Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally
True stories are probably the hardest to read. This is one such example.
I have to admit that it took an emotional toll on me
while reading and I couldn’t continue reading it at a stretch. Ironically, this
true story based on the life of one German, set during one of the most terrible
times of modern human history -the Holocaust, will reinforce one’s belief that
despite all evil that men do, it is the good that will outlast them all.
This Booker Prize winning novel (1982) is based on
the true story of Oskar Schindler, a flamboyant, German industrialist who
during the Holocaust, under a lot of personal risk, rescued a number of Jews by
employing them as essential workers in his enamelware industry. Clearly, the author, Thomas
Keneally, has masterfully pieced together the character and
personality of Oskar Schindler through first-hand accounts from people who knew
the man. Oskar Schindler (played onscreen by Liam Neeson), is by no means
painted as a saint. He is a bon viveur,
lives life in a grand way, is a womanizer, frequently cheats on his loyal wife,
drinks, smokes and was initially just looking to make a profit in his business
during the wartime – an ambitious entrepreneur.
But as time goes on, he
realizes a bigger mission and puts in all his energy and resources to ensure
the continued survival of the Schindlerjuden
– as the Jews he saved came to be called. He resolves to do everything in his
power “to defeat the system". He uses his membership of the Nazi Party as a disguise
to secretly save the lives of over a thousand Jewish prisoners during the
Holocaust from almost certain death.
Through his negotiations and underhand dealings he is able to bribe, seek
aide and charm his way to save many a Jewish life.
It was heart-rending to read how the Jews were transformed from citizens to eventually being seen as less
than beasts. It all happens gradually, though, and so the transformation in
status was grudgingly accepted
both by the Jews and many Germans as well.
Oskar Schindler (L) is played in the movie by Liam Neeson (R) |
The
extraordinary cruelty towards the Jews was met with an unimaginable courageous
act by Schindler, who pays money out of his own pockets to keep them fed and
safe. But always there are many risks involved. Because of his immense
influence he is able to ensure that his mission succeeds.
First of all he enlists the help of Ithzak Sterne, a
Jewish accountant (played in the movie by Ben Kingsley) to help him to both
reopen a decrepit factory and enlist Jews from the ghetto.
The friendship that
develops between the two over time is like no other that I have ever
encountered in any book I have read. As Sterne poignantly reminds him: “Whoever saves one
life, saves the world entire.”
Together, with a lot of other dependable hands they also ensure that before the main camp is “liquidated” (i.e. all the inmates sent to the Auschwitz or Birkeneau to be killed), they shift the Jews on his list , Schindler’s List – to a sub-camp which is located near the Czech borders.
Together, with a lot of other dependable hands they also ensure that before the main camp is “liquidated” (i.e. all the inmates sent to the Auschwitz or Birkeneau to be killed), they shift the Jews on his list , Schindler’s List – to a sub-camp which is located near the Czech borders.
There are many other Jewish and German lives we
encounter in the book but which gets left out in the Academy Award winning
movie adaptation – Schindler’s List which was directed by Steven Spielberg and
came out in 1993. This movie is brilliant as it is, iconically shot in black
and white, since Spielberg felt all life was drained from that moment in history.
Amon Goeth played to chilling perfection by Ralph Fiennes |
One other character deserves a mention for the
chilling effect he will have on who reads this book – the German Commander Amon
Goeth (he is portrayed onscreen by Ralph Fiennes) , who presides over the
functioning of the Plaszow concentration camp for most of the book, from where
Schindler has recruited his Jewish workers. He is a psychopathic, sadistic,
brutal murderer. For instance, he wakes up every morning and shoots a random
Jew in the camp from his balcony before breakfast. In actual history this man
would be tried as a war criminal and hanged – not before he would earn the
epithet the ‘Butcher of Plaszow’. The actor Ralph Fiennes plays this role to
bone-chilling perfection and I was shocked to realize that he wasn’t awarded
for that role at the Oscars. Well, as I always have felt, the Oscars are not always rightly awarded.
This book also goes on to show what happens after
the war comes to an end. Oskar Schindler and Emilie, his wife were named Righteous Among the Nations in 1993 and a tree
was planted in Schindler's honour in the Avenue of the Righteous at Yad Vashem,
the memorial erected in Israel in memory of the victims of Holocaust. By
his own wish, he is buried in Jerusalem, and the inscription on his grave says,
'The unforgettable rescuer of 1,200 persecuted Jews.’
It isn’t an easy book to read, but is an
essential one.
1 comment:
I'm definitely gonna read this. Thanks for such an amazing review. Do recommend me more such books :)
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