ACX gives a prize for best book review every year, publishing the top entries on the site. I chose one that looked good, The Escape Artist, about Walter Rosenberg, one of the very few Jews to escape from Auschwitz. Escapes are usually gripping, but this one is set apart because it is not as morally clear and neat as nearly all others. The last part of the book is demoralising, as Walter has escaped with detailed eyewitness testimony about the death camp, but he cannot get much of anyone to believe him or do anything about it. The reviewer speculates who the actual villain is in this tale and concludes that for Walter, human nature is the ultimate villain and problem. It's an odd conclusion but it is rather compelling how he gets there.
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