"Night" (Oprah's Book Club, #55)

by Elie Wiesel

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Night is a haunting memoir.

I had only the barest of memories about this work from when it was assigned reading in high school, that summer between 8th and 9th grade when the world seemed full of possibilities.  I remember reading this book and ... it left enough of an impression on me that I remembered it, but I think I was too young to fully appreciate the horror of it.

While I cannot begin to understand the pain of the Jewish people during the Holocaust, I am so grateful for the courage it must have taken Elie Wiesel to write Night.  The bravery it takes anyone to speak about their trauma.  Genocide is trauma on a particular level and I just... wow.  It's such a difficult read because of the pain that bleeds through the words.  A necessary pain we must know.  We must remember.  We must never forget.

This memoir is written like a story being told in an interview.  It doesn't have the gravity and world building of many things.  Unfortunately, the horrors of WWII are part of our cultural consciousness, and even then, we do not fully grasp the pain of the Holocaust.  As far as flow and length and language, this is a very accessible read, and I do understand why it was assigned to me at a freshman English level.  I think this is a piece that needs to be read, and re-read.  It's a story we need to carve into our bones because it is a story that must be remembered.  While it's easy to read from a purely technical standpoint, it's difficult to stomach.  As an adult, I have a greater appreciation for this.

If you've never read Night, it's really one of those book your must read before you die.  Elie Wiesel's first-hand account of the dehumanizing horror he experienced during WWII is a reminder and a warning.  It's very powerful, humbling read and I have so much respect for this work.  As a reader, as an historian, and as a human being... I recommend it.