I almost forgot how much I love Mr. Wiesel’s writing until I saw this book on display at my local library. Night has always been one of my favorite books of all time so I figured his other books would be just as good. I was not disappointed, even though the novel started out slow. The novel takes place in 1975 Brooklyn.
While the main plot of Hostage is about being a hostage, it is so much more than that. It’s about inner mental strength, perseverance, and sticking to your beliefs even when you feel like you are in Hell. Throughout the entire novel, Shaltiel Feignberg focuses on the memories of his past to distract himself from the present situation. He goes through his major life events from childhood and on.
He, a storyteller, tells us of how chess saved him from WWII and Auschwitz when he was a child. He speaks lovingly of his father. He tells us stories of his family, his adventures abroad, and his wife. He often wondered if his family was worried about him and if they were looking for him. Little to his knowledge, the U.S. and other countries published articles about his disappearance, abduction, and hostage situation.
You’re probably wondering who took him hostage and why. You want to know if he lives or dies. Unfortunately, I am not going to give you that information. I will tell you that the book taught me something about myself that I never knew and that is one of the greatest gifts you can receive from literature.
Contemplating Reason 