Night, by Elie Wiesel
Night is an autobiographical book, the first of a trilogy, by Eliezer Wiesel.
Elie Wiesel (as he is commonly known) was born in Romania and taken to the Auschwitz death camp when he was only 15 years of age, together with his father, mother and sisters. In this book, he tells us how he and his family were taken from their homes and carried like animals into the camp. At the entrance, he only managed to stay with his father, having lost contact with the others. His father then turns into a constant presence, being the only source of love and comfort to the little boy.
For about a year, Elie lived terrors, having witnessed some of the most horrid atrocities committed at the camp. These are told in the raw simplicity of Elie’s writing and are, to say the least, shocking. Surprisingly and against all odds, he managed to survive and was freed when the American Soldiers liberated the camp. His father, unfortunately, didn’t make it, and, to say the way Elie remembers this to be heartbreaking, would be an understatement.
Elie was then sent to France, where he studied and grew into a man.
This book of around 100 pages is one of the most powerful you will ever have the chance to read, and it will most definitely make you grow as a person. Extremely thought provoking and with a very accessible and “pure” writing, it is impossible to stay indifferent to Night. You will feel anger, revolt, and a strange sense of accountability: the one to keep the story alive and to prevent it from happening again.
[ This was actually a book "review" I had to write for my English class. Lesson learned: reviewing your favorite book in around 250 words = not easy ]
