Book Review “Night” by Elie Wiesel translated from the French by Marion Wiesel Penguin Books

“Could men and women who consider it normal to assist the weak, to heal the sick, to protect small children, and to respect the wisdom of their elders understand what happened there? Would they be able to comprehend how, within that cursed universe, the masters tortured the weak and massacred the children, the sick, and the old? “

This question is posed in the introduction to “Night”, Elie Wiesel’s haunting account of his experiences in Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War. This slim volume, now termed a modern classic, is studied by high school students and literature graduates and historians, psychologists and those who simply want to read a true account of events which cannot, must not be forgotten. Lest we forget. Amidst all the horror of war, the Holocaust will forever remain symbolic of unbridled infamy.

Elie Wiesel’s account of events is simple in its narrative, yet deceptively so. His prose avoids graphic descriptions. There is no need, the incidents are hauntingly sad in themselves. What does shine through in the darkness of the circumstances described, in what can only be described as inspired writing, is the humanity of the young man narrating, the depth of his mind, and the love that he demonstrates for his father and family.

This book illuminates the darkness of night. It both exposes evil of those dark times and shines as a beacon which the evil could not extinguish. It stands as a tribute to the courage of those who survived the Holocaust and the millions who perished.

And we who were not even born in those times, as we read this book, can we understand what happened there?

I look at the society in which I live, one where legislation has just been passed to allow late term abortions, one where euthanasia laws are being reconsidered. Are we protecting the innocent, the unborn, the elderly, the disabled?

Perhaps understanding is not what is required. A response must be that we will remember and try to learn from the lessons of history.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel commences his introduction to this book with the words “If in my lifetime I was to write only one book, this would be the one.”  This is a book which speaks to the soul. Whether you read many books in your lifetime, or just a few, this is one you should read.