4y
JazzFeathers I'm jealous of you basil! 4y
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MariaW @Heideschrampf Thanks, I tried audiobooks as well while walking but found myself gazing at my sorroundings and not listening to the audiobook anymore. 🙈 4y
MariaW @jazzfeathers I have to admit I only bought it, didn‘t grow it myself. 🙈 4y
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Reading my favourite newspaper by the river today. 🤗

Mitch Lovely spot 4y
HannaPolkadots Looks great!❤ 4y
48 likes3 comments
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Reading by the lake - on a ship with a nice view. 🤗

la_rose_noire What a great view! Enjoy ! 🌊 4y
46 likes1 comment
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Holidays on the balcony - there‘s sun at least. 🌞

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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Today the weather is not that nice, only newspaper then. 😏

Sace But the Garten ist gemütlich (is that the word I want?) 4y
MariaW @Sace 😂 Yes, you are right. 🤗 4y
40 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BekaReid
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

This was a short, absorbing book full of nuances and layers, and it is going to take awhile for my mind to unpack what I just read.

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Stavkal74
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink

Is this what sadness is all about? Is it what comes over us when beautiful memories shatter in hindsight because the remembered happiness fed not just on actual circumstances but on a promise that was not kept?

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Stavkal74
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink

Sometimes the memory of happiness cannot stay true because it ended unhappily. Because happiness is only real if it lasts forever? Because things always end painfully if they contained pain, conscious or unconscious, all along? But what is unconscious, unrecognized pain?

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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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The moment you realize one of your former school mates writes for your favourite newspaper. 😱😱😱
My only excuse: I ended school in 2003 and had to loose track of some of them.

Catherine_Willoughby A classmate of mine was in the 2012 Olympics along with her husband 5y
42 likes2 comments
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Missing this so much - having coffee at my favourite café. Doing this on my balcony with my coffee is not the same. ?

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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Since I do live abroad, I always have to stay at friends‘ places. I‘ve been staying at a lot of places so far. And the nice thing is, even with friends who don‘t read a lot or live in rather challeging circumstances, I would still find a tiny book shelf with some books, even in the remotest places. 😊 #friendship

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mywildbazar
A voce alta. The reader | Bernhard Schlink
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"Gli strati della nostra vita sono così sedimentati l'uno sull'altro, che nel dopo incontriamo sempre il prima, non come qualcosa di eliminato, di liquidato, ma come un che di presente e vivo. "

Splendido!!

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erzascarletbookgasm
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

Not sure how to review the book. The story of a 15-yr-old boy‘s sexual awakening, his infatuation with the woman twice his age, & in later years, tormenting himself with memories of their complex relationship weighted by moral dilemma. Set in post-war #Germany , it also tells how the young generation deal with guilt & shame of their country‘s past. Perhaps the story is not about the horrors of Holocaust, or ⬇️

#ReadingEurope2020

erzascarletbookgasm (continues).. to give reasons for the atrocities, instead it‘s of a man‘s coming to terms with his past. Sad, moving, & thought provoking. 5y
Catherine_Willoughby I remember the movie cause an issue at home with my ex. She was not perfect. She knew her actions (directly or not ) caused much suffering and death. She was a product of war (we forget the ordinarily citizens who were forced into a war by their government). She never really forgave herself for what she did even if she was not the leader for what happened on that faithful night. 5y
batsy I read this quite a long time ago but I remember finding it really moving ❤️ 5y
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Librarybelle I think you hit everything perfectly with your review. A hard book to review, but also moving and thought provoking. 5y
erzascarletbookgasm @Catherine_Willoughby I have not watched the movie but immediately watched the trailer after reading the book. It was powerful, and the question she asked the judge at the trial..‘what would you do?‘ very thought provoking. 5y
Catherine_Willoughby @erzascarletbookgasm Ex complained about the nude bath scene - couldn't see beyond that scene 🤦‍♀️ to the real story . I cried at the end of the movie. 5y
73 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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yengmayeeng
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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SW-T Welcome to Litsy! #litsywelcomewagon 5y
RaimeyGallant Welcome! 5y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🥳🌹🥳 5y
4 likes3 comments
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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And this is how most of my mornings look like now - before I walk the ten steps over to my office and start to teach the kids online. 🤗

julesG I admire any teacher trying to keep up a bit of normal routine these days. Both my kids were dumped with material and left alone with it. My daughter coped well, my son resigned and didn't do much. And I feel frazzled because I had to drag both kids to their desks each day. 5y
Catherine_Willoughby Its sat 😊 Easter holidays officially start today so kids have a break from remote learning 5y
starlight97 Looks lovely! 😍 5y
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MariaW @julesG We are teaching according to our regular schedule online. Studebts get tasks and/or material and instructions and can contact the teacher via chat. Works well so far. 5y
MariaW @Catherine_Willoughby Where I teach, not yet. 5y
35 likes6 comments
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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This is what my Friday morning used to look like 🙈

Sleepswithbooks Hopefully it will look this way again sooner rather than later if people comply with stay-at-home rules. We should all have a sit-outside-our-home/apartment/villa/hut mornings and have coffee “together.“ xoxo 5y
MariaW @Stacypatrice Yes, we can still do so - together, but everyone on her/his own. 😊 (edited) 5y
31 likes2 comments
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BookNightOwl
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Pickpick

Does this have a taboo relationship yes. But if you could see passed that and for what this really is about I loved it. Fast interesting read. When 15 years old Michael begins a relationship with an older women he falls fast in love. Then one day she disappears from his life only to find out she is on trail for being involved in hideous crimes during WWII.

Curiouser_and_curiouser Interesting..... on my TBR! 5y
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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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All of us - right now... 😈

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MariaW
The Reader | Bernhard Schlink
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Me finishing my Litsy reading list. 🙈