The Reader

For SSR I decided to read a book called "The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink. It takes place in Germany. The main character is a fifteen year old boy named Michael. He was walking home from school once day, when he became sick in front of a woman's apartment. The woman's name is Hanna, and she is twice his age. She takes him into her home and takes care of him. And the story sets of from there.

Michael suddenly realizes that he is attracted to Hanna, despite their ages. And when he was covered in coal soot. Hanna makes him clean himself and she seduces him. And then you can say...they fell in love.

People would've thought of it awkward, that this fifteen year old boy was romantically involved with a thirty-something year old woman, but keeping it a secret made it possible. She would make him read to her and she made him go to school, though he cannot bear to be away from her.

Then one day, she suddenly disappeared. Why? Michael had no clue, but he had a feeling that it was somehow his fault. Because the thought of her was always in mind, he had trouble having relationships with girls.

It would be eight years til we see Michael again, in law school. And we find him studying war crime trials. The trial was about Jewish women dying in a burning church. A survivor wrote of it. The survivor was Hanna, who was charged with the crime. Michael easily recognized her and was experiencing mixed emotions.

Will he find out why she left without saying goodbye those years ago?