General Question

FutureMemory's avatar

Can anyone recommend a good autobiography (or two) by jewish authors that survived the Holocaust?

Asked by FutureMemory (24758points) June 26th, 2011

Some years ago I read Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, and last night I finished Art Spiegelman’s Maus graphic novel. Those are the only books I’ve read about life for the European jew during the Third Reich, and would very much like to read more.

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

21 Answers

Mariah's avatar

There’s Elie Wiesel’s Night.

flutherother's avatar

Primo Levi survived and wrote ‘If This Be a Man’.

TexasDude's avatar

I second Mariah. Anything by Elie Wiesel is good to go.

bkcunningham's avatar

I don’t know where you are from @flutherother. But wouldn’t it be nice to know if there were any living survivors in your area and you could hear them speak yourself. I have done that in places I’ve lived in the past and it is life changing.

dappled_leaves's avatar

Note that you’re more likely to find “If This Be a Man” under the title “Survival in Auschwitz” in the US.

Mariah's avatar

@bkcunningham Good suggestion too; I haven’t been quite the same since hearing a woman named Helen Sperling speak at my school.

jaytkay's avatar

Victor Klemperer kept a diary through the rise of the Nazis and the war.

He was born Jewish, but survived because he was a WWI veteran and married to a Christian. Just one example of what they endured; Gestapo would repeatedly search their house and beat them for keeping items forbidden to Jews, like pencils paper or a kitten.

He was scheduled for deportation to the camps, but when the allies firebombed Dresden, he and his wife walked out of the city and joined the throngs refugees,

I consider it the most important book I have ever read.

I Will Bear Witness, A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1933–1941

marinelife's avatar

“From Mauthausen to the Moon.” by Art Lakner. he became a NASA scientist.

flutherother's avatar

@bkcunningham I am in Glasgow, Scotland. I haven’t heard any survivors speak and I should make an effort as time is running out.

@dappled_leaves Thanks for pointing that out though I do prefer the UK title.

dappled_leaves's avatar

@flutherother – I agree, it’s too bad they changed it for US publication. Have you read his book The Periodic Table? It’s also beautiful – one of my favourite books of all time.

flutherother's avatar

@dappled_leaves That was the first book of his I read. I liked it very much.

gorillapaws's avatar

I also suggest Elie Wiesel, heavy stuff, but incredibly well written.

_zen_'s avatar

Jerzy Kosinski’s The Painted Bird was a diificult read – but then I was only about 12 or so.

The Road to Auschwitz by Hedi Fried.

Jeruba's avatar

I heard this author speak at an event in 2000 and was fortunate enough to share a table with him and his wife at the luncheon following. As usual, I didn’t pass up my opportunity to ask questions. I was very much affected by hearing his story and, subsequently, by reading his book.

FutureMemory's avatar

Thank you all so much for the many suggestions. I’ll be picking up a few this week from the public library.

filmfann's avatar

Did you also read Maus 2? Equally good.

FutureMemory's avatar

@filmfann Indeed I did. Excellent book.

pshizzle's avatar

Elly: My True Story of the Holocaust. It’s a child’s book, but it’s a great account.

sarahsugs's avatar

My uncle is a survivor and wrote an autobiography of his experience that I found very moving and illuminating, and of course unbearably sad. It’s available through Amazon.

V_Scofield's avatar

I definitely agree with anything by Elie Wiezel. I bought three of his books for my seventeenth birthday. I also suggest “The Cage” by Ruth Minsky Sender. I plan to get “The Pianist” by Wladyslaw Szpilman, which was the basis for the movie.

Unbroken's avatar

I really enjoyed Fateless or Fatelessness by Imre Kertescz (sp). He won the Nobel Peace Prize. He wasn’t very happy with the English translation but I thought it was brillaint.
Also Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughter House Five was particulary moving. It is not a traditional autobiography but still very thought provoking.

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.

This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.

Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther