The Pianist

Finished reading ‘The Pianist’ today. Most of you will be familiar with the film adaptation released in 2002, but the autobiography was first released back in 1945, or at least that’s when it was wrote. The book was suppressed by the new communist Russia as it was claimed to contain too many truths. Too much about the collaboration of the Nazi’s with the Ukrainians, Poles and Russians. It also was a bit too heavy, too much too soon you might say.

I found it rather disturbing to read. I’ve seen the film multiple times, so I knew what I was getting, but it’s always different reading the book. Sitting down, coffee in hand, iPod switched on, you connect with the book in a completely different way to how you view film. The book was pretty much the same storyline. The film didn’t miss anything out.

At the end of the book was some extracts from Wilm Hosenfeld’s diary. The German officer that found Wladyslaw towards the end of the war, hiding in the upstairs lofts. Wilm was out of contact with the war, as I presume most German’s would have been. They knew what was going on, yet they let it happen. Wilm reflects on these thoughts in his diary. I found that pretty upsetting to read.

If you’ve seen the film, then I suggest you read the book too. If you haven’t seen/read either, then do it now. This is something not to be missed. Very sad