I had to read the book.
I knew the book would cover the complete story as all the movies that were originated from books.
No movie can embed all the contents of the books unless the movie is like 12 hours long (my estimate).
After reading the book, I don't know.
After the movie, one question I had was "was it love between Hanna and Michael?"
After the book, I am still not sure what Hanna was going through.
Michael's, in my opinion, was an obsession, not love.
Although Michael or Schlink (the book is written with the first person's view) repeatedly uses word "love" in his feelings towards Hanna, it certainly is different from how I perceive any kind of love to be.
Although the book is discussing about Hanna throughout the book, it is through they eyes of Michael only.
The movie however gave me more impressions and tested me to empathize with Hanna more rather than with Michael because of charismatic act of Kate Winslet. Now, I understand better why she won the Oscar with this role. She literally gave a meaning to this character that never really existed on its own or in the book until she acted it herself. In the book, Hanna or the idea or the reality of Hanna was never allowed other than strictly through Michael.
And months after I watched the movie, the image of Hanna played by Winslet is so vividly imprinted in my head that I tried to find where Michael's descriptions of Hanna fit what I observed and remember from the movie. Winslet played the role completely, and made Michael's descriptions very one-sided and narrow - as a kid who was obsessed with the woman, sexual partner and as a grown up who is still dwelling in the memories of obsession.
Was I fulfilled with the story? No.
Was I glad that I read the book? No. It turns out, the book and the movie were completely different because Hanna in the movie and Hanna in the book are two completely different beings.
Was it engrossing? Very yes. I had to read the book after watching the movie, and I am still thinking about it very deeply.
Was it a good book? Yes. I saw reviews of the book saying the story of "The Reader" is morally and emotionally challenging. I agree. But to me, the sense of being left hanging in the middle is overwhelming than all those moral or emotional issues in the book.
Sure, maybe if I could relate better with the German history, I might view this story more morally challenging. The story is between a generation that was born before and after Nazis. But it's always a distant subject to me.
I guess I did read a literature and watched a great film both titled as "The Reader".
I am glad I did.
I still don't think there was love between these two.
