The Reader

Introduction

Law professor Bernhard Schlink published The Reader (Der Vorleser) in Germany in 1995. Two years later, an English version arrived in the United States, and it became a bestseller and a selection for Oprah's Book Club. The German newspaper Abendzeitung named the book Stern des Jahres (Star of the Year), and it was also awarded the 1998 Hans Fallada Prize, given to works that address social or political issues. Translated editions of The Reader won several international prizes, including the Grinzane Cavour Prize in Italy and the Prix Laure Bataillon in France. In 2008, the book was adapted into a film with the English actress Kate Winslet playing the role of Hanna Schmitz.

As Hanna is a former Nazi on trial in West Germany, the book qualifies as historical fiction—it fictionalizes real-life events. The novel is also, however problematically, a romance. It chronicles the intense affair that begins when Hanna is 36 and Michael is 15. The book touches on themes like secrets, memory, and feelings, as well as motifs like guilt.

The study guide refers to an eBook version of the 2008 Vintage International edition, translated by Carol Brown Janeway.

Content Warning: This guide summarizes and discusses suicide, statutory rape, the Holocaust, and Nazi brutality, which feature in the source text.