There are hundreds of genres of literature; Wikipedia has pages thoroughly describing over 200 varieties. There’s horror fiction for the thrill-seeking crowd, coming-of-age stories just asking to be made into films, sports novels for every type of jock, and even something called Suburban Gothic.
But I consider myself a frequent reader of an unlisted category, something that’s likely to raise eyebrows, yet I think anyone and everyone, should flip throw the pages of: Holocaust literature.
It’s not quite right to say that I “enjoy” studying the Holocaust, but I believe that’s the closest way of expressing it. The personal accounts of concentration camp survivors, and others who were deeply affected by the Nazi’s Final Solution, provide incredible — though often heartbreaking and terrifying — viewers of humanity, at both its greatest and its worst. The author’s raw words offer a far better understanding of that period of world history than fictional works, which cannot be captured by studio-produced movies or heavily edited fictional novels. Sorry Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep; I’d take a memoir over “Sophie’s Choice” or “Schindler’s List” any day.
Although “The Diary of Anne Frank” and Elie Wiesel’s “Night” are also impeccable works that I wouldn’t hesitant to recommend, here are some others that likely weren’t part of your assigned readings in high school English classes. Consider honoring International Holocaust Remembrance on Jan. 27 by giving one of these a read. Just remember to also buy tissues.
“If This Is a Man” by Primo Levi
Alternatively titled “Survival in Auschwitz,” this memorial tells exactly that: how Levi, a Jewish Italian, survived living in, arguably, the most infamous concentration camp. But the focus isn’t on any tactics that allowed him to stay alive until the camp’s liberation. It’s a book filled with far more questions than answers. His thoughts and anecdotes address not merely how, but if, anyone in the camp — prisoners and Nazis alike — could maintain their humanity in such a place. But what perhaps make Levi’s work so remarkable is its simplicity, with shocking details and occurrences stated matter-of-factly. It’s a straightforward narrative that leaves readers with a myriad of mixed emotions.
“Maus” by Art Speigelman
“Maus” achieves mastery through a medium that may seem unthinkable, or even like a cruel, offensive joke for addressing the Holocaust: a graphic novel. Cartoonist Art Spiegelman casts magical superheroes aside to craft a nearly 300-page comic that depicts him interviewing his father, Vladek, a Polish Jew who grew up in pre-war Poland and survived Auschwitz concentration camp.
With his spectacular resourcefulness and work ethic, Vladek becomes a hero of sorts, though his experiences clearly left him damaged and cast a dark shadow over his relationship with his family. The book addresses the inhumane acts of Nazis by making all its characters animals; Jews are drawn as mice, Germans are cats and non-Jewish Poles are pigs. “Maus” is a surreal creation, creatively addressing a surreal period of history.
“Still Alive: a Holocaust Girlhood Remembered” by Ruth Kluger
Vienna-born Kluger, now a professor of German Studies at the University of California, Irvine, was deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp with her mother after the Nazi annexation of Austria and spent time in Auschwitz and Christianstadt camps — all before age 14. It’s a coming-of-age story; Kluger must learn to become an adult to survive. But unlike many adolescents, she can’t rely on what she’s told by anyone; she has to shape her own identity and ignore assumptions. Perhaps most intriguing is Kluger’s relationship with her mother. It’s far from easy for them to maintain a loving pact in a world filmed with hatred, and they both often fail to treat each other like you may expect.
“In My Brother’s Shadow: A Life and a Death in the SS” by Uwe Timm
This memoir is quite different from not just any other on the list, but from any other reading experience. It’s highly personal and without chapters; more of a long essay or diary entry, than a structured, strategic novel. Family letters and journals, as well as interviews, are also scattered throughout the book, which deals with the death of Timm’s brother, Karl-Heinz, in 1943 as a member of the SS Death’s Head Division. Although Timm barely knew the brother who was 16 years his senior, the family’s memories of Karl-Heinz carry tremendous weight and Timm questions his own identity constantly. What emerges is an intriguing essay that demonstrates the full scope of World War II’s damage, beyond what may be obvious.
