num_pages: 374
description: Dieter Schlesaks haunting novel The Druggist of Auschwitz beautifully translated from the German by John Hargravesis a frighteningly vivid portrayal of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of criminal and victim alike. Adam known as the last Jew of Schburg recounts with disturbing clarity his imprisonment at the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Through Adams fictional narrative and excerpts of actual testimony from the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial of 196365 we come to learn of the true-life story of Dr. Victor Capesius who despite strong friendships with Jews before the war quickly aided in and profited from their tragedy once the Nazis came to power. Interspersed with historical research and the authors face-to-face interviews with survivors the novel follows Capesius from his assignment as the sorter of new arrivals at Auschwitzdeciding who will go directly to the gas chamber and who will be used for laborthrough his life of lavish wealth after the war to his arrest and eventual trial. Schlesaks seamless incorporation of factual data and testimonywoven into Adams dreamlike remembrance of a world turned upside downmakes The Druggist of Auschwitz a vital and unique addition to our understanding of the Holocaust.
language: English
title: The Druggist of Auschwitz: A Documentary Novel
publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux