<<The>> city Book

Langer, who has observed over 300 hours of Holocaust testimony (I can't even begin to imagine), examines the memories of Holocaust survivors with five specific categories. Although he provides more than enough actual testimony his purpose is in trying to explain how that particular trauma has affected memory. So, this isn't really a history book, but it's not a psychological exploration either. Langer, an English professor, uses literary analysis and philosophical exploration to examine the memories. For me, the memory categories were useful, although at times contrived, and, not being up a literary critic or philosopher myself, felt a little lost in the passages that continually referred to Nietzche and Proust.

However, his examination of the memories is extremely powerful and very painful. In all my reading on the Holocaust, I can't say that I have ever been so personally moved (and distraught). From an historical perspective, I am reminded of the pitfalls, but also the immense value, or using oral testimony in research.