The Tattooist Of Auschwitz – Heather Morris (2018) Book Review

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“If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day.”

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The Tattooist of Auschwitz is arguably the most widely read and discussed historical novel of recent times. Based on the real-life experiences of Lale Sokolov, it tells the story of a Slovakian Jew who is forced to work as a tattooist in Auschwitz-Birkenau, marking fellow prisoners with the numbers that would come to define their existence within this infamous camp. Alongside this, it is a story of Lale’s relationship with Gita, presenting a story of love and hope amidst the unimaginable horrors. But what did we make of The Tattooist of Auschwitz? Join us at What We Reading for our The Tattooist of Auschwitz book review to find out! 

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Date Published: 2018

Author: Heather Morris 

Genre: Historical fiction, World War II

Pages: 272

Goodreads Rating: 4.32/5

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The Tattooist Of Auschwitz Summary

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, was forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tatowierer, tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners. Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism – but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. 

One day in July 1942, Lale comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her. A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful recreation of Lale’s experiences, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions. 

What Worked

Off the bat, one of the most compelling aspects of The Tattooist of Auschwitz is simply that it exists at all. Stories grounded in real experiences – especially ones as significant and devastating as the Holocaust – carry a different sort of weight. Whilst the book by its own admission blends fact with fictionalised elements, its core purpose is clear: to preserve and share the voices of the survivors. That alone lends the book a sense of urgency and importance that resonates far beyond the page. And credit should go to both Lale Sokolov and Heather Morris for bringing that to such a wide audience. 

Hope and resilience are prominent themes in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Rather than solely focusing on suffering, it’s a story that explores how individuals found ways – however small – to endure. The routines, mindsets, and quiet acts of survival lend a different type of emotional texture, which felt decently fresh. 

Lale’s role as the camp’s tattooist was also an interesting new layer to the narrative. It’s not something that’s widely known, and positions the story with a more complex position within the camp hierarchy. Through his interactions with the SS officers, his fellow prisoners, and the world outside, the novel highlights how blurred and complicated these dynamics can become. 

Finally, the attention Morris gives to the different groups and nationalities within the camp adds another dimension to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. The language barriers, tensions, and factions that naturally form offer a glimpse into a less frequently discussed aspect of camp life. It’s an element that enriches the narrative and, if anything, was something we could have done with more of. 

What Didn’t

Let’s get my biggest gripe with The Tattooist of Auschwitz out of the way first: I just wasn’t that moved by it. That feels like a difficult thing to admit, given the real-world horrors behind the story; however, I think the biggest reason for this comes down to Morris’ writing. The prose here is so functional – stripped back so that it lacks any real vivid or evocative language that might fully capture the brutality of the camps or the emotional weight of Lale and Gita’s relationship. 

Perhaps this is to be expected, given how The Tattooist of Auschwitz began life originally as a screenplay. That background is painfully evident in the pacing: the story rockets along quickly with a clipped, almost matter-of-fact delivery that can feel at odds with the gravity of what’s being depicted. It’s accessible and easy to read, but I do think it leaves The Tattooist of Auschwitz without the full emotional weight of what’s happening. 

We also need to highlight some of the major historical inaccuracies that have been targeted at The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It’s understandable that a narrative focused around one man’s recollections may contain some inconsistencies; however, when we’re dealing with something as serious as the Holocaust, I think it’s the duty of a writer to ensure the broader depictions are as accurate as possible. 

More broadly, the book’s commercial success (complete with a major TV adaptation now) feels a bit tricky for me. The fictionalisation of such a sensitive and devastating period of human history can feel uneasy, especially when the novel is positioned in a way that may leave some of us viewing it as a definitive account. 

For a lot of readers, this may be their main exposure to the realities of the Holocaust, and the idea that it might present a simplified or potentially even (at least partially) inaccurate picture is tough to ignore. 

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Verdict

There’s absolutely no denying that The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a story that carries with it a huge amount of importance. Its emphasis on hope, resilience, and survival – grounded in the very real experiences of Lale Sokolov – has clearly resonated with a huge audience, and its success speaks to a continued desire to engage with stories from this period of history. 

But the novel’s emotional distance, sparse writing style, and wider concerns around historical accuracy make it a more complicated reading experience. Whilst it succeeds in bringing attention to an important story, it doesn’t always capture the full extent, nuance, or even realities of life during the Holocaust in a way that feels impactful or as reliable as I would like. 

Because of this, while this is a book that may spark interest and reflection (undoubtedly a good thing), it works best as a starting point rather than a definitive account. If you found yourself moved by Lale and Gita’s story, I would encourage you to explore further works on the subjects – especially other survivor memoirs and non-fiction accounts – that offer a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of this devastating chapter in our history. 

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Our Rating: 2.5/5

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