夜鶯讀後感 spoiler alert

spoiler alert, all the secrets were out.   

    I was reading a book called TheNightingale by KristinHanna.  My sister listened the book first and really liked it.  I found a large print version in library and finished the first few chapters and sat on it until the time to renew.  Do not know why.  I really like the first chapter.  But after that, it became a drag.  Most of the middle part was really heavy.  Until Isabelle decided to do something extra ordinary.  Then the description of the first escape, the killing, the failed escape, and Jewish roundup, each segments was really powerful, vivid, and well paced.  I can feel clearly the impact of each storyline.  I was quite impressed.  However, the tone of the story telling was already dreadful.  The concentration camp part did not add much to an already heavy plot line.  And the rape storyline was heavy handed.   I think the rape brought the extra layer of Vianne was not a bad idea.  But the scenes described it was horrendous.  My sister said rape is universal, I understand, for it appeared in movies, and many other media.  But here, I think was used to paint a wicked man rather than showing how sad Vianne's situation was.  I felt the author cannot think other ways to end Vianne's storyline, this became her choice.  At the beginning, I did not like the scenes between Vianne and Beck.  It is like sometimes when I read a story, I can understand the intention of the author, but I also feel the intention fails to resonate in me.  And here's the same thing, I felt that Vianne and Beck line actually worked well.  Because it's a huge impact for Vianne personally, and as a reader, I am able to feel the heavy blow.  But rape, I felt it's rushed and redundant, very cliche, by introducing a character whose only purpose is to torment and gone.  It's author's skill, because it helped to end Vianne's storyline, and connect the past and present with that son of hers.  But redundant, and cliche.  

    I really liked the first chapter, the detailed psychological descriptions of a Mother.  I especially liked the quote "in love you find out what you want to be, in war, you find out what you are."  My sister said there's mystery throughout the book, who's the narrator at year 1995.  And I guessed correctly about 3/5 way through the book.  I think it's interesting that Vianne named her son after her father.   Her father was distant and yet at the end, showed his true love.   Maybe there's a connection?