Literature or Life
Book description
Jorge Semprun was twenty years old - already an accomplished philosopher and poet - when arrested by Nazis for activites in the French Resistance. He was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. Literature or Life, a bestseller in France, is a deeply personal account not only of Semprun's time at Buchenwald,…
Why read it?
1 author picked Literature or Life as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I never imagined becoming completely absorbed by a quasi-philosophical meditation about survival—especially not by a self-styled Spanish intellectual and Communist with a capital "C." I became entranced, however, by Jorge Semprun’s inner struggle to find the words to convey his experiences in the Buchenwald concentration camp.
Of course, he does find the words—powerful, incisive, kinetic – though it took him 50+ years to do so. Why so long? Because, he writes, had he tried to turn his trauma into “literature” earlier, he might well have committed suicide. Instead, he chose life - and went on to co-author Z, the…
From Mel's list on resilience and surviving the horrors of World War II.
Want books like Literature or Life?
Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Literature or Life.
Browse books like Literature or Life
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in the Buchenwald concentration camp, the French Resistance, and Jerusalem?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about the Buchenwald concentration camp, the French Resistance, and Jerusalem.