The Reader

Michael looks for Hanna everywhere, and his body desires her. His brother says he cries out “Hanna” in the night, and during school, he dreams about her. Six months pass. Michael and his family move, and his intense longing for Hanna ostensibly decreases. At high school and university, he makes friends easily, and he feels happy, although Michael reflects that he might not have been happy. Looking back on those years, Michael realizes how Hanna impacted his relationships and his vow not to feel guilty or love a person who could hurt him. Any type of affection gave him a lump in his throat.

Sophie has tuberculosis, and she and Michael have sex. Sophie discerns that Michael doesn’t like her and cries. She wonders what happened to him.

The narrative skips to Michael’s time in law school. He goes to court to observe a trial and sees Hanna in the courtroom. He’s there for a university seminar about the Nazi past and current trials for war crimes. Michael doesn’t remember what they wanted to analyze, validate, or reject, but he recalls debates about how and when to apply laws to past periods.

In class, Michael and the other students consider themselves determined explorers.