The Assault
by Harry Mulisch
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Book Summary Information
Author: Harry MulischEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); Dutch (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1986-03-12
ISBN: 0394744209
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Pantheon
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780394744209
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Assault
Book Review: "The Assault"...a WW II masterpiece by Harry Mulisch
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Assault" is a work of fiction by Harry Mulisch. This soft cover book is 186 pages in length.
Foreword:
I came across this book as a result of my stumbling across an obituary in one of our local papers. It took up about 1/3 of a page and mentioned that the author was renowned for his WW II story "The Assault". Previously I'd never heard of Harry Mulisch or this tale. However, because of the high praise mentioned for the book in the obit. plus the fact that I've always had an interest in events concerning WW II, I decided to get this book...a very rewarding decision.
*SPOILER*
It's Holland, January 1945...remembered as the 'winter of starvation' for reasons most of us can guess, but little appreciate. As the war is winding down in the still occupied town of Haarlem, a hated Nazi collaborator has been shot and killed on the street one freezing winter night. This occurs in front of a collection of four houses, containing four families. Anton Steenjwijk, then a 12 year old boy, is about to have is life irrevocably changed in the following minutes. Mistaken information, deliberate misdirection and a Gestapo that really doesn't care if the gets the murderer, just so long as it appears someone is made to pay...all these factors have a part to play in Anton's confusion (at the time and for years to come) regarding this unforgettable night.
His story continues through to 1981, and despite his every attempt to suppress his memory of this night of horror, a series of chance meetings, sporadically spread over the years with other people involved in that infamous few moments, bring him to finally and painfully understand the peculiar circumstances that occurred that fateful evening.
*END SPOILER*
Well written (nothing seems to be lost in translation to English), intriguing and almost impossible to put down. The story is so poignant, so emotionally traumatizing, when seen through Anton's eyes, it's almost impossible not to empathize with him, even though he spends most of his adult years trying to simply forget.
Conclusion:
A short story about some of the horrific events of WW II. Not really graphic, but told in a manner that inspires awe and admiration towards the gifted author and the people about whom he writes. 5 Stars.
Ray Nicholson
P.S.
Those of us who have never experienced a hostile occupation, especially of the scale that occurred in WW II and the abuse that accompanied it, can never really appreciated what memories the survivors must have. I've looked after War Vets, and every once in a while you'd see a guy sitting by himself, quietly crying...you'd never interfere, you knew why...memories!
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