Elie Wiesel quote in Sophie's Choice
ForumJewish History
Melde dich bei LibraryThing an, um Nachrichten zu schreiben.
Dieses Thema ruht momentan. Die letzte Nachricht liegt mehr als 90 Tage zurück. Du kannst es wieder aufgreifen, indem du eine neue Antwort schreibst.
1Cecrow
In the novel Sophie's Choice appears this quote:
"A survivor, Elie Wiesel, has written: “Novelists made free use of the Holocaust in their work…In so doing they cheapened it, drained it of its substance. The Holocaust was now a hot topic, fashionable, guaranteed to gain attention and to achieve instant success…” I do not know how ultimately valid any of this is, but I am aware of the risk."
Wiesel, of course, is the Jewish author of Night among other works. I'm curious where this quote of his can be found; perhaps it was from an interview or an essay.
How valid do you think Wiesel's point is? Have you read a novel that made you feel this element was being included for the reason he charges? I've certainly come across it often (most recently in Sarah's Key and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), but I've yet to encounter a novel that treats it disrepectfully or is clearly cashing in. Then again, I haven't read many novels published earlier than Sophie's Choice that have that subject matter, so my sampling is weak.
"A survivor, Elie Wiesel, has written: “Novelists made free use of the Holocaust in their work…In so doing they cheapened it, drained it of its substance. The Holocaust was now a hot topic, fashionable, guaranteed to gain attention and to achieve instant success…” I do not know how ultimately valid any of this is, but I am aware of the risk."
Wiesel, of course, is the Jewish author of Night among other works. I'm curious where this quote of his can be found; perhaps it was from an interview or an essay.
How valid do you think Wiesel's point is? Have you read a novel that made you feel this element was being included for the reason he charges? I've certainly come across it often (most recently in Sarah's Key and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), but I've yet to encounter a novel that treats it disrepectfully or is clearly cashing in. Then again, I haven't read many novels published earlier than Sophie's Choice that have that subject matter, so my sampling is weak.
2C.Vick
It is from the journal Sh'ma (OCTOBER 31, 1975) from an piece titled "For some measure of humility."
The full quote appears on page 315 as follows:
Novelists made free use of it the Holocaust in their work,
scholars used itto prove their theories, politicians
to win votes. In sodoing they cheapened the Holocaust;
they drained itof its substance. The Holocaust was
now a hot topic,fashionable, guaranteed to gain attention
and to achieve instant success.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/wiesel-shma
The full quote appears on page 315 as follows:
Novelists made free use of it the Holocaust in their work,
scholars used itto prove their theories, politicians
to win votes. In sodoing they cheapened the Holocaust;
they drained itof its substance. The Holocaust was
now a hot topic,fashionable, guaranteed to gain attention
and to achieve instant success.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/wiesel-shma
