On January 29, I woke up at dawn. At my hometown, another sick person was lying. My father had to clean up before dawn to take him to the crematorium. Maybe he was still breathing then… No prayers were said over his grave. No candles were lit in his memory. His last word was my name.

Elie Wiesel - a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who survived the Holocaust. Before us are three of his books, united in a kind of trilogy under one cover. It seems that this was the main problem for me when reading, because each part left different impressions on its own.

Elie Wiesel grew up in a Jewish family in Romania until during the Holocaust, he and his family were sent to a concentration camp. His mother and younger sister were killed in the gas chamber in Auschwitz, while his father died of starvation and illness in Buchenwald. Elie Wiesel himself was liberated by the Allied forces in 1945. This terrible experience he describes in the book "Night", which was published in its full edition under the name "And the World Remained Silent". It was with this part that I felt the deepest connection, starting from the Cassandra-like warning of the local shepherd Moshe about the Nazis, which, of course, no one in the town took seriously, to the direct liberation of the narrator from the concentration camp.

In the book "Dawn", we follow a Jewish boy who survived the Holocaust and is now fighting in the ranks of the military organization Irgun against the British for a free Palestine. The British caught one of their groups, and they took a British officer prisoner. At dawn, both must be sacrificed…

With this part, it was already more difficult for me, because I could not understand whether we are still learning about some autobiographical moments here, or if this is already a fictional story, and if it is fictional, then why all this coexists together in one book. Also, since the main hero is given the task of sacrificing the Briton, we are constantly in his reflections.

The book "Day": a man is hit by a taxi and while the doctors are fighting for his life, and he himself does not help them much, we plunge into his traumatic past that does not let go and does not allow him to live. And in this part, the author finally lost me. Maybe because of the large number of thoughts about faith and God, or maybe the author thinks so differently from me, but I just stopped understanding him.

3.5 ⭐️


I'm really not certain about how I truly feel regarding these novels.

"Night" is as heartbreaking as it has always been. It serves as a powerful reminder that we must never allow history to repeat itself. It emphasizes the importance of showing kindness to one another.

As for the other two novels, I find myself in a bit of a quandary. I have yet to fully gather my thoughts and form a clear opinion. There are aspects of them that intrigue me, while others leave me somewhat confused. I need more time to analyze and reflect upon the characters, the plotlines, and the overall themes. Only then will I be able to determine my true feelings towards these novels.

Perhaps with further examination, I will discover hidden gems within their pages that will change my perspective. Or maybe I will come to the conclusion that they simply don't resonate with me as much as "Night" does. Only time will tell.

I wanted to see myself in the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto. From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed back at me. The look in his eyes, as they stared into mine, has never left me.

Elie Wiesel, as a 15-year-old, just 2 weeks after his liberation at Buchenwald, had this haunting encounter with his reflection.

At night, everything is more intense, more true. The echo of words spoken during the day takes on a new and deeper meaning. The tragedy of man is that he doesn't know how to distinguish between day and night. He says things at night that should only be said by day.

From "Dawn", this thought-provoking statement makes us question our own perception of time and truth.

"...Always look at a window, and failing that look into the eyes of a man. If you see a face, any face, then you can be sure that night has succeeded day. For, believe me, night has a face."

Also from "Dawn", this description of night gives it a tangible quality, as if it is a living entity.

A man hates his enemy because he hates his own hate. He says to himself: This fellow, my enemy, has made me capable of hate. I hate him, not because he is my enemy, not because he hates me, but because he arouses me to hate.

Elisha's words in "Dawn" offer a profound insight into the nature of hatred and how it can consume us.

I'd never been interested in sterile suffering. Other people's suffering only attracts me to the extent that it allows man to become conscious of his strength and of his weakness, in a climate that favors rebellion.

From "The Accident", this statement shows Wiesel's complex view on suffering and how it can be a catalyst for change.

Those who, like me, have left their souls in hell, are here only to frighten others by being their mirrors.

This powerful line from "The Accident" emphasizes the impact that Wiesel's experiences had on him and how he feels compelled to share them with others.

If your suffering splashes others, those around you, those for whom you represent a reason to live, then you must kill it, choke it. If the dead are its source, kill them again, as often as you must to cut out their tongues.

Gyula's words in "The Accident" are a harsh reminder of the responsibility we have to those around us when we are suffering.

"Night", "Dawn", and "The Accident": only the 1st remains Wiesel's completely true account as a 15-year-old boy at Birkenau, Auschwitz, and Buchenwald. The other two novels within the trilogy are peppered with deeper truths amid the fiction.

Wiesel's writing is deep, searching, and powerful. It forces us to confront the horrors of the Holocaust and the human capacity for both good and evil. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Gosh. What can one say that would truly do justice to this book (or rather, these books)? Especially Night, which is not so much a book as a terrifying memoir. It is a vignette filled with such profound sadness and horror that for me to attempt to discuss it might verge on the insulting.

Night is truly harrowing. It is teeming with monsters far more dreadful than any that could be conjured up in a scary story or horror film. The reason being that these monsters were real. They were men. Some were simply doing their jobs, while others were relishing in their work. All were complicit in a way that I earnestly hope haunts them for all eternity.

In my opinion, Night is an absolute must-read for everyone, without exception. No caveats, no conditions. Everyone should pick it up, be horrified, be saddened, and be outraged! At the very least, one should be made aware. Real humans committed these heinous acts, and there is always the possibility that they could do so again.

Dawn and Day are both interesting in their own unique ways. Both deal with the experience of being a survivor, but in very different circumstances. They both explore the internal emotions of survivors in vastly divergent manners. Both are captivating, albeit a bit self-indulgent at times, and will leave you pondering long after you have finished reading their accounts.