The Tattooist of Auschwitz
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a compelling story but it is poorly written. The author, Heather Morris, based this fictional work on the facts of Lale Sokolov’s imprisonment at Auschwitz. He was forced to work as a tattooist, marking his fellow prisoners with identifiers upon their arrival. One day, he met Gita, a prisoner who would become the love of his life.
I would have much preferred to read their experience in non-fiction form. I don’t want to be analyzing writing style while reading about one of the most horrific blights in history. Unfortunately, Morris offered sparse character development; so, while I was disgusted by what Lale and Gita were subjected to, I had trouble envisioning them as real people and connecting to them on a deep level. Because the writing was so one-dimensional, I also struggled to feel the fullness of their romance, and the love story came across as cheesy.
Bleh, I hate saying that. Who the hell am I to say how Lale’s story should be told? I’m over here like hey, write your Holocaust novel with different rhetorical devices. That feels gross, and I don’t like it. But the writing simply does not rise to the enormity of the occasion.
Lale and Gita were incredible people-- brave in their optimism and impressively resourceful. For example, Gita and her friends collected four-leaf clovers in the fields, because their German guards were superstitious, and the lucky leaves might come in handy in times of need. These people and their experiences are worthy of being told, but I want them to be told well. The Tattooist of Auschwitz does not do that for me, and it earns 2 out of 5 flames. I have previously reviewed Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl’s book chronicling his experiences as a concentration camp prisoner, and I recommend it over this one if you’re looking to read more personal perspectives from the Holocaust.
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