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A review by literatureleaf
The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Reading time: 3 days
Difficulty level: 3/5
Writing Rating: 10/10
*Because this book is nonfiction, I will not be adding content warnings.*
The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland recounts the life of Walter Rosenberg, who would later come to be known as Rudolf (Rudi) Vrba. The novel centers upon his experiences as a young Jewish man living through WWII and the Holocaust. While his familial background and childhood are touched upon, the bulk of the book focuses on Rudi during adolescence and adulthood.
Before his adult life had even begun, Rudi was taken away from the family and friends that he had always known and forced into a life of pain and suffering as a prisoner of Auschwitz. During his time there, he continually dreamed of, and eventually achieved, escape. After leaving the horrors of the concentration camp behind, Rudi made it his mission to share his story, no matter what the eventual cost to himself would be, to save as many lives as possible.
Freedland paints an achingly haunting depiction of what life was like for millions of Jewish men, women, and children during WWII. Biographical information is intertwined with visceral, stunning storytelling in a manner that serves to awe the reader. Written in a matter of fact and easily digestible, yet simultaneously engrossing style, Freedland takes no liberties and does no sugarcoating. No detail, no matter how shocking, is glossed over or left out.
He excels at maintaining the delicate balance between historical accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and emotional writing. Throughout the entire novel, he pulls off the difficult feat that every nonfiction writer aspires to: never inserting himself into the story, but ensuring that his authentic voice as an author shines through.
Enmeshed within the pages of The Escape Artist is a portrait of raw and unfiltered human resilience. The reader witnesses Rudi come of age during the darkest of times, form genuine human connections in horrifying conditions, and develop a sense of purpose and self that cannot be broken, even in the face of circumstances that those alive today would consider unimaginable.
Often alternating between devastatingly heartbreaking and painfully inspiring, Rudi takes the reader on his decades-long journey right along with him. His story deserves not only to be told, but to be repeated so frequently that it becomes a required component of all history textbooks.
Filled with hardships at every step of the way, ranging from government inaction to denial and indifference from the public, Rudi never stopped trying to achieve his ultimate end goal. The Escape Artist not only masterfully documents his journey but serves as a painfully stark reminder of what can happen when humanity turns the other cheek to evils that are happening in their very own backyards.
Difficulty level: 3/5
Writing Rating: 10/10
*Because this book is nonfiction, I will not be adding content warnings.*
The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland recounts the life of Walter Rosenberg, who would later come to be known as Rudolf (Rudi) Vrba. The novel centers upon his experiences as a young Jewish man living through WWII and the Holocaust. While his familial background and childhood are touched upon, the bulk of the book focuses on Rudi during adolescence and adulthood.
Before his adult life had even begun, Rudi was taken away from the family and friends that he had always known and forced into a life of pain and suffering as a prisoner of Auschwitz. During his time there, he continually dreamed of, and eventually achieved, escape. After leaving the horrors of the concentration camp behind, Rudi made it his mission to share his story, no matter what the eventual cost to himself would be, to save as many lives as possible.
Freedland paints an achingly haunting depiction of what life was like for millions of Jewish men, women, and children during WWII. Biographical information is intertwined with visceral, stunning storytelling in a manner that serves to awe the reader. Written in a matter of fact and easily digestible, yet simultaneously engrossing style, Freedland takes no liberties and does no sugarcoating. No detail, no matter how shocking, is glossed over or left out.
He excels at maintaining the delicate balance between historical accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and emotional writing. Throughout the entire novel, he pulls off the difficult feat that every nonfiction writer aspires to: never inserting himself into the story, but ensuring that his authentic voice as an author shines through.
Enmeshed within the pages of The Escape Artist is a portrait of raw and unfiltered human resilience. The reader witnesses Rudi come of age during the darkest of times, form genuine human connections in horrifying conditions, and develop a sense of purpose and self that cannot be broken, even in the face of circumstances that those alive today would consider unimaginable.
Often alternating between devastatingly heartbreaking and painfully inspiring, Rudi takes the reader on his decades-long journey right along with him. His story deserves not only to be told, but to be repeated so frequently that it becomes a required component of all history textbooks.
Filled with hardships at every step of the way, ranging from government inaction to denial and indifference from the public, Rudi never stopped trying to achieve his ultimate end goal. The Escape Artist not only masterfully documents his journey but serves as a painfully stark reminder of what can happen when humanity turns the other cheek to evils that are happening in their very own backyards.