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Dem's Reviews > The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939–45
The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939–45
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The Pianist by Written immediately after the war by survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman. This book was suppressed for decades. The Pianist is a stunning testament to human endurance and tells the story of the horrendous events that took place in Nazi-occupied Warsaw and the Jewish ghetto.
This is quite a short book but it certainly packs a punch. You can almost feel the urgency of the writer to get his story down on paper and yet the story is told in such a way that you feel a confidence and a clarity that almost makes you feel connected . This is a story of one man's survival in a city devastated by war and how his will to survive keeps him alive.
This first-hand account of the Jewish pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, gave me a fantastic and important detailed insight regarding Warsaw, its people and the events leading up to the Warsaw Rising of 1944.
I have read quite a few books on the War and the holocaust but this book looks at events from a completely different perspective and I found it very refreshing.
“Every war casts up certain small groups among ethnic populations minorities too cowardly to fight openly, too insignificant to play an independent political part, but despicable enough to act as paid executioners to one of the fighting powers” (Quote from The Pianist).
This is not an easy subject to read and yet I never felt the author set out to shock the reader but just to tell his story the way it happened to him. The one thing I did miss or thought the book lacked was emotion and I am not sure why this is, perhaps it’s the urgency to tell the story as it happened, perhaps it’s the terrible effects all the atrocities had on the author or perhaps not being a writer he is not able to convey emotion in his writing. Would I? if having enjured what this man went through be able to convey emotion. I really don’t think so.
A captivating read that will certainly stay with me and I feel I learned a little more about this time in history.
This is quite a short book but it certainly packs a punch. You can almost feel the urgency of the writer to get his story down on paper and yet the story is told in such a way that you feel a confidence and a clarity that almost makes you feel connected . This is a story of one man's survival in a city devastated by war and how his will to survive keeps him alive.
This first-hand account of the Jewish pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, gave me a fantastic and important detailed insight regarding Warsaw, its people and the events leading up to the Warsaw Rising of 1944.
I have read quite a few books on the War and the holocaust but this book looks at events from a completely different perspective and I found it very refreshing.
“Every war casts up certain small groups among ethnic populations minorities too cowardly to fight openly, too insignificant to play an independent political part, but despicable enough to act as paid executioners to one of the fighting powers” (Quote from The Pianist).
This is not an easy subject to read and yet I never felt the author set out to shock the reader but just to tell his story the way it happened to him. The one thing I did miss or thought the book lacked was emotion and I am not sure why this is, perhaps it’s the urgency to tell the story as it happened, perhaps it’s the terrible effects all the atrocities had on the author or perhaps not being a writer he is not able to convey emotion in his writing. Would I? if having enjured what this man went through be able to convey emotion. I really don’t think so.
A captivating read that will certainly stay with me and I feel I learned a little more about this time in history.
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Janice
(last edited May 17, 2013 07:28AM)
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May 17, 2013 07:27AM
I think that you are correct about the reasons why the book was written without emotion. I haven't read the book (saw the movie), but another book, Night by Elie Wiesel, was also written like that. The atrocities are so horrific, that I can understand the numbness in writing. In a way, the lack of emotion makes it all that much more chilling.
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I have to see this movie now janice, that is next on my list.
Dem, This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for years now. I am now motivated to move it up on my reading list. I saw the movie years ago when it first came out and it has remained with me. Now it's time to tackle the book.
Jennifer wrote: "Dem, This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for years now. I am now motivated to move it up on my reading list. I saw the movie years ago when it first came out and it has remained with me. Now..."I really have to get the movie Jennifer as would really love to see it.
I think you've convinced me to finally pick this one up!
Saw the amazing movie . Still need to read this book . Thanks for a great review, Dem.
Still have to see that movie Angela. Will check Amazon for it. Thanks for the reminder.
I loved the movie. I might have to add the book. Thanks for the review, Dem.
Great review, Dem.
