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The Pianist
by Wladyslaw Szpilman | History
Registered by wingApoloniaXwing of Bremen, Bremen Germany on Monday, June 15, 2009
Average 8 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by Mahinaarangi): travelling


10 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by wingApoloniaXwing from Bremen, Bremen Germany on Monday, June 15, 2009

8 out of 10

"The powerful, bestselling memoir of a young Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw against all odds, alongside moving extracts from the diary of the German officer who saved his life."

This book stands in for http://bookcrossing.com/journal/4268611, which got lost in the mail.

There is still a bookray to complete
- Ashleigh4985 (UK)
- katacs (Hungary / N. Ireland)
and there are new participants:
- deludeddaydream (UK)
- bookowl1000 (UK)
- nattabee (US)
- peggypostcard (Australia - ship Australasia, int'l if needed)
- briz-cowgirl (Australia, ship intl)
- Mahinaarangi (NZ - ship NZ/Austr., int'l if needed) 

Journal Entry 2 by wingApoloniaXwing at sent by mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, June 17, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (6/17/2009 UTC) at sent by mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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... on the way to Ashleigh4985 in UK ... 

Journal Entry 3 by Ashleigh4985 from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, June 22, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Received in the post today. I am half way through another book but will get started as soon as i finish.

Thanks so much for the fixing the replacement ApoloniaX, i am really looking forward to reading it.



 

Journal Entry 4 by Ashleigh4985 from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, July 02, 2009

9 out of 10

Just finished this book today. I really enjoyed it if you can use that word for such a horrible subject. I have read books about the holocaust before but knew very little about the ghettos. It is amazing what people will do in these situations.

I will pm mazzlestar for their address now and get this moving quickly.

Thanks again
 

Journal Entry 5 by Ashleigh4985 from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, July 10, 2009

This book has not been rated.

This book is still with me becuase i haven't heard from Mazzlestar despite Pm'ing her twice. I am off on holiday 2moro so will leave it until i get back and if i still haven't heard from her will pm the next person on the list.

Sorry for the delay! 

Journal Entry 6 by Ashleigh4985 at -- By Post or by Hand (including controlled releas, Scotland United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 21, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (7/21/2009 UTC) at -- By Post or by Hand (including controlled releas, Scotland United Kingdom

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Missed the post before I went on holiday so sent to Katacs today.

Sorry for the delay and hope you enjoy it. 

Journal Entry 7 by katacs on Monday, July 27, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived today safe and sound.

09.02. Just a quick note to let you know that I didn't forget about this book. I'm moving right now, so I don't have any time, but hopefully I will finish reading in a week or two. 

Journal Entry 8 by katacs at Bookring, to the next reader -- Controlled Releases on Monday, October 05, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (10/5/2009 UTC) at Bookring, to the next reader -- Controlled Releases

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On its way to deludeddaydream. 

Journal Entry 9 by deludeddaydream from Waterlooville, Hampshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 07, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Received safe and sound today. Thanks. :) I should be able to start reading it within the next couple of days.

Update 18.10.09

It took me a long time to settle into this book. It is heavy with narrative (which, I suppose, is one of the characteristics of a memoir), and I always find that hard going. Also, the writing seemed very dispassionate, which struck me as odd given the emotive subject matter, but as I got into the book I began to realise that the author was probably in a state of shock when he wrote it. The most harrowing events are exposed for what they are because they are not over-dramatised or embellished with clever prose.

At the end of the book, having read Szpilman’s own account of life in Warsaw between 1939 and 1945, and the diary entries of the German officer who came to his aid, I was left wondering how the events of WWII had been allowed to happen. It seems preposterous and utterly, utterly wrong, yet I know similar atrocities are still happening in the world today. The epilogue, written by one of Szpilman’s friends, goes some way to explaining events, but I find myself with this quote echoing in my mind: All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. 

Journal Entry 10 by deludeddaydream at Waterlooville, Hampshire United Kingdom on Sunday, October 18, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (10/18/2009 UTC) at Waterlooville, Hampshire United Kingdom

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Popped in the post to bookowl1000. :-) 

Journal Entry 11 by bookowl1000 from FoShan, Guangdong China on Wednesday, October 21, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived safely this morning. Thank you.

I enjoyed the film of this book, so am looking forward to reading this. Good timing: the postal strike starts tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 12 by bookowl1000 from FoShan, Guangdong China on Sunday, October 25, 2009

9 out of 10

I took this book with me on a trip to London, 3 hours each way meant I needed something good to read. Having seen the film, and owning the soundtrack I found that when I was reading the book I was hearing the music at the same time: the piece composed as the theme track of the film is very moving.

I agree with deludeddaydream that the account was written in a dispassionate way; I have always found this time period fascinating and have read many accounts from civilians and military personnal on both sides, and have noticed that writing in a dispassionate way is very common. I have read truly horrific incidents being described as if they were everyday events and 'not a big deal'. When such things become commonplace I think people very quickly become desensitised. Maybe the only way to survive atrocities is to disconnect.

Also, denial is a very powerful emotion; disregarding rumours and clinging to the belief that things could not get as bad as what was being said could be the reason why at first Jewish people accepted what they were told and hoped for the best, while the average German person did not see what was going on. If you do not want to see something then you don't. 

Journal Entry 13 by bookowl1000 at Chepstow, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, October 26, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (10/26/2009 UTC) at Chepstow, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Posted to nattabee today.

Hopefully it will not get caught up in the postal strike difficulties. 

Journal Entry 14 by nattabee from Madisonville, Kentucky USA on Friday, November 06, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Thanks to bookowl1000 for the book and the lovely postcard of London, which I will be using to mark my place as I read! I too, have just watched the movie, and look forward to reading the book, even with the mixed reviews so far.
I am in the middle of another book, but this will be next. Thanks for allowing me to join in on the experience. 

Journal Entry 15 by nattabee from Madisonville, Kentucky USA on Monday, November 23, 2009

9 out of 10

This is an excellent book! I understand everyone's remarks about the dispassionate writing, but I believe that's exactly what I liked about the book. The writer is giving the facts just as I would imagine any survivor would (of something so terrible). Also, I believe it was stated in the Forward (by Wladyslaw Szpilman's son) that his father was not a writer, so he wasn't telling the story in a way that a writer of fiction would.
I was also able to derive my own feelings from just his graphic account of what happened.
Wilm Hosenfeld's journal entries didn't do as much for me, but I believe that they are a good reminder that not all Germans agreed with what was happening, and indeed, this was a man who saved the life of a Jew, and then lost his life in a POW camp.

Thanks. This is a fantastic read for anyone who is interested in this era. 

Journal Entry 16 by nattabee from Madisonville, Kentucky USA on Saturday, November 28, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Off in the mail to peggypostcard! 

Journal Entry 17 by wingredfox5wing from Sandhurst, Berkshire United Kingdom on Friday, December 11, 2009

This book has not been rated.

I think I got this by mistake...the custom form on the back is to me with all the details for the big package you sent me the other day. Don't worry tho I will send it off to it's rightful owner once I get the address!
Does look like an intresting book tho, think I will put it on my wishlist! 

Journal Entry 18 by wingredfox5wing at to next participant, a ring/ray -- Controlled Releases on Monday, December 14, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (12/14/2009 UTC) at to next participant, a ring/ray -- Controlled Releases

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After having a short break in cold grey England, The Pianist is now on it's way to sunny Australia :) 

Journal Entry 19 by peggypostcard from Glen Iris, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, December 29, 2009

This book has not been rated.

The book arrived in my mailbox today. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for posting! 

Journal Entry 20 by peggypostcard at Petersham, New South Wales Australia on Friday, February 05, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (2/4/2010 UTC) at Petersham, New South Wales Australia

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This book was fascinating. I saw the film when it was first released but the depth of insight in the book is incomparable. The inclusion of excerpts from the German officer's diary was a thoughtful way to end the story.

Posting to the next reader this afternoon. 

Journal Entry 21 by briz-cowgirl from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Tuesday, February 09, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Hooray, I'm next! Received from peggypostcard yesterday, thank you. I will be starting this one very shortly :) 

Journal Entry 22 by briz-cowgirl from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Monday, February 15, 2010

8 out of 10

Took me a little while to settle into this book, but once I was there, I couldn't put it down. The author was so matter-of-fact about the events; those sections of his diary where he was close to dying from starvation I found almost more moving because he had just accepted his fate and was just 'telling the story'. Really liked the German officer's diary extract at the end. It's cheap Tuesday at the dvd shop today, so I might try to get a copy of the film to round things off. Thanks ApoloniaX for hosting this bookring. Waiting on the next participant's address. 

Journal Entry 23 by briz-cowgirl from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Sunday, February 28, 2010

This book has not been rated.

I have Mahinaarangi's address now, so the book will be heading across the ditch today or tomorrow! 

Journal Entry 24 by briz-cowgirl at Brisbane, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, February 28, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (3/1/2010 UTC) at Brisbane, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Heading off to Mahinaarangi in NZ! 

Journal Entry 25 by Mahinaarangi from Waihi, Waikato-Coromandel New Zealand on Friday, March 19, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Mea culpa.
I received this about 10 days ago. THANKYOU. I haven't started it yet but when I do, I hope I'll be quick. Please be patient, an thanks. 

Journal Entry 26 by Mahinaarangi from Waihi, Waikato-Coromandel New Zealand on Wednesday, April 07, 2010

8 out of 10

I received this at the end of the school term, and have just finished it.
It was grim reading but well worth it. It's the first book I have read taken from the Polish angle.
Now I've got to figure who I'm sending it to next. 



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