Schindler's List

[the_wolfs_howl]

Has anyone else read this book? I'm thinking of reading it, but I'm a little hesitant because I know it's pretty intense and controversial (at least the movie is, and no, I haven't seen it).

If anyone's read it, could you tell me what sort of content is in it, in terms of sex and violence? Is it one of those books that gratuitously describes all the details till you feel like you need to scour your eyes, or does it just tell you what happens so it gets the message across? For example, I recently read Night by Elie Wiesel, and there was a scene with sex in there, but it didn't feel needlessly graphic. He didn't describe it very much, and it was just to show you another example of what an awful, insane place he was in.

I've heard so much about this book, and would like to read it for myself, but I definitely don't want to do so if it's just going to coat my mind in garbage in the process. I mean, I know it's about horrible stuff so you can't really escape it completely, but you know what I mean.

[Atria35]

Schindler's List? Controvertial? What?

It's just one of those things that you must see or must read. It's been forever and a day since I last read it, but I do remember it was a cry-fest. It's the Holocaust, the story isn't always pretty, but I never remember it getting that graphic. I'm used to hearing all the horror stories from then, though, since a huge chunk of my family went through the camps (and most died). It's pretty true to what happened back then, part of why it was required reading for me from those family members.

[Agloval]

It's a while since I read it. I read it when I was a teenager, and I don't remember thinking that it was especially out-of-order. While some of the events it describes are awful, I don't think they're described in an especially gratuitous way.

I suppose (from memory) it's a step above, for example, one of Anthony Beevor's popular histories, though that's partly because it's a novel so it can't (and doesn't want to) achieve the same detachment.

[Nate]

Yeah, I'm with Atria, I don't see how this book is controversial at all, except maybe for Holocaust deniers, but those people are their own special brand of crazy.

I never read it, though, so I can't help you as far as content goes, but I mean...it's the Holocaust. Pretty awful stuff happened there, so I mean, I figure it's gotta be somewhat violent.

[Sheenar]

Schindler's List? Controvertial? What?

It's just one of those things that you must see or must read. It's been forever and a day since I last read it, but I do remember it was a cry-fest. It's the Holocaust, the story isn't always pretty, but I never remember it getting that graphic. I'm used to hearing all the horror stories from then, though, since a huge chunk of my family went through the camps (and most died). It's pretty true to what happened back then, part of why it was required reading for me from those family members.

I second this. I own this book and have read it --it's definitely a must-read. It is a cry-fest, though --but I wouldn't know what else to expect from a book about the Holocaust.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Okay then, thanks for the input! I'll go ahead and read it.

I guess it's only the movie that's controversial - I heard that when it was first made, there was an uproar because of its graphical depiction of all those horrible things, including nudity and such. Some people wanted to censor it, other people said it was insulting to censor something like that, etc. etc.

[Nate]

There was a LOT of nudity in the Schindler's List movie. A lot of it was old people, and when I say old I mean like...senior citizen. They didn't throw it in the movie for sexual arousal or anything, it was because they were trying to accurately depict the things that happened at a concentration camp. That kind of stuff shouldn't be censored.

Outside of that, there was a scene where Schindler is having sex with his girlfriend, and I know you can at least see her topless, but I don't think it's anything beyond that (it's been a while since I saw it).

And I know of no such uproar when the movie came out. In fact, the teachers at my high school were actively encouraging students to go see the movie, because of how accurately it portrayed the treatment of Jews in WWII Germany, as well as it just being a good movie overall. And I come from a really, really conservative area, so if there was any sort of controversy about it I think I would've heard. XD

[Atria35]

^ Actually, there was some controvery because of that nudity. Apparently people were offended that tv networks would air it without censoring the nudity, at an hour where it wasn't midnight or something.

Since it was concentrations and accurate to what happened, I actually find the idea that they would censor it offensive.