Holocaust books: the good, the bad and the turgid
David Gorin delves into the world of Holocaust-based fiction and discovers the good, the bad and the turgid
01 August 2019 - 05:00
In an unusually lucid dream I envisaged God chastising a novelist: "You wrote a book set during the Holocaust. Why did you write poorly, with no understanding of the history or respect for the memories of the dead?" The writer can’t think of a convincing reply, so God’s punishment is that the book is never read.
Which may signal no great loss. Many literature lovers feel enough has been written about the Holocaust. "How much more is there to say?" asks my mother, still, at 90, an encyclopaedia of history and a voracious reader. Generation Z family members around the table nod in agreement...
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