Jim Thompson - The Killer Inside Me

This book was first published in 1952 and it is 2007 and it is still very timely.

Lou Ford is a deputy sheriff somewhere in Texas. Everybody likes him because of his friendlyness, helpfullness etc. .
In the beginning of the first pages the reader experiences Lous other side:
Behind all the niceness and helpfulness lurks a sadistic animal whose veins lie in bodily and mental abuse.

The book is written out of Lous perspective, the psychopath without mercy for his victims. Based on the events of his youth, the loss of his brother, who took Lous guilt and paid with his life, a hate-love developes particulary against a special type of women.
Lou kills several people and seems to be always in control.
What has to be will be done, is necessary for him. He is confident nobody could possibly do any harm to him.

Rating:
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ISBN-13: 9780679733973
ISBN-10: 0679733973
Publisher: Vintage
Publication Date: 3/13/1991
Pages: 256
Book Type: Paperback

Jane Yolen - The Devil's Arithmetic

One might imagine the books description tells all and you already know what will happen etc. but let me tell you, I have read a lot of books about the Second World War and the Holocaust.
Hard facts, peoples destiny during those times.
This book is fiction, told by a author with Jewish descent, thinking it is time to let go and no longer remember at any holiday or occasion what happend in the past.
She writes what most German people of the second generation past the Second World War feel, think and live. Most people are sick of hearing of it, sick of being blamed for what their ancestors did, sick of paying and sick of still wearing the invisible sign of being a German. I know that because I am German and had a lot of discussions with people from other countries.

So it is quite fantastic and emotional that a jewish author picks up this high sensible topic to write a book why people are sick of remembering and why it is important to not to forget.

There is this little girl Hannah, who is bored and rebellious with all this jewish rituals every year. She opens a door and is transported into the past. Not any past, it is the past of her own ancestors and a journey that ends in a concentration camp and the gas chamber.

It remembered me that when no one´s left to remember mankind, there won´t be someone who´s going to protect us against the same happening again and to tell us what can happen all over the world when there´s one person with the ability to influence a whole nation and more.

Rating:
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ISBN-13: 9780142401095
ISBN-10: 0142401099
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication Date: 4/12/2004
Pages: 176
Book Type: Paperback

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