14 Best Bernard Schlink Quotes

“I felt a mixture of longing and revulsion.”

This line, spoken by Michael Berg, describes his complex and contradictory feelings towards Hanna Schmitz from their very first encounter. It establishes the central emotional conflict that defines their relationship and Michael's subsequent life, highlighting the magnetic yet disturbing nature of their bond.

“I had to love her. I had to hate her.”

Michael Berg reflects on his enduring, conflicted emotions towards Hanna Schmitz. This encapsulates the profound moral dilemma he faces: his deep personal connection and love for her, juxtaposed with the horrific revelations of her past as an SS guard. It highlights the impossibility of reconciling these two aspects of his experience.

“What I did was wrong, but it was not a crime.”

This is Hanna Schmitz's defiant and morally perplexing statement during her trial. It reveals her inability or refusal to understand the legal and ethical gravity of her actions in the concentration camp, instead focusing on her perceived adherence to orders and her personal shame regarding her illiteracy.

“I was ashamed of my love for her.”

Michael Berg expresses the profound shame he carries throughout his life due to his love for Hanna, a convicted war criminal. This shame is a central theme, illustrating the burden of his secret relationship and the societal judgment he anticipates, even if unspoken. It isolates him and shapes his future relationships.

“I wanted to understand Hanna's crime. It was important to me not to condemn her, but to understand her.”

This reveals Michael Berg's primary motivation as he grapples with Hanna's past. His intellectual and emotional quest is not for judgment, but for comprehension, reflecting a broader post-Holocaust German struggle to come to terms with the actions of the previous generation. This desire drives his lifelong engagement with her story.

“It was the only way I could be close to her.”

Michael Berg reflects on his decision to record himself reading books and sending the tapes to Hanna in prison. This act becomes his sole means of maintaining a connection with her, bridging the physical and emotional distance, and fulfilling his deep-seated need to engage with her, even after her conviction.

“The shame was not that I had loved her, but that I had not understood her.”

This represents a crucial shift in Michael Berg's understanding of his lifelong burden. Initially ashamed of loving a criminal, he later realizes his deeper failing was his inability or unwillingness to fully comprehend the complexities of Hanna's character and actions, particularly her illiteracy and its impact.

“I was her judge, her executioner, her lover, her son.”

Michael Berg articulates the incredibly complex and contradictory roles he felt he played in Hanna's life. This line powerfully summarizes the entangled nature of their relationship, encompassing intimacy, judgment, and a sense of responsibility, highlighting the profound psychological impact Hanna had on him.

“The book was a bridge between us.”

This metaphor highlights the profound significance of reading in Michael and Hanna's relationship. Initially, Michael read to Hanna as a lover; later, his taped readings became their only connection in prison. Books provided a shared world, a means of communication, and ultimately, a path for Hanna's self-education and liberation.

“I had to live with the fact that I had loved a criminal.”

Michael Berg expresses the enduring burden and internal conflict he carries throughout his adult life. This line underscores the profound and inescapable impact of his relationship with Hanna Schmitz, a convicted war criminal, on his identity and his ability to form other meaningful connections.

“I wanted to understand Hanna's crime without excusing it.”

Michael's internal struggle to reconcile his love for Hanna with her past as an SS guard.

“No, I don't want to explain anything. I want to understand.”

Michael reflecting on his attempts to comprehend Hanna's actions and motivations.

“But what was the point of my understanding, if it didn't change anything?”

Michael's frustration with his inability to influence Hanna's fate or truly help her during her trial.

“I had to condemn her and I wanted to understand her.”

Michael's lifelong moral dilemma regarding Hanna, caught between judgment and empathy.