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A review by stephcostello
The White Hotel by D. M. Thomas
4.0
I found that the power of this novel only really becomes apparent once it has been read in its entirety. I read it quickly and almost in a continuous sitting which I believe is the best way to enjoy this book because it is only when you can consider it as a whole that the parts begin to make sense.
Personally I found the first two chapters (the poem and the journal) rather difficult to get my head around. I'm not particularly au fait with Freud's work so maybe some of the references went over my head. That said, as the novel progressed I found it to be one of the most harrowing works I have ever read. At risk of sounding vague in an attempt to avoid giving too much away, the final two chapters of the book will stay with me for a long time and in particular there is a single moment that struck me as possibly the most unsettling that I have ever read.
The novel is a really unique experience and whilst it is in the most part not a particularly enjoyable one, it is a very important one. Any novel dealing with the horrors of the Holocaust is going to be a troubling read but this novel goes above and beyond that. However, the redemptive quality of the final chapter is what really gives the novel it's purpose and makes it a truly important read that I would highly recommend.
Personally I found the first two chapters (the poem and the journal) rather difficult to get my head around. I'm not particularly au fait with Freud's work so maybe some of the references went over my head. That said, as the novel progressed I found it to be one of the most harrowing works I have ever read. At risk of sounding vague in an attempt to avoid giving too much away, the final two chapters of the book will stay with me for a long time and in particular there is a single moment that struck me as possibly the most unsettling that I have ever read.
The novel is a really unique experience and whilst it is in the most part not a particularly enjoyable one, it is a very important one. Any novel dealing with the horrors of the Holocaust is going to be a troubling read but this novel goes above and beyond that. However, the redemptive quality of the final chapter is what really gives the novel it's purpose and makes it a truly important read that I would highly recommend.