“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
― Elie Wiesel
Night, first published in 1960s is a work by Elie Wiesel about his experience with his father in the Nazi German concentration camps both Auschwitz and Buchenwald, at the height of the Holocaust toward the end of the Second World War.
I read Night because of my earlier read Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. In that book, Sapolsky had quoted Elie Wiesel and that quote is stuck in my mind. “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” It’s unimaginably deep quote. If we do not care, if we stay silent, if we do not pick sides, the world will fall apart. I don’t think I’ve realized it before or not to full extent of that it is a great crime to remain silent. And so I was intrigued by this book.
“To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”
― Elie Wiesel, Night
Night (again I listened to it) was shocking, beautiful, torturous read. It describes undescribable horros and undescribable pain. Thinking about the book makes causes me to shiver. I felt like crying so many times but at the same time I couldn’t stop listening to this book.
Let’s start with the title. Night. It’s not just the darkness outside but also the darkness within. It’s not a night you’d imagine at first. It’s a night so full of smoke that you cannot breathe. Despair so strong that the dawn will never come. A Night that does not end.
“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed….Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.”
― Elie Wiesel, Night
People lost hope and stopped believing in their God. Because why would God be silent through all of this. As one man describes: “I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.” It’s a scary read because it also describes how people lose not just their belief but also their humanity. Cruelty becomes a new norm. People turn against one another as self-preservation takes over. Words like Brother, Father, Friend are meaningless.
“One more stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less reason to live.”
― Elie Wiesel, Night
Audio performance by acclaimed George Guidall was just a stunning one. I felt like it was Wiesel himself was telling the story as Guidall’s voice truthfully carried all the impossible pain. My audio book also included Wiesel’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech and preface to new edition of the book and it made me so mad. Original version of the Night was over 800 pages long and it was cut basically every time it was published. And author had to plead and beg to get his work published in many countries. Imagine that.
I feel like I’m unworthy to review this book. I could write thrice as long review from what it already have and still I wouldn’t be able to describe this properly. I guess for me, the most important lesson from this and from Wiesel was how neutrality kills. How indifference kills.
Night touched me to the very core. It’s brutal but necessary read. One of the best reads of my life. I loved it and I will be haunted by it.
5/5 stars
How-To Read Night
1. Just 120 pages but it feels like 1000 pages long. It’s a heart-wrenching book and even though I would like to urge everyone to read this, it’s a difficult book and I know some will find it hard to stomach. Then again, you have no right not to know. We must take responsibility for humanity’s sake.
2.Night is a trilogy so there are two more books to read: Dawn and Day. I’ve heard they’re more fragmented than Night but I cannot not leave them unread.
3.It’s a beautiful book. Yes, it’s about holocaust but Wiesel’s thoughts on all his experiences are uniquely expressed. So many lines make you stop and think.
“Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere.”
― Elie Wiesel, Night
Have you read this? Thoughts?
“you have no right not to know” – exactly this, is what I’m always thinking when people act horrified and say they don’t want to read things like this. Perfectly said. I’ve also always felt so affected by the quote about love and indifference, I completely agree. This was a phenomenal book, I loved how you described and discussed it (hard as that is to do!)
It often drives me mad when people say that. Also it drives me even more mad when people say they don’t read nonfiction, not at all. In sense, I get it. Like if you are familiar with the topic, why read endless amount of same sad stories. On the other hand, 6 million people died because of holocaust alone so should we not read all of the works of survivors to honor the memory. Who else will eventually know of this if not us.
I’m in love with that quote…I feel like making a poster featuring it and hanging it on my wall. Thank you!
I completely agree. Every time I read another book from this era, the story is new no matter how similar to the others. It feels so important to know and recognize these, because look at how things go..history repeats…there’s nothing to be gained in not being well versed in the past. Unfortunately, so many people close themselves off to this or write things off as being too sad when that’s just missing the point entirely.
It’s a wonderful quote…love that idea of making it art and hanging it up! We need the reminders of these kind of things that speak so strongly to us :)
Yes, perfectly summarised! You inspired me to write a post! :)
The future we’ll have in 50 years or so terrifies me because I feel like despite all the information being easily accessible, people are still ignorant.
True! :)
Ah I read this one many years ago and the power of it still lingers all these years later. Lovely post matey!
x The Captain
It’s utterly wondrous book! Thank ye Cap’n!
“you have no right not to know” – exactly this, is what I’m always thinking when people act horrified and say they don’t want to read things like this. Perfectly said. I’ve also always felt so affected by the quote about love and indifference, I completely agree. This was a phenomenal book, I loved how you described and discussed it (hard as that is to do!)
It often drives me mad when people say that. Also it drives me even more mad when people say they don’t read nonfiction, not at all. In sense, I get it. Like if you are familiar with the topic, why read endless amount of same sad stories. On the other hand, 6 million people died because of holocaust alone so should we not read all of the works of survivors to honor the memory. Who else will eventually know of this if not us.
I’m in love with that quote…I feel like making a poster featuring it and hanging it on my wall. Thank you!
I completely agree. Every time I read another book from this era, the story is new no matter how similar to the others. It feels so important to know and recognize these, because look at how things go..history repeats…there’s nothing to be gained in not being well versed in the past. Unfortunately, so many people close themselves off to this or write things off as being too sad when that’s just missing the point entirely.
It’s a wonderful quote…love that idea of making it art and hanging it up! We need the reminders of these kind of things that speak so strongly to us :)
Yes, perfectly summarised! You inspired me to write a post! :)
The future we’ll have in 50 years or so terrifies me because I feel like despite all the information being easily accessible, people are still ignorant.
True! :)
Ah I read this one many years ago and the power of it still lingers all these years later. Lovely post matey!
x The Captain
It’s utterly wondrous book! Thank ye Cap’n!