The Druggist of Auschwitz: A Documentary Novel
3.5/5
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About this ebook
Dieter Schlesak's haunting novel The Druggist of Auschwitz—beautifully translated from the German by John Hargraves—is a frighteningly vivid portrayal of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of criminal and victim alike.
Adam, known as "the last Jew of Schäßburg," recounts with disturbing clarity his imprisonment at the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Through Adam's fictional narrative and excerpts of actual testimony from the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial of 1963–65, 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 author's face-to-face interviews with survivors, the novel follows Capesius from his assignment as the "sorter" of new arrivals at Auschwitz—deciding who will go directly to the gas chamber and who will be used for labor—through his life of lavish wealth after the war to his arrest and eventual trial.
Schlesak's seamless incorporation of factual data and testimony—woven into Adam's dreamlike remembrance of a world turned upside down—makes The Druggist of Auschwitz a vital and unique addition to our understanding of the Holocaust.
Dieter Schlesak
Dieter Schlesak is a German-Romanian poet, novelist, and essayist. He is a member of the German PEN Center and the PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad, and has received scholarships and awards from numerous organizations, including the Schiller Foundation and the University of Bucharest. Schlesak was born in Transylvania in 1934 and has lived in Italy and Germany since 1973. He is the author of The Druggist of Auschwitz.
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Reviews for The Druggist of Auschwitz
4 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The only reason this did not get a five star was the fact that the fictional narrator was added to the story. This would have been great as a non-fiction book about the Frankfurt-Auschwitz trails. I get the parallels between criminal and victim and that was intriguing but I wish Adam had been a real character. I feel that at times it was hard to process the fictionalization, it was confusing. I would be interested in reading more about Dr. Capesius as he really brings to life what it means to do anything to survive. I find his action despicable, but then I am also not in that situation. who can say what they would do. That being said, this is still a brilliant book and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in WWII and the holocaust.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Interesting subject matter, but I couldn't get into the style of writing. I wanted more details and the Adam bits just read somewhat oddly. That may be a translation thing.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I agree with calmclam that this documentary novel is hard to follow and perhaps the narrator would not have been missed. Nevertheless, the story of the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial of 1963-1964 is fascinating.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Well researched and well written, but I found the narrative hard to follow and I'm honestly not sure what the conceit of the fictional Adam's interspersed narration actually added.