Night, by Elie Wiesel

 

Night, by Elie Wiesel

 

The first English translation of Elie Wiesel’s book Night was published in 1960 (originally published in Yiddish in 1956 and French in 1958). I stumbled upon the 2006 edition on Saturday at a used bookstore, and I read Wiesel’s book for the first time yesterday. It’s the story of Wiesel’s life as a teenager when he and his Jewish family were taken to Nazi concentration camps. I have heard much about the book via quotes and commentary over the past decades, and I’m not sure why I never got round to reading it until so late. I recommend the book. There’s a deep sadness and hopelessness to it. It is terribly dark. In my heart, I wept. And I almost wept out loud. I am glad the book has a foreword by Francois Mauriac (Wiesel’s Christian friend, a journalist who encouraged Wiesel to put to print his experiences in the cattle cars, forced marches, and concentration camps). And I am glad the book has an afterword that is a copy of Wiesel’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize (given in Oslo on December 10, 1986). The foreword and afterword give glimmers of hope.