The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Night

I deemed last weekend Holocaust book weekend. The fact of the matter is that I have been putting both of these books off for quite some time because I knew how perfectly miserable and completely traumatized they'd leave me. Never-the-less, I girded up my loins on Friday night, looked in the mirror and convinced myself I could be a wuss no longer; then I trudged to the bedroom for several hours of tears and pain. Both books, despite Night holding a place a Oprah's DREADED book list which I try to avoid at ALL COSTS, were must-reads. By that I mean their stories are so archetypal that they deserve not only to be read, but should be forced into the broken hearts of humans everywhere. I haven't been able to touch a movie or book concerning the Holocaust since I watched A Beautiful Life and felt like I had died a thousand soulful deaths, so this was a brave but much obliged journey for me.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
I generally don't prefer historical fiction, much rather I would like to read non-fiction or biographies concerning important historical events, but Pajamas is an exception. This is a quick and captivating read that is a step removed from the pain of Auschwitz as it is narrated through the eyes of a German boy whose father is the commander of the camp. The author's main objective is to juxtapose innocence with evil and, though predictable and all-too calculated in terms of diction and syntax, John Boyne presents a striking novel.

Night

Night is on entirely different playing field and it would be ludicrous and pretentious to even attempt to offer a critique of it. Night is the true account of author Elie Wiesel's experience as a boy in Auschwitz. He describes his account from a voice of truth and authenticity that hurts my heart more than I can bare. I cried and cried, which I expected to do, and spent the entire story wishing I could have done something for someone. His bravery in being one of the first to tell this tale warrants full merrit of the Nobel Peace Prize he won.

On a personal note:
In the book There is No Death, Sarah Menet describes her spiritual near death experience. She explains our affinity to certain time periods or historical events as simple echos of our true experiences being there as spirit children of God before we came to Earth. Simply put, she says that our intense interests in certain times past could be explained by the fact that as angels we really were there, protecting and watching over our friends who were living it. Something compels me to believe her and the only real solace I find in the wretched truth of the holocaust is that perhaps I was one of the angels there, spiritually doing everything in my power to uplift and buoy those poor victims who had to live it in the flesh. Perhaps that explains why so many of us take this event so personally. There would have needed to be millions of angels there to witness and carry the hopes and dreams of the victims and martyrs to heaven.