An Unusual Exploration of the Holocaust

Some spoilers may follow.

Professor Raphael Lipkin receives a series of midnight phone calls that question his perspective on Pedro, a member of the briha - the underground railroad for Jews out of Eastern Europe in the 1940s. Raphael has written a book, briefly mentioning Pedro and depicting him as almost superhuman and of unalloyed goodness. Raphael hero-worships Pedro. He blames himself for Pedro's capture by the Soviet police while trying to rescue his brother from a Moscow hospital. Decades have passed, and he doesn't know if Pedro is alive or dead.

The midnight caller challenges Raphael's views about Pedro so much that he agrees to go to the Mountain Clinic (the blurb says it's 'upstate New York,' but either I missed that detail or I had a different edition as it seemed to be in an unnamed, alpine, and probably European location) to learn more.

Once there, he organizes the clinic's library and listens daily to people who - almost universally - have a mania that makes them believe they are some biblical personage. Adam, Cain, Abraham, the Messiah - each with a unique perspective on their own case, a different way of looking at it, and a challenge to conventional interpretations.

Ultimately, the book is Wiesel's struggle with God. Echoing Jacob's struggle with an angel to get a new name, Wiesel doesn't reach the point where he refuses to let go unless he can obtain a blessing from on high. Instead, he interprets the nature of God through the events of the Holocaust, rather than examining the nature of the Holocaust in light of God's revelation about Himself. Ultimately, he concludes that the old blind madman he befriended during his childhood - the same mysterious man who constantly offers himself to save others and reappears at impossible times in impossible places - might well be God.

I have made numerous attempts to read this book. Each time, I manage to reach approximately the halfway point, and then I begin to seriously wonder who is truly insane: the main character, all the other characters, the author, or perhaps myself for persevering in attempting to read this book yet again!

I firmly believe that the author deliberately sets out to make the reader question the concept of sanity and even their own mental state. Regrettably, in my opinion, it goes too far and simply leaves the reader in a state of extreme confusion.

This book does possess potential. However, since I have never managed to read it from cover to cover, I don't feel that I am in a position to declare it as being terrible. But, oh boy, it sure is a challenging read.

This book was truly a backwards experience for me.

It began on a great note, captivating my attention right from the start. However, as I delved deeper into its pages, it unfortunately took a turn for the worse.

I found myself struggling to finish it, constantly feeling a sense of relief when I thought I was nearing the end.

The premise of the story had so much potential, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

The way everything kept jumping around in a chaotic manner and the constant references to madness made it extremely difficult for me to follow and understand.

In fact, it got to a point where I felt like I would go mad myself just by reading it.

Regrettably, I cannot recommend this book to others.

Compellingly told through the lives of those who lived and those who died,

those who struggled and those who became the witnesses for those who did not,

it is a series of tales of the past and commentary on the future.

It is like a torch in the process of being passed,

with reflection on God, man, the relation and meaning of each.

This collection of stories is essential as it offers a profound exploration of the human experience.

We see the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and failures of individuals,

which in turn, provide insights into the larger tapestry of life.

The tales of the past serve as a reminder of our history and the lessons we can learn from it.

At the same time, the commentary on the future gives us a sense of hope and possibility.

It makes us think about what lies ahead and how we can shape it.

Overall, this work is a powerful and thought-provoking piece that engages the reader on multiple levels.

I embarked on this book with the pure intention of learning, yet I had no clue what it would entail. Little did I know that this book would truly astonish me with its profound truths about life.

When I initially began reading in February of 2023, I was deeply engrossed and steadily progressing through its pages. However, in April of that same year, I遭遇了严重的创伤，不得不将这本书搁置一旁 for almost a year. Every time I tried to pick it up, the feelings of trauma would haunt me, making it impossible to continue.

But after receiving treatment for my PTSD from that incident in April, I finally found the strength to resume reading and complete the book. And it was absolutely worth it. I was able to connect on a much deeper level with the words written and the perspectives on life that were presented. I'm truly glad that I didn't finish the book when I first started it.

I understand the complaints of others regarding the characters feeling underdeveloped. But from my personal perspective, I think it's better this way! In real life, not every person who enters our lives will be a fully fleshed-out character, and this book captured that essence remarkably well.

For anyone who is wondering, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book as more than worth reading. Even if the destination at the end of the book isn't the main draw, the journey it takes you on is truly an unforgettable one.

This almost felt like a good book. Almost.

It has all the essential elements of a captivating story. There are interesting plotlines, diverse characters, and various time periods that could have made for a thrilling read. However, it is just horribly disjointed.

The book constantly jumps between different time periods and characters with nothing more than a simple line break to signal the upcoming change of scenery or voice. This lack of smooth transitions makes it extremely difficult for the reader to follow along and become fully immersed in the story.

I didn't find myself liking or caring about any of the characters. This is probably because I never felt like I had enough time to truly get to know them. The constant shifting and the brevity of each character's appearance prevented me from developing any emotional connection.

Moreover, too often, a character would tell a story within the current story. This added another layer of confusion and made it even harder to keep track of what was going on.

Toward the end, I started to suspect that this disjointedness might have been the author's intended point. Maybe the idea was to make the reader feel like they were no longer an observer but a part of the madness. However, even if that is the case, I still had a pretty difficult time trudging through 95% of the book. Overall, it was a rather underwhelming reading experience. Meh.

Twilight is an extremely intense read that delves deep into the profound question of why God would allow events like the Holocaust to occur.

If there truly is a God, how can such atrocities be accounted for? The book attempts to seek answers through the experiences of Raphael Lipkin, a Jewish survivor of Nazi-occupied Poland. He is rescued by the mysterious Pedro, while all his other family members meet their tragic end.

The absence of chapters and the jumbled mix of time periods give the impression that this book is longer than its approximately 200 pages. However, I found the historical aspects to be quite captivating.

I believe that this book probably poses more questions than it provides answers. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page, leaving you to reflect on the complex and disturbing themes it presents.

This is yet another remarkable work from this Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

The book offers a plethora of profound themes for readers to deeply contemplate and reflect upon. It delves into the complex and often uncomfortable topics of death, life, religion, and the state of insanity that prevailed in the aftermath of World War II.

As one engages with the text, it forces them to confront their own beliefs and perspectives on these fundamental aspects of human existence.

The author's masterful storytelling and incisive analysis make this book a truly engaging and thought-provoking read.

It is not just a book to be read and forgotten but one that will leave a lasting impression and continue to resonate long after the final page has been turned.

Good read indeed!!

A man's search for God through the madness of the Holocaust and its legacy is a profound and harrowing journey.

Raphael, a child survivor of WWII, endures the loss of his family to the death camps and insanity. From a young age, he is drawn to madness when an old man in an insane asylum in his Carpathian hometown introduces him to the alternative reality of the madman and challenges the claims of legitimate thought by the sane.

After a lifetime of hardships and questioning his own sanity, Rafael retreats to a sanatorium in upstate New York in search of his missing hero Pedro, or perhaps it is God he is truly seeking. At the sanatorium, he spends time with inmates who have adopted the personas of Biblical characters, from Cain to Abraham and even the Messiah.

Throughout this fragmented journey, we are presented with vignettes of the philosophy of the mad. Phrases like "The path to enlightenment lies through the ravaged landscape of madness" and "The dead live within us. We carry the dead inside us" offer a glimpse into the tortured minds of those who have experienced the horrors of war.

God is also on trial for the Holocaust, as survivors hold Him responsible for unleashing such chaos on the world. The question of whether God is a madman looms large, and while it is ultimately answered, the journey to that answer is filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Despite the fascinating premise, the novel falls short in its execution. The scenes and characters are underdeveloped, with rapid shifts in time and place that leave the reader feeling disoriented. There are too many characters and sub-plots, which often seem like disjointed anecdotes rather than a cohesive whole.

Rafael himself comes across as a somewhat flat character, overly shy around women and abused by his wife. The Holocaust may have left him damaged, but the reader is left longing for a deeper understanding of his inner turmoil.

While I'm sure Wiesel has explored this theme in greater depth in his other works, this particular book feels a bit too short and superficial for such a weighty subject matter. It offers a tantalizing glimpse into the world of the Holocaust survivor, but fails to fully explore the complex emotions and ideas that such a topic demands.

Like all of Wiesel's books, this one is disturbingly impactful. It is difficult to read as the story moves erratically in time, but in the end, everything becomes very clear. Wiesel's books are mandatory.

Elie Wiesel's works have always had a profound impact on readers. His writing style, which often jumps around in time, can be challenging at first. However, as the story unfolds, the true power and meaning become evident.

This particular book is no exception. It forces us to confront the horrors of the past and think about the importance of remembering and learning from history. Wiesel's words are a powerful reminder that we must never forget the atrocities that have been committed.

Reading Wiesel's books is not only an educational experience but also a moral obligation. We owe it to the victims and survivors to bear witness to their stories and to ensure that such tragedies never happen again.

I truly wish that I could pen down that I had a fondness for this book. However, to be completely honest with you, I simply did not.

The way it was written, with its constant back and forth, was extremely distracting. It made it difficult for me to follow the storyline and really engage with the characters.

I found myself constantly losing my train of thought and having to go back and reread sections.

Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this book. It may have its merits for some, but for me, it just didn't hit the mark.

I hope that my honest review will help others make a more informed decision when it comes to choosing their next read.

A truly extraordinary book, one of those novels that demands to be read multiple times. In fact, I believe I have read it about four times already. The reason is that its content simply cannot be fully assimilated in a single reading.

This book is like a vast and complex universe, filled with rich characters, intricate plotlines, and profound themes. Each time I pick it up, I discover new details, new interpretations, and new layers of meaning.

It's a book that makes you think, makes you feel, and makes you question. It challenges your assumptions, broadens your perspective, and enriches your understanding of the human condition.

Whether you're a lover of literature or simply looking for a captivating read, this extraordinary book is sure to leave a lasting impression.