Night by Elie Wiesel. 

4/5 rating. 

Book #13 of 2020. Read March 3, 2020.

This book is the haunting retelling of Elie’s time in multiple concentration camps as a Jew during World War II.

I was kind of torn on how to rate this book. As it was so impactful, I decided to go with a 4, even though it is certainly not a joyful read, I think it is an important book for people to have a look into the horrific camps.

Elie does such a beautiful job of showing the disbelief going through the mind of many Jews before internment, and the feeling of complete abandonment after the suffering that ensued: “How was it possible that men, women, and children were being burned and that the world kept silent?” 

“Never shall I forget that smoke.

Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.

Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.

Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.

Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.” 

“His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily: ‘I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.’”

Quotes:

“To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

“He does not want the past to become their future.”

“How was it possible that men, women, and children were being burned and that the world kept silent?”

“Still, I told him that I could not believe that human beings were being burned in our times; the world would never tolerate such crimes…’The world? The world is not interested in us. Today, everything is possible, even the crematoria…’”

“For the first time, I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?”

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed./  Never shall I forget that smoke./  Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky./  Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever./  Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live./  Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes../  Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself./  Never.”

“Blessed be God’s name? Why, but why would I bless him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces? Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine Altar?”

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