Decent Book, Great Movie

Rating: 10/10 (17 March 2017)

I have to say that this is one of those books that worked better—for me, at least—as a movie. As a book it just seemed a little lightweight, like a young adult book except you would need to remove all of the stuff about a 36 year old woman screwing a 15 year old kid's brains out.
To me Hanna's illiteracy represents her absence of consciousness. A person who doesn't read is like a child unable to make proper decisions on morality and must simply follow orders whether they are given by the SS, whatever stupid religion you follow, or Donald Trump's minions in the White House. Trump is a great example of someone who doesn't read, who chooses not to read, which is worse than someone who can't read. At least Hanna knew that not reading was something shameful which is more than you can say about the 45th president of the most powerful country on earth. Trump represents the triumph (once again) of the stupid.
The essence of the book lies here:
"Did you not know that you were sending the prisoners to their death?"
"Yes, but the new ones came, and the old ones had to make room for the new ones."
"So because you wanted to make room, you said you and you and you have to be sent back to be killed?"
Hanna didn't understand what the presiding judge was getting at. "I . . . I mean . . . so what would you have done?" Hanna meant it as a serious question. She did not know what she should or could have done differently, and therefore wanted to hear from the judge, who seemed to know everything, what he would have done.
This was curious because only a day later I read this in a letter from my brilliant younger brother: The problem with "people of faith" is their inability to accept the failure of their bad ideas, or to recognize when they're being bamboozled by those representing them. When you don't rely on a fact-based ethos, you tend to find yourself confused by outcomes that don't match the faith and fantasy.
Of course, the Germans weren't illiterate, far from it, but they followed a dogma instead of making individual decisions and choices. It's hard work making your own choices which is why people find such comfort in religion and superstition and authority.