The Game of Opposites
by
Norman Lebrecht
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USA
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Anchor, 2010 (2009)
Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book
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Reviewed by Barbara Lingens
P
aul is a survivor. He has lived through the deaths of his loved ones, the horrors of being in a concentration camp, and the slow emergence from starvation. Somehow, after all this trauma, he has managed to go on, marrying, working and becoming part of his community.
Y
et there is always a part of him that can never forgive himself for surviving. Why should it have been he who was able to live? Because of this Paul never feels himself truly part of his surroundings. A turning point comes when the loathed commander of the concentration camp becomes part of Paul's community. Here is an opportunity for revenge. But is this even possible?
N
orman Lebrecht pens a fine study of the emotional and psychological costs to a person who has suffered such a terrible fate. Many philosophical questions emerge. How is it possible for humanity to exist when there has been so much collusion on the part of so many just to survive? What does it mean to survive? Just as the thinking and caring characters in this novel struggle to find meaning so will you. This is definitely a novel to set you thinking.
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