Schindler's List Paperback – 1 Dec. 1993

If you're reading this review, that suggests that you are considering buying this novel.Do so now.Schindler's Ark is a remarkable novel that details a remarkable story. Oskar Schindler's rescue of thousands of men, women, and children from the Nazi death machine, is one of the most familiar narratives to arise out of the terrible events of the Holocaust and World War II. Yes, the novel details the appalling machinations that one culture employs to destroy another culture, and those details will have you reeling in horror. You will meet figures of appalling brutality; normal men and women who live only half a normal life, the other half being devoted to becoming creatures of nightmares. But you will also meet Oskar Schindler and his friends, people who give lie to the claim 'there was nothing we could do', who will reaffirm you faith in your fellow man, even as the other side seeks to destroy it. There is something gloriously anarchic in the joie du vivre with which Oskar sticks two fingers up to his own society, and tries to undo some small corner of its evil scheme. You'll cry a lot as you read, but occasionally you'll laugh, and with real pleasure. And you'll ask the question 'what would I do?'

I bought this book after a recent trip to Cracow so it was good to be able to put images to places in the text. However I found the book a little slow and would not call it a page turner as such. Some of the sentence and paragraph structure was a little odd and had to be read twice in order to make sense of them. I got bogged down somewhat and struggled to finish it and am surprised it won the Booker Prize, but would still recommend people to give it a go none the less.

The film Schindler's List totally bypassed me at the time. It was only a comment by my husband that made me look to see if the film was based on a book, and then read that book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book ,as much as you can enjoy a true life story of the atrocities shown to the Jews during the war, and I found it to be very well written, with actual events being written about, from interviews with the people who were there at the time. Admittedly the story didn't always flow smoothly, but that was due to it being written using eye witness accounts, and papers found from the time; such a shame the author never had the chance to interview Schindler himself. The story doesn't make for easy reading, and if you are easily upset, then this isn't for you, but for me it made the facts and statistics of the Holocaust become more more personalised and yet more horrific, hearing individuals personal stories and survival stories, and that men like Goeth actually enjoyed their part in the killings. This is a book every one should read.

Not a story which I need to recap in the broad strokes thanks to Mr Spielberg, but well worth picking up even if you think you're familiar with it. The novel stands without the sentimentality of the movie, and in the detail highlights in some ways the absolute mundanity of it, from the exploitable corruption of the Nazi's to the very capitalist nature of Schindler's own achievements in salvation.Far more affably narrated by Keneally than you might imagine, there is little apparent effort made here to lionise the titular protagonist or turn the Nazi officers into automatic beasts. The history is ordered, presented, and allowed to stand. A remarkable book about a man who achieved little before the war, almost nothing after it, but who was enabled in a few short years to save over a thousand lives. For all of the failings on display, it's impossible not to be moved by the closing chapters.

This book is a brilliant thought provoking account of an extremely dark period of the world's history and how one man worked against a corrupt and evil system to ensure the deliverance of as many persecuted souls that he could! Oscar Schindler was no saint and never pretended to be but he quickly recognised that he had to work against the Nazis using his influence in those circles to protect and save as many Jews as he could! One disturbing aspect is the vitriol he was greeted with in post war Germany from the German people who spat at him, physically attacked him and called him names such as "Jew kisser" , the converse of this was how he was looked after by all those he helped to save and openly welcomed and revered by the Jewish nation ! Is says a lot for the man that he asked to be buried in Israel a request that was granted!This book is a must read for all that care about humanity and our future!

Probably one of the most affecting and influential books I have ever read about the extremes of the best and worst humanity is capable of. Although many people may think they know Schindler's story from Spielberg's remarkable film, the original novel also fills in some of the bits that couldn't be shown or be added to the film because of length. It is an incredible story of human decency that Schindler, flawed like everyone, had a certain expectation of morality beneath which he would not go. He stood his ground whilst others fell as the true horror of The Final Solution erupted all around him. This is one of the most profound stories to emerge from the Holocaust and should be read as widely as possible. The story of the Holocaust in this book is one of humans, and this brings the human scale to this tragedy.

A must read for all, to truly understand the horror of the holocaust,and to understand that even in times of horrendous slaughter,a light continued to shine. Should be compulsory reading for all holocaust denyers

This is the book which the film Schindler's List was based on. I would recommend anyone who has watched the film to read the book. It explains some of the scenes in the film more fully and is a gripping, but distressing read.At the end I was left with the inevitable question, 'Why did he do it?' A man of dubious morals, little faith and yet he risked his own life to save so many Jews. Schindler presents an enigma, he is in no sense what we would call a 'good' man, and yet he stood against authority and worked the system for the sake of people who came to regard themselves as part of the Schindler family.