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A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor
An inspiring story of resilience and the power of optimism—the true story of Alice Herz-Sommer, the world’s oldest living Holocaust survivor.
At 108 years old, the pianist Alice Herz-Sommer is an eyewitness to the entire last century and the first decade of this one. She has seen it all, surviving the Theresienstadt concentration camp, attending the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem, and along the way coming into contact with some of the most fascinating historical figures of our time. As a child in Prague, she spent weekends and holidays in the company of Franz Kafka (whom she knew as “Uncle Franz”), and Gustav Mahler, Sigmund Freud, and Rainer Maria Rilke were friendly with her mother. When Alice moved to Israel after the war, Golda Meir attended her house concerts, as did Arthur Rubinstein, Leonard Bernstein, and Isaac Stern. Today Alice lives in London, where she still practices piano for hours every day.
Despite her imprisonment in Theresienstadt and the murders of her mother, husband, and friends by the Nazis, and much later the premature death of her son, Alice has been victorious in her ability to live a life without bitterness. She credits music as the key to her survival, as well as her ability to acknowledge the humanity in each person, even her enemies. A Century of Wisdom is the remarkable and inspiring story of one woman’s lifelong determination—in the face of some of the worst evils known to man—to find goodness in life. It is a testament to the bonds of friendship, the power of music, and the importance of leading a life of material simplicity, intellectual curiosity, and never-ending optimism.
Foreword by Václav Havel
At 108 years old, the pianist Alice Herz-Sommer is an eyewitness to the entire last century and the first decade of this one. She has seen it all, surviving the Theresienstadt concentration camp, attending the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem, and along the way coming into contact with some of the most fascinating historical figures of our time. As a child in Prague, she spent weekends and holidays in the company of Franz Kafka (whom she knew as “Uncle Franz”), and Gustav Mahler, Sigmund Freud, and Rainer Maria Rilke were friendly with her mother. When Alice moved to Israel after the war, Golda Meir attended her house concerts, as did Arthur Rubinstein, Leonard Bernstein, and Isaac Stern. Today Alice lives in London, where she still practices piano for hours every day.
Despite her imprisonment in Theresienstadt and the murders of her mother, husband, and friends by the Nazis, and much later the premature death of her son, Alice has been victorious in her ability to live a life without bitterness. She credits music as the key to her survival, as well as her ability to acknowledge the humanity in each person, even her enemies. A Century of Wisdom is the remarkable and inspiring story of one woman’s lifelong determination—in the face of some of the worst evils known to man—to find goodness in life. It is a testament to the bonds of friendship, the power of music, and the importance of leading a life of material simplicity, intellectual curiosity, and never-ending optimism.
Foreword by Václav Havel
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
January 13, 2014
When Alice Sommer was a young woman, she was deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp along with her six-year-old son Rafi and husband Leopold. A hugely successful concert pianist in Czechoslovakia her music, she feels, saved her life. In the camp she was able to keep Rafi with her because of his age, but Leopold was taken to the men's side of the camp. She never saw him again.
The devastation of not being able to keep Rafi from hunger tore at her, but with him by her side she could keep him safe. She played on a broken down old piano which the Germans had stolen from a Jewish household, but she still made deeply heartfelt music. There were others there who were also musicians, and they formed a musical group...music made them happy, kept them from thinking too deeply about the horrors surrounding them. Alice felt a deep connection to Beethoven and played his music (from memory) as often as she could. (She still plays his work to this day, even at age 110 and with arthritis in her fingers).
One day when she was leaving the hall where her latest concert had been performed, a young Nazi soldier quietly thanked her for the beautiful music she played. He also told her she was safe - she and Rafi would never be sent to Auschwitz. To this day she doesn't know that young man's rank, doesn't know if he survived the war, doesn't even know his name - but she is sure he saved hers and Rafi's lives. (Checking archives many years later found that indeed Alice and Rafi's names were not on the list of Jews to be sent to Auschwitz).
When Alice was a young girl, her family had many friends. Among them were Franz Kafka, who spent a lot of time at Alice's home, and she remembers him fondly; also a very dear friend, Golda Meir; their friendship picked up after the war, much to Alice's delight. Her son Rafi grew to love music also, and became a very famous cellist. His concerts were world reknown before his death. Alice forbade any talk about the Holocaust after the war - she had no desire to revisit those times, and wanted Rafi to forget; the future was a gift and they would live it with love and determination.
Alice is an amazing lady, a total inspiration to everyone - people who know her well, and people who don't (and have only read about her remarkable life). She has many sayings that she lives by which are listed in the back of the book - a couple; "Every day is a miracle. No matter how bad my circumstances, I have the freedom to choose my attitude to life, even to find joy. Evil is not new. It is up to us how we deal with both good and bad. No one can take this power away from us." And; "Life is beautiful. Sitting together and talking about everything with friends is beautiful."
On the 26th November, 2013 Alice turned 110 years old - the oldest Holocaust survivor in the world. The author ends the book with Alice's words "When I die I can have a good feeling. I have done my best. I believe I lived my life the right way."
I would like to recommend this book to everyone, and I recommend it highly.
The devastation of not being able to keep Rafi from hunger tore at her, but with him by her side she could keep him safe. She played on a broken down old piano which the Germans had stolen from a Jewish household, but she still made deeply heartfelt music. There were others there who were also musicians, and they formed a musical group...music made them happy, kept them from thinking too deeply about the horrors surrounding them. Alice felt a deep connection to Beethoven and played his music (from memory) as often as she could. (She still plays his work to this day, even at age 110 and with arthritis in her fingers).
One day when she was leaving the hall where her latest concert had been performed, a young Nazi soldier quietly thanked her for the beautiful music she played. He also told her she was safe - she and Rafi would never be sent to Auschwitz. To this day she doesn't know that young man's rank, doesn't know if he survived the war, doesn't even know his name - but she is sure he saved hers and Rafi's lives. (Checking archives many years later found that indeed Alice and Rafi's names were not on the list of Jews to be sent to Auschwitz).
When Alice was a young girl, her family had many friends. Among them were Franz Kafka, who spent a lot of time at Alice's home, and she remembers him fondly; also a very dear friend, Golda Meir; their friendship picked up after the war, much to Alice's delight. Her son Rafi grew to love music also, and became a very famous cellist. His concerts were world reknown before his death. Alice forbade any talk about the Holocaust after the war - she had no desire to revisit those times, and wanted Rafi to forget; the future was a gift and they would live it with love and determination.
Alice is an amazing lady, a total inspiration to everyone - people who know her well, and people who don't (and have only read about her remarkable life). She has many sayings that she lives by which are listed in the back of the book - a couple; "Every day is a miracle. No matter how bad my circumstances, I have the freedom to choose my attitude to life, even to find joy. Evil is not new. It is up to us how we deal with both good and bad. No one can take this power away from us." And; "Life is beautiful. Sitting together and talking about everything with friends is beautiful."
On the 26th November, 2013 Alice turned 110 years old - the oldest Holocaust survivor in the world. The author ends the book with Alice's words "When I die I can have a good feeling. I have done my best. I believe I lived my life the right way."
I would like to recommend this book to everyone, and I recommend it highly.
August 28, 2013
Look at the complete title of this book. The book is more about Alice Herz-Sommer's life philosophy than the events that shaped that philosophy. She is the oldest living holocaust survivor. Yes, she is still living and will be 110 in November 2013. She and her son survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp. She has met many famous musicians, conductors, composers, philosophers, authors and politicians. She speaks of their accomplishments and how she came to know each of them. Kafka she met when still a child. He was a friend of her older sister's husband. Gustav Mahler, Sigmund Freud, and Rainer Maria Rilke were friends of her mother. Golda Meir, Arthur Rubinstein, Leonard Bernstein, and Isaac Stern came to her informal concerts at home when she lived in Israel, and she offered piano lessons to teach Gold Meir. But honestly, it is more that she brushed shoulders with these people rather than that they were her very close friends.
She was a fantastic pianist. Music was the central theme of her life - always! Her love for music really shines through. Music is not just something she enjoys; it is something that is important and vital to all life. That is what this book says AND that one must face life with optimism.
Optimism. She refused to even talk about the years in Theresienstadt. Having survived she looked forward rather than backward. She never let those years be discussed at home after the war when she was raising her son. Complaining she frowned upon. Laughter and music were the medicine for all ills. The book is filled with lots of wise lines.....but although most all of us will agree on her wisdom and sage statements, it is only when you look at a particular event that one can determine the correct way of behaving. I will give only one example of what I am referring too. Some children benefit from talking about the difficult experiences they have gone through. Avoiding a topic is not always helpful. Talk is necessary for some people and in some situations. So generalizations, that we all agree on, are less interesting than figuring out what to do in a particular situation. The main emphasis of this book is her life philosophy, but there is no discussion of when and where and how to put these principles into practice. Do you see what bothered me?
I liked learning about her personal experiences in Theresienstadt. I am glad they were included in the book and not avoided. Many of her friends did not even know she was a holocaust survivor! That is the extent to which she refused to speak of those years.
I like the woman very much. I respect her. My rating is a judgment of the book, not the person. The book hops from one time to another, from one subject to another. There is a chapter on her friends, but we are told about their wonderful accomplishments more than about their relationship with Alice.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Linda Korn. It was clearly spoken, but in a sweet tone of admiration that was not to my liking. She cannot do an Irish brogue, although she tries in a few lines spoken by the concierge of Alice's apartment building. Some of the names, and there were lots mentioned, I could not decipher. That is a clear advantage of a paper book.
For me, the most interesting parts about this book were her Theresienstadt memories and the parts about Kafka and Spinoza. I am very glad I have met Alice Herz-Sommer.
She was a fantastic pianist. Music was the central theme of her life - always! Her love for music really shines through. Music is not just something she enjoys; it is something that is important and vital to all life. That is what this book says AND that one must face life with optimism.
Optimism. She refused to even talk about the years in Theresienstadt. Having survived she looked forward rather than backward. She never let those years be discussed at home after the war when she was raising her son. Complaining she frowned upon. Laughter and music were the medicine for all ills. The book is filled with lots of wise lines.....but although most all of us will agree on her wisdom and sage statements, it is only when you look at a particular event that one can determine the correct way of behaving. I will give only one example of what I am referring too. Some children benefit from talking about the difficult experiences they have gone through. Avoiding a topic is not always helpful. Talk is necessary for some people and in some situations. So generalizations, that we all agree on, are less interesting than figuring out what to do in a particular situation. The main emphasis of this book is her life philosophy, but there is no discussion of when and where and how to put these principles into practice. Do you see what bothered me?
I liked learning about her personal experiences in Theresienstadt. I am glad they were included in the book and not avoided. Many of her friends did not even know she was a holocaust survivor! That is the extent to which she refused to speak of those years.
I like the woman very much. I respect her. My rating is a judgment of the book, not the person. The book hops from one time to another, from one subject to another. There is a chapter on her friends, but we are told about their wonderful accomplishments more than about their relationship with Alice.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Linda Korn. It was clearly spoken, but in a sweet tone of admiration that was not to my liking. She cannot do an Irish brogue, although she tries in a few lines spoken by the concierge of Alice's apartment building. Some of the names, and there were lots mentioned, I could not decipher. That is a clear advantage of a paper book.
For me, the most interesting parts about this book were her Theresienstadt memories and the parts about Kafka and Spinoza. I am very glad I have met Alice Herz-Sommer.
September 1, 2016
I wanted to love this book. Unfortunately it didn't live up to its promise. While the reading was moderately interesting, there was nearly a complete lack of emotional involvement for me - even though it is clear that the author has a deep affection for her subject. Even the title felt misleading. I didn't think there were really any lessons shared, just some chapters lauding a person for her perseverance.
Alice lived an incredible life. Filled with amazing experiences, wonderful people and great talent. The reason for writing this book was unclear to me. It was a more "hit and miss" discourse of different experiences without much circumstantial explanation. Too disjointed.
I didn't care for the format, nor the progression of the chapters. So much more could have been done - including a better portrayal of Theresienstadt. I'm not big on name dropping. Lots of people know lots of other people, even famous people. Does that make them automatically more important than others?
Often, when reading a biography (or one that purports to be a biography which in this case is pretty iffy) I end up desiring to sit down and have a chat with the subject. Not so in this case. I somehow feel let down. I expected so much more.
And now that I've even had difficulty putting my thoughts down, I'm also thinking perhaps I'd be more comfortable with a one star rating rather than two. My "it was ok" review was generous.
Alice lived an incredible life. Filled with amazing experiences, wonderful people and great talent. The reason for writing this book was unclear to me. It was a more "hit and miss" discourse of different experiences without much circumstantial explanation. Too disjointed.
I didn't care for the format, nor the progression of the chapters. So much more could have been done - including a better portrayal of Theresienstadt. I'm not big on name dropping. Lots of people know lots of other people, even famous people. Does that make them automatically more important than others?
Often, when reading a biography (or one that purports to be a biography which in this case is pretty iffy) I end up desiring to sit down and have a chat with the subject. Not so in this case. I somehow feel let down. I expected so much more.
And now that I've even had difficulty putting my thoughts down, I'm also thinking perhaps I'd be more comfortable with a one star rating rather than two. My "it was ok" review was generous.
April 14, 2014
Alice Herz-Sommer is a truly inspirational woman, who did not allow the atrocities and losses she experienced in the Nazi concentration camps to affect the rest of her life. She lived life to the fullest and was grateful for every single thing, whether big or small, she was given. We all can learn from Alice and live and be happy in the present. In Alice's own words " Every day is a miracle. No matter how bad my circumstances, I have the freedom to choose my attitude to life,even to find joy.No one can take this power away from us." A truly remarkable and talented woman, whose attitude to life is positive and refreshing. It's no wonder she has lived 109 full and wonderful years.
August 12, 2016
At 109, Alice Herz-Sommer is the oldest living Holocaust survivor. She was born in Prague in 1903 and became an accomplished classical pianist by the time she was in her 30s. However, her life changed suddenly in 1942 when she and her family were seized by Nazi soldiers and placed in a concentration camp. There, her talents as a musician saved her life. The Nazis wanted to create a propaganda film in order to give the false impression that the Jews in their camp were being treated well. Herz-Sommer was chosen to perform for that purpose, and she played more than 100 concerts in the camp along with other musicians. And that's just one part of her amazing life story.
My rating for this book does not represent my thoughts on Herz-Sommer but on the book itself, which I found to be rather disorganized. It is told in a non-chronological format that feels choppy and scattered. While I think the author (also a musician) was well suited to describe Herz-Sommer's love of music, I'm not sure she was as suited in telling her full story and bringing it all to life. Still, I enjoyed learning more about this remarkable woman regardless of the fact that I disliked the format of the book. If you don't know much about Alice Herz-Sommer and would like to, but don't want to sit and read an entire book about her, I suggest checking out some of the videos on YouTube in which she is featured. I am pretty confident you will be impressed.
My rating for this book does not represent my thoughts on Herz-Sommer but on the book itself, which I found to be rather disorganized. It is told in a non-chronological format that feels choppy and scattered. While I think the author (also a musician) was well suited to describe Herz-Sommer's love of music, I'm not sure she was as suited in telling her full story and bringing it all to life. Still, I enjoyed learning more about this remarkable woman regardless of the fact that I disliked the format of the book. If you don't know much about Alice Herz-Sommer and would like to, but don't want to sit and read an entire book about her, I suggest checking out some of the videos on YouTube in which she is featured. I am pretty confident you will be impressed.
December 15, 2015
3.5 stars.
As I read this, I was amazed by Alice’s ability to remain so positive in the face of all she had endured in her life. I was also surprised by some of her descriptions of life in the concentration camps - how she described some of it didn’t sound as bad as other accounts I have heard. Perhaps that is another example of her positivity - maybe the bad aspects didn’t stand out for her as long as she had the ability to make music.
This attitude carried on into other parts of her life - she moved countries to build a new post-war life, she didn’t bemoan getting older. She was truly an extraordinary woman!
As I read this, I was amazed by Alice’s ability to remain so positive in the face of all she had endured in her life. I was also surprised by some of her descriptions of life in the concentration camps - how she described some of it didn’t sound as bad as other accounts I have heard. Perhaps that is another example of her positivity - maybe the bad aspects didn’t stand out for her as long as she had the ability to make music.
This attitude carried on into other parts of her life - she moved countries to build a new post-war life, she didn’t bemoan getting older. She was truly an extraordinary woman!
August 30, 2021
"A pianista de Theresienstadt" (título original: A century of wisdom) é o livro das memórias de Alice Herz-Sommer, nascida em Praga entre a sua elite cultural, onde teve a oportunidade de conhecer importantes nomes da cultura e arte deste país reconhecidos mundialmente (como é o caso de Franz Kafka, várias vezes mencionado ao longo deste livro, Rainer Marie Rilke ou Thomas Mann). Ao ler este livro, senti que não se tratava do típico livro de memórias de uma sobrevivente do Holocausto. Mais do que se focar na história da própria Alice, as páginas de "A pianista de Theresienstadt" desenrolam-se mostrando o olhar de Alice em relação às várias pessoas com que se foi cruzando durante a sua vida, desde a sua infância em Praga até ao pós-guerra e os seus anos de vida em Inglaterra. Em todas estas memórias contadas por Alice e escritas por Caroline Stoessinger, que se dedicou ao estudo da importância que a música teve no gueto de Theresienstadt, onde morreram os avós do seu marido.
Theresienstadt desempenhou um papel totalmente diferente na Solução Final quando comparado com outros campos de concentração como Treblinka, Chelmno, Sobibor ou até o mais conhecido Auschwitz-Birkenau. Localizada na cidade checa de Terezín, a história da fortaleza de Theresienstadt (nome dado pelos alemães a Terezín) não se inicia com a Segunda Guerra Mundial e a sua integração na rede de campos de concentração nazis. Uma fortaleza construída entre 1780 e 1790, integrado no Império Austro-húngaro, passou a ser utilizada como prisão para prisioneiros políticos e militares, a partir do século XIX, tendo alergado Gavrillo Princip, entre 1914 e 1918, o autor do assassinato do Arquiduque Franz Ferdinand e que originou o início da Primeira Guerra Mundial. Em 1940, passou a ser controlada pela Gestapo, tornando-se no campo de concentração modelo nazi em 1941, quando Theresienstadt foi transformada em gueto e vendido internacionalmente como um local aprazível para os judeus que aí viviam. Neste livro, são descritos todos os preparativos por que passou Theresienstadt, em 1941, quando foi visitada por uma equipa da Cruz Vermelha (mas em que nem todos os visitantes teriam ficado verdadeiramente convencidos de que os judeus eram bem tratados, como descrito pelos testemunhos dos elementos dinamarqueses). Como ferramenta da bem desenvolvida propaganda nazi, chegou mesmo a ser gravado um documentário neste local, tendo como produtor o prisioneiro Kurt Gerron, onde se pretendia mostrar como os judeus viviam bem neste gueto e em como era clara a proteção que recebiam dos nazis... A mais pura e cruel propaganda que se pode pensar...
Ao contrário de outros livros que já li de sobreviventes nazis (como "Os fornos de Hitler", de Olga Lenzyel), não senti que este fosse um livro excessivamente duro ou gráfico nos relatos que faz deste campo de concentração. Sendo o campo modelo do regime nazi, acabava por não possuir os mesmos métodos atrozes e mais refinadamente cruéis de lidar com os judeus e isso faz com que o livro não seja excessivamente pesado e possa ser uma leitura aconselhada para pessoas que possam ser mais facilmente impressionáveis. Como referi anteriormente, o livro não é apenas centrado na vida de Alice Herz-Sommer, permitindo-nos conhecer muitas das pessoas que fizeram parte da sua vida, os seus amores, o seu filho e o turbilhão de arte e de cultura que exista na Checoslováquia do pré-Segunda Guerra Mundial. Ao ler este livro, fui sentindo uma doçura nas diferentes memórias e que acabam por representar bem a forma como Alice encarou a sua vida e se dedicou ao próximo. Mais do que um simples relato de uma sobrevivente, este livro acaba por ser uma lição de vida e de abnegação. Aqui o foco não é a guerra ou as atrocidades, mas antes as relações humanas e a forma como elas podem funcionar como farol no meio do nevoeiro. E acho que é isso que acaba por tornar este livro diferenciador em relação a outros relatos de sobreviventes. Como escreveu Esther Mucznik na sua introdução a este livro: "Uma história de resistência por um intenso amor à vida, como apenas as pessoas que encaram a morte de frente o podem sentir".
Um livro que li para o projecto "Ler é respeitar e história" e para o tema deste mês do "Clube Leituras descomplicadas".
Theresienstadt desempenhou um papel totalmente diferente na Solução Final quando comparado com outros campos de concentração como Treblinka, Chelmno, Sobibor ou até o mais conhecido Auschwitz-Birkenau. Localizada na cidade checa de Terezín, a história da fortaleza de Theresienstadt (nome dado pelos alemães a Terezín) não se inicia com a Segunda Guerra Mundial e a sua integração na rede de campos de concentração nazis. Uma fortaleza construída entre 1780 e 1790, integrado no Império Austro-húngaro, passou a ser utilizada como prisão para prisioneiros políticos e militares, a partir do século XIX, tendo alergado Gavrillo Princip, entre 1914 e 1918, o autor do assassinato do Arquiduque Franz Ferdinand e que originou o início da Primeira Guerra Mundial. Em 1940, passou a ser controlada pela Gestapo, tornando-se no campo de concentração modelo nazi em 1941, quando Theresienstadt foi transformada em gueto e vendido internacionalmente como um local aprazível para os judeus que aí viviam. Neste livro, são descritos todos os preparativos por que passou Theresienstadt, em 1941, quando foi visitada por uma equipa da Cruz Vermelha (mas em que nem todos os visitantes teriam ficado verdadeiramente convencidos de que os judeus eram bem tratados, como descrito pelos testemunhos dos elementos dinamarqueses). Como ferramenta da bem desenvolvida propaganda nazi, chegou mesmo a ser gravado um documentário neste local, tendo como produtor o prisioneiro Kurt Gerron, onde se pretendia mostrar como os judeus viviam bem neste gueto e em como era clara a proteção que recebiam dos nazis... A mais pura e cruel propaganda que se pode pensar...
Ao contrário de outros livros que já li de sobreviventes nazis (como "Os fornos de Hitler", de Olga Lenzyel), não senti que este fosse um livro excessivamente duro ou gráfico nos relatos que faz deste campo de concentração. Sendo o campo modelo do regime nazi, acabava por não possuir os mesmos métodos atrozes e mais refinadamente cruéis de lidar com os judeus e isso faz com que o livro não seja excessivamente pesado e possa ser uma leitura aconselhada para pessoas que possam ser mais facilmente impressionáveis. Como referi anteriormente, o livro não é apenas centrado na vida de Alice Herz-Sommer, permitindo-nos conhecer muitas das pessoas que fizeram parte da sua vida, os seus amores, o seu filho e o turbilhão de arte e de cultura que exista na Checoslováquia do pré-Segunda Guerra Mundial. Ao ler este livro, fui sentindo uma doçura nas diferentes memórias e que acabam por representar bem a forma como Alice encarou a sua vida e se dedicou ao próximo. Mais do que um simples relato de uma sobrevivente, este livro acaba por ser uma lição de vida e de abnegação. Aqui o foco não é a guerra ou as atrocidades, mas antes as relações humanas e a forma como elas podem funcionar como farol no meio do nevoeiro. E acho que é isso que acaba por tornar este livro diferenciador em relação a outros relatos de sobreviventes. Como escreveu Esther Mucznik na sua introdução a este livro: "Uma história de resistência por um intenso amor à vida, como apenas as pessoas que encaram a morte de frente o podem sentir".
Um livro que li para o projecto "Ler é respeitar e história" e para o tema deste mês do "Clube Leituras descomplicadas".
May 15, 2022
Recensie volgt op mn website
January 28, 2016
Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Review Copy of this book.
In our modern time of professional victimhood and taking offense at the most minute of slights, Caroline Stroessinger's A Century of Wisdom's greatest lesson may be that no one can diminish you without your consent. The book focuses on the remarkable life story of pianist Alice Herz-Sommer, the world's oldest living Holocaust survivor.
Strossinger details Herz-Sommer's early life Prague and her captivity at the Theresienstadt concentration camp, including the lost of her husband and mother to the Nazis. Yet instead of being a retelling of the horrors of the Holocaust, we are treated to an amazing story of hope, inspiration, and strength. Despite her terrible experiences at Theresienstadt, Herz-Sommer chose to embrace the beauty and wonder of life through her music. She simply rejects the horror around her and instead throws herself into her music to build her inner strength and resilience.
If Herz-Sommer's story had merely ended with the liberation of Theresienstadt and her going on to raise her son, her life would still have been an amazing story to tell. But it is what she accomplished afterwards that truly defines who she is. At one point in the narrative, we learn that the Holocaust was not discussed in her home while raising her son. Not because she was in denial regarding the things that happened. But simply because she refused to allow it to define her and her family. Instead of dwelling on what-might-have-beens and nursing anger, she threw herself into her music even more and chooses a life worth living.
There are a few points where Stroessinger gets in the way of the story, interrupting the narrative with data dumps of historical information. While perhaps useful for context, some of these data dumps are inelegant compared to the rest of the work. She also sometimes slips into the present tense (though this may have been resolved in the final book. My version was an advanced uncorrected proof). But the tense change is sometimes jarring, particularly after an emotionally charged point in the narrative.
In our modern time of professional victimhood and taking offense at the most minute of slights, Caroline Stroessinger's A Century of Wisdom's greatest lesson may be that no one can diminish you without your consent. The book focuses on the remarkable life story of pianist Alice Herz-Sommer, the world's oldest living Holocaust survivor.
Strossinger details Herz-Sommer's early life Prague and her captivity at the Theresienstadt concentration camp, including the lost of her husband and mother to the Nazis. Yet instead of being a retelling of the horrors of the Holocaust, we are treated to an amazing story of hope, inspiration, and strength. Despite her terrible experiences at Theresienstadt, Herz-Sommer chose to embrace the beauty and wonder of life through her music. She simply rejects the horror around her and instead throws herself into her music to build her inner strength and resilience.
If Herz-Sommer's story had merely ended with the liberation of Theresienstadt and her going on to raise her son, her life would still have been an amazing story to tell. But it is what she accomplished afterwards that truly defines who she is. At one point in the narrative, we learn that the Holocaust was not discussed in her home while raising her son. Not because she was in denial regarding the things that happened. But simply because she refused to allow it to define her and her family. Instead of dwelling on what-might-have-beens and nursing anger, she threw herself into her music even more and chooses a life worth living.
There are a few points where Stroessinger gets in the way of the story, interrupting the narrative with data dumps of historical information. While perhaps useful for context, some of these data dumps are inelegant compared to the rest of the work. She also sometimes slips into the present tense (though this may have been resolved in the final book. My version was an advanced uncorrected proof). But the tense change is sometimes jarring, particularly after an emotionally charged point in the narrative.
June 21, 2013
In this biography, the author attempts to highlight the life and passions of Alice Herz-Sommers' journey as a 108-year old Holocaust survivor who credits her love of music for her living through the madness of Theresienstadt with her son, Rafi. Her talent surely had much to do with her survival as the Nazis used the camp and its musicians as an "example" of how well they were treating their enemies at the time. There are very bleak stories of Alice's times in the camp and her encouragement to her young son. Her musical passion continued to drive her until the day she was rescued.
After finding that her husband and mother were victims of the camps, she was able to return to Prague until the State of Israel was opened to jews of the world. She and Rafi, left their precious homeland and Alice thrived in her new land, Israel, both professionally and personally for many years. When her son was an adult, he moved to London for his work and she, too, followed many years later. She still lives there today teaching and playing in her own flat. Alice was described as one of Czechoslovakia's finest pianists, but just as important one of their finest and generous human beings.
Most amazing of this tale of Alice's struggles is the lack of hatred and regret that she is able to display and her belief in humanity without bitterness. Many of her wise sayings are quoted throughout the text and you realize she has taken life and gleaned from it all that she could. Unfortunately, the writer, a pianist herself, described Alice's musical loves, but she jumped from different times too often to say that it was a smooth transition. I found it awkward, and, although a memoir is not always chronological, it was hard to follow at times and this took from the enjoyment of the overall reading of this remarkable woman's life.
After finding that her husband and mother were victims of the camps, she was able to return to Prague until the State of Israel was opened to jews of the world. She and Rafi, left their precious homeland and Alice thrived in her new land, Israel, both professionally and personally for many years. When her son was an adult, he moved to London for his work and she, too, followed many years later. She still lives there today teaching and playing in her own flat. Alice was described as one of Czechoslovakia's finest pianists, but just as important one of their finest and generous human beings.
Most amazing of this tale of Alice's struggles is the lack of hatred and regret that she is able to display and her belief in humanity without bitterness. Many of her wise sayings are quoted throughout the text and you realize she has taken life and gleaned from it all that she could. Unfortunately, the writer, a pianist herself, described Alice's musical loves, but she jumped from different times too often to say that it was a smooth transition. I found it awkward, and, although a memoir is not always chronological, it was hard to follow at times and this took from the enjoyment of the overall reading of this remarkable woman's life.
April 8, 2014
This is an engaging biography of a woman who survived the holocaust, and was made famous in the Academy-award winning documentary, The Lady in Number 6, for being the oldest living holocaust survivor.
Her passion for music is the highlight of the book, as is her amazingly positive outlook on life and death. I have added to this review many of the memorable quotes from the book, but I must say that the book is just filled with inspirational messages.
The narrative is very enlightening and through her story, Alice teaches us all how to live our lives. I was sad to hear of her passing on 23 Feb 2014, about a month before I began listening to the book on audio CD. But I am sure that Alice Herz-Sommer was as full of joy and grace in her last days as she was throughout her life.
Linda Korn's narration really brought Alice's story to life and I listened to many of the tracks over and over to really allow the words to sink in. I even listened to parts of the book with our girls and showed them some of the Youtube videos (here, here, here, and here) featuring interviews with Alice. Overall, it was a wonderful story and I really loved listening to it.
interesting quotes:
Václav Havel: "Alice Herz-Sommer’s life illustrates a deep ethical and spiritual strength. She has spent her life in untiring pursuit of knowledge and understanding of who we are as humans, as a community and as individuals. Through her suffering we recall our darkest hours. Through her example we rise to find the best in ourselves. Alice has said, “I never give up hope.” This resonates strongly with me for I believe that hope is related to the very feeling that life has meaning and as long as we feel that it does, we have a reason to live. Alice’s irrepressible optimism inspires me."
"Good and evil have been around since prehistoric times. It is how we handle it, how we respond, that is important."
"Music saved my life and music saves me still... I am Jewish, but Beethoven is my religion."
[Leopold Sommer] "...perceive the death as a warning to take the time to examine their own lives and to consider what is truly important."
[Leopold Sommer] "Cautioning against measuring the value of the individual in terms of money, public success, or other shallow standards, Leopold stressed the urgency of endeavoring to lead a purposeful life each and every day."
Baruch Spinoza "A life of reason and understanding is the highest virtue."
"Only when we are so very old do we realize the beauty of life."
"My memories are always with me. My life is in my mind."
"Things are as they are supposed to be. I am still here, never too old so long as I breathe, to wonder, to learn, and yes, to teach. Curiosity, interest in others, and above all, music. This is life."
Hannah Arendt "The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil. The trouble with Eichmann was precisely that so many were like him and that the many were neither perverted nor sadistic; that they were and still are terribly and terrifyingly normal."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Hatred is something peculiar; you will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture."
"We are responsible for our actions and our words. And each of us must vigilantly guard against prejudice and hatred in our own minds and with the words that fall from our lips. No one is exempt. No one."
"Love to make things better. Love the process of learning. We must learn to enjoy work because it is good in and of itself and not because of the triumph we hope to achieve."
"For them, solitude is not lonely. It is the quiet that is essential for listening. In solitude we call up from the depths of our souls those insights and memories that are beyond the visible or the verbal. It is in the stillness of solitude that an artist may become most creative."
Arnost Fantl "Never try to have too much of anything in life; just what you need and a little more. When you die, all you will take with you is what you have given to other people."
"One of the rewards of being a musician is that it is possible to practice the same piece of music and discover new meaning without boredom. For at least 100 years."
Her passion for music is the highlight of the book, as is her amazingly positive outlook on life and death. I have added to this review many of the memorable quotes from the book, but I must say that the book is just filled with inspirational messages.
The narrative is very enlightening and through her story, Alice teaches us all how to live our lives. I was sad to hear of her passing on 23 Feb 2014, about a month before I began listening to the book on audio CD. But I am sure that Alice Herz-Sommer was as full of joy and grace in her last days as she was throughout her life.
Linda Korn's narration really brought Alice's story to life and I listened to many of the tracks over and over to really allow the words to sink in. I even listened to parts of the book with our girls and showed them some of the Youtube videos (here, here, here, and here) featuring interviews with Alice. Overall, it was a wonderful story and I really loved listening to it.
interesting quotes:
Václav Havel: "Alice Herz-Sommer’s life illustrates a deep ethical and spiritual strength. She has spent her life in untiring pursuit of knowledge and understanding of who we are as humans, as a community and as individuals. Through her suffering we recall our darkest hours. Through her example we rise to find the best in ourselves. Alice has said, “I never give up hope.” This resonates strongly with me for I believe that hope is related to the very feeling that life has meaning and as long as we feel that it does, we have a reason to live. Alice’s irrepressible optimism inspires me."
"Good and evil have been around since prehistoric times. It is how we handle it, how we respond, that is important."
"Music saved my life and music saves me still... I am Jewish, but Beethoven is my religion."
[Leopold Sommer] "...perceive the death as a warning to take the time to examine their own lives and to consider what is truly important."
[Leopold Sommer] "Cautioning against measuring the value of the individual in terms of money, public success, or other shallow standards, Leopold stressed the urgency of endeavoring to lead a purposeful life each and every day."
Baruch Spinoza "A life of reason and understanding is the highest virtue."
"Only when we are so very old do we realize the beauty of life."
"My memories are always with me. My life is in my mind."
"Things are as they are supposed to be. I am still here, never too old so long as I breathe, to wonder, to learn, and yes, to teach. Curiosity, interest in others, and above all, music. This is life."
Hannah Arendt "The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil. The trouble with Eichmann was precisely that so many were like him and that the many were neither perverted nor sadistic; that they were and still are terribly and terrifyingly normal."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Hatred is something peculiar; you will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture."
"We are responsible for our actions and our words. And each of us must vigilantly guard against prejudice and hatred in our own minds and with the words that fall from our lips. No one is exempt. No one."
"Love to make things better. Love the process of learning. We must learn to enjoy work because it is good in and of itself and not because of the triumph we hope to achieve."
"For them, solitude is not lonely. It is the quiet that is essential for listening. In solitude we call up from the depths of our souls those insights and memories that are beyond the visible or the verbal. It is in the stillness of solitude that an artist may become most creative."
Arnost Fantl "Never try to have too much of anything in life; just what you need and a little more. When you die, all you will take with you is what you have given to other people."
"One of the rewards of being a musician is that it is possible to practice the same piece of music and discover new meaning without boredom. For at least 100 years."
November 14, 2017
Como classificar um livro que é um relato real de um século de história? Alice foi uma sobrevivente mas acima de tudo foi uma mulher que amava a vida e que a viveu com grande sabedoria. Fã de livros sobre o Holocausto, este entusiasmou-me por a protagonista ter chegado aos nossos dias e por conhecer lugares onde viveu e sobreviveu
October 23, 2017
Heel mooi boek maar de titel is redelijk misleidend. Ja, Alice heeft wel degelijk deels haar leven te danken aan het feit dat ze als pianiste kon blijven optreden in theresienstadt, maar dit wordt slechts heel kort beschreven in dit boek.
April 3, 2018
Hoewel De pianiste van Theresienstadt de indruk wekt alleen maar over de Tweede Wereldoorlog te gaan, is niets minder waar. Eigenlijk komt de oorlog zelf amper aan bod. Het zijn de memoires van Alice Herz-Sommer waar het om draait. Alice is ten tijde van het verschijnen van deze biografie 108 jaar oud. Er wordt teruggeblikt op haar hele leven, dus bijna de gehele 20ste eeuw en een beginnetje van de 21ste eeuw. Ze is in 2014 op 110-jarige leeftijd overleden, als een van de laatste levende Holocaustslachtoffers.
Alice leeft te midden van de weinige foto’s en aandenkens die ze nog heeft. Haar eenkamerflat, nederig in zijn versleten eenvoud, is een soort cocon die haar herinneringen dag na dag in stand houdt. […] Iedere zichtbare herinnering gaat onbedoeld over in de volgende, en samen vormen ze een portret van Alice’ leven.
Alice wordt eind november 1903 in Praag geboren als helft van een tweeling. Haar moeder is hoog opgeleid en beweegt zich in bekende culturele, muzikale en literaire kringen; mensen als Franz Kafka, Gustav Mahler, Thomas Mann en Stefan Zweig komen regelmatig over de vloer. Oudere zus Irma laat Alice kennismaken met de piano, en de eeuwige liefde voor de muziek en het instrument in het bijzonder is geboren. Alice blijkt een natuurtalent, krijgt les van bekende pianisten en ontwikkelt zich tot groot concertpianiste en lerares. In 1931 trouwt ze met amateurmusicus Leopold Sommer, en in 1937 wordt hun enige kind geboren: Raphael (Rafi).
Na de invasie van Tsjecho-Slowakije, door Hitlers Duitsland, emigreren veel Praagse joden naar Palestina, zo ook familie en vrienden van Alice. Maar Alice en haar gezin blijven in Praag, vooral om voor Alice’ zieke moeder te zorgen. In 1943 wordt het gezin Herz-Sommer echter gedeporteerd naar ‘modelkamp’ Theresienstadt.
Alice dankt haar overleven aan het feit dat ze zo’n begenadigd pianiste is, en de Duitsers haar inzetten in het orkest waarmee ze meer dan 100 concerten verzorgt. Rafi overleeft het omdat hij nog heel jong is op het moment van deportatie, en bij zijn moeder mag blijven. Leopold wordt doorgestuurd naar Auschwitz en Dachau en komt uiteindelijk om het leven in 1944.
Na de oorlog keert Alice terug naar Praag, maar kan haar draai niet meer vinden. In 1949 emigreert ze naar Israël, om daar te worden verenigd met haar familie. Rafi groeit er verder op en blijkt het muzikale talent van zijn moeder te hebben geërfd. Hij wordt een top-cellist.
Alice verdient haar geld weer als concertpianiste en lerares en krijgt beroemde vrienden zoals Golda Meir, Arthur Rubinstein, Leonard Bernstein en Max Brod. In 1986 gaat ze, dik in de tachtig, haar zoon achterna, en emigreert naar Londen.
Alice overleeft haar zoon en borstkanker, maar ze blijft een onverwoestbare levenslust behouden. Op 104-jarige leeftijd start ze nog een studie moderne Europese geschiedenis…
Een inspirerend en interessant verhaal, over een vitale maar vooral taaie pianiste. Goed geschreven door Caroline Stoessinger, concertpianiste en oprichtster van de The Mozart Academy van New York, en vriendin van Alice Herz-Sommer. Het gebonden boek is ook nog eens mooi uitgevoerd: fraai papier, een fijn leesbaar lettertype en prettige bladspiegel.
Tevens goed vertaald door Sabine Mutsaers.
Ik ben nog altijd dankbaar dat ik leef. Het leven is een geschenk.
- Alice Herz-Sommer
Alice leeft te midden van de weinige foto’s en aandenkens die ze nog heeft. Haar eenkamerflat, nederig in zijn versleten eenvoud, is een soort cocon die haar herinneringen dag na dag in stand houdt. […] Iedere zichtbare herinnering gaat onbedoeld over in de volgende, en samen vormen ze een portret van Alice’ leven.
Alice wordt eind november 1903 in Praag geboren als helft van een tweeling. Haar moeder is hoog opgeleid en beweegt zich in bekende culturele, muzikale en literaire kringen; mensen als Franz Kafka, Gustav Mahler, Thomas Mann en Stefan Zweig komen regelmatig over de vloer. Oudere zus Irma laat Alice kennismaken met de piano, en de eeuwige liefde voor de muziek en het instrument in het bijzonder is geboren. Alice blijkt een natuurtalent, krijgt les van bekende pianisten en ontwikkelt zich tot groot concertpianiste en lerares. In 1931 trouwt ze met amateurmusicus Leopold Sommer, en in 1937 wordt hun enige kind geboren: Raphael (Rafi).
Na de invasie van Tsjecho-Slowakije, door Hitlers Duitsland, emigreren veel Praagse joden naar Palestina, zo ook familie en vrienden van Alice. Maar Alice en haar gezin blijven in Praag, vooral om voor Alice’ zieke moeder te zorgen. In 1943 wordt het gezin Herz-Sommer echter gedeporteerd naar ‘modelkamp’ Theresienstadt.
Alice dankt haar overleven aan het feit dat ze zo’n begenadigd pianiste is, en de Duitsers haar inzetten in het orkest waarmee ze meer dan 100 concerten verzorgt. Rafi overleeft het omdat hij nog heel jong is op het moment van deportatie, en bij zijn moeder mag blijven. Leopold wordt doorgestuurd naar Auschwitz en Dachau en komt uiteindelijk om het leven in 1944.
Na de oorlog keert Alice terug naar Praag, maar kan haar draai niet meer vinden. In 1949 emigreert ze naar Israël, om daar te worden verenigd met haar familie. Rafi groeit er verder op en blijkt het muzikale talent van zijn moeder te hebben geërfd. Hij wordt een top-cellist.
Alice verdient haar geld weer als concertpianiste en lerares en krijgt beroemde vrienden zoals Golda Meir, Arthur Rubinstein, Leonard Bernstein en Max Brod. In 1986 gaat ze, dik in de tachtig, haar zoon achterna, en emigreert naar Londen.
Alice overleeft haar zoon en borstkanker, maar ze blijft een onverwoestbare levenslust behouden. Op 104-jarige leeftijd start ze nog een studie moderne Europese geschiedenis…
Een inspirerend en interessant verhaal, over een vitale maar vooral taaie pianiste. Goed geschreven door Caroline Stoessinger, concertpianiste en oprichtster van de The Mozart Academy van New York, en vriendin van Alice Herz-Sommer. Het gebonden boek is ook nog eens mooi uitgevoerd: fraai papier, een fijn leesbaar lettertype en prettige bladspiegel.
Tevens goed vertaald door Sabine Mutsaers.
Ik ben nog altijd dankbaar dat ik leef. Het leven is een geschenk.
- Alice Herz-Sommer
Read
March 9, 2019loved it
February 5, 2017
choppy. disjointed.
watched-film-only
January 16, 2015BELOW ARE MY GOODREADS POSTS RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
Last night (1/15/15) I streamed a very unusual documentary entitled:
"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life" (2014)
It is an Academy Award-winning documentary (2014). So inspiring!
IMDb:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2924484/?...
Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70302...
"Czech pianist and holocaust survivor Alice Herz-Sommer describes how music enabled her to survive one of the darkest chapters in human history."
I was looking around for something to watch and I randomly found this film. It's very short, only 39 minutes, but it's worth watching, if only for the music alone. Beautiful! I LOVE piano music. Alice Herz-Sommer plays so many classical pieces FROM MEMORY! She lived a long life and played piano even when she was over 100 years old!
The film credits mention this book: A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor
FROM THE GOODREADS PAGE:
"An inspiring story of resilience and the power of optimism—the true story of Alice Herz-Sommer, the world’s oldest living Holocaust survivor."
"A Century of Wisdom is the remarkable and inspiring story of one woman’s lifelong determination—in the face of some of the worst evils known to man—to find goodness in life. It is a testament to the bonds of friendship, the power of music, and the importance of leading a life of material simplicity, intellectual curiosity, and never-ending optimism."
There seems to be several related books. You can access FREE SAMPLES of the books here:
SEE LINKS BELOW:
"A Century of Wisdom, Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor":
https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
"Alice's Piano":
https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
PS-There's also this DVD which I found mentioned at Amazon:
"Everything is a Present: The Wonder & Grace of Alice Sommer Hertz"
Alice Sommer Herz (Actor), Gigi Sommer (Actor), Christopher Nupen (Director) Format: DVD
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Pres...
ALSO SEE THE FOLLOWING GOODREADS PAGES:
Alice's Piano by Herz-Sommer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Alice's Piano by Melissa Muller and Reinhard Piechocki : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Last night (1/15/15) I streamed a very unusual documentary entitled:
"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life" (2014)
It is an Academy Award-winning documentary (2014). So inspiring!
IMDb:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2924484/?...
Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70302...
"Czech pianist and holocaust survivor Alice Herz-Sommer describes how music enabled her to survive one of the darkest chapters in human history."
I was looking around for something to watch and I randomly found this film. It's very short, only 39 minutes, but it's worth watching, if only for the music alone. Beautiful! I LOVE piano music. Alice Herz-Sommer plays so many classical pieces FROM MEMORY! She lived a long life and played piano even when she was over 100 years old!
The film credits mention this book: A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor
FROM THE GOODREADS PAGE:
"An inspiring story of resilience and the power of optimism—the true story of Alice Herz-Sommer, the world’s oldest living Holocaust survivor."
"A Century of Wisdom is the remarkable and inspiring story of one woman’s lifelong determination—in the face of some of the worst evils known to man—to find goodness in life. It is a testament to the bonds of friendship, the power of music, and the importance of leading a life of material simplicity, intellectual curiosity, and never-ending optimism."
There seems to be several related books. You can access FREE SAMPLES of the books here:
SEE LINKS BELOW:
"A Century of Wisdom, Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor":
https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
"Alice's Piano":
https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
PS-There's also this DVD which I found mentioned at Amazon:
"Everything is a Present: The Wonder & Grace of Alice Sommer Hertz"
Alice Sommer Herz (Actor), Gigi Sommer (Actor), Christopher Nupen (Director) Format: DVD
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Pres...
ALSO SEE THE FOLLOWING GOODREADS PAGES:
Alice's Piano by Herz-Sommer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Alice's Piano by Melissa Muller and Reinhard Piechocki : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
March 20, 2012
Won in the First Reads giveaway.
I was disappointed by the book, mostly because it didn't give what the title promises: a century of wisdom.
At best, it gave a portion of a centurys vague aphorisms. There was also an insane ammount of name-dropping. I felt like I was reading a book with some Alice Herz-Sommer in it rather than a book ABOUT Alice Herz-Sommer. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that 50% of the book was talking about someone else, and as often as not I was unsure of how those somebody elses affected Alice and made her the person she was. They didn't strike me as important in her life, only important in pop culture.
I think the story also would've been much clearer if it had been told in chronological order, or at least had included a time line and/or a European map marking everywhere Alice went and the dates. I mean, I didn't see the significance of the forward until the last chapter, because that was the only time that the author explained who Vaclav Havel was. Better organization would've kept the author from repeating information throughout the book.
I was also disappointed in the lack of details about the concentration camp. On the one hand, I can understand Alice not wanting to talk about it. Why dwell on unpleasant memories? However, I don't understand writing about a Holocaust survivor--and advertising her that way--who doesn't want to talk about the Holocaust. Without that context, her optimism felt more like escapism than strength to me. It also contributed to the larger problem that the writing felt very...flat. I wanted a story about this woman's life, I wanted to understand her, but I felt like what I got instead were stories about stories. There were a few rare moments of real connection and depth...but they were fleeting.
I did enjoy certain moments, like the brief anecdote about Alice running to put on lipstick and pearls when the all-male camera crew came over, or how the building manager stood up for her. I also learned quite a bit about Thereseinstadt and music in the concentration camps. I had never heard of that before, and I had never imagined that the Nazi propaganda had extended s far that they would film themselves pretending to be nice to Jews. And I do think Alice seems like a nice lady--certainly there is something to learn here because she survived a horrible experience and has still lived to an incredible age.
However, overall, I don't think this book lived up to Alice's life or to the promises it makes its readers. It wasn't bad...it was just...whatever.
I was disappointed by the book, mostly because it didn't give what the title promises: a century of wisdom.
At best, it gave a portion of a centurys vague aphorisms. There was also an insane ammount of name-dropping. I felt like I was reading a book with some Alice Herz-Sommer in it rather than a book ABOUT Alice Herz-Sommer. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that 50% of the book was talking about someone else, and as often as not I was unsure of how those somebody elses affected Alice and made her the person she was. They didn't strike me as important in her life, only important in pop culture.
I think the story also would've been much clearer if it had been told in chronological order, or at least had included a time line and/or a European map marking everywhere Alice went and the dates. I mean, I didn't see the significance of the forward until the last chapter, because that was the only time that the author explained who Vaclav Havel was. Better organization would've kept the author from repeating information throughout the book.
I was also disappointed in the lack of details about the concentration camp. On the one hand, I can understand Alice not wanting to talk about it. Why dwell on unpleasant memories? However, I don't understand writing about a Holocaust survivor--and advertising her that way--who doesn't want to talk about the Holocaust. Without that context, her optimism felt more like escapism than strength to me. It also contributed to the larger problem that the writing felt very...flat. I wanted a story about this woman's life, I wanted to understand her, but I felt like what I got instead were stories about stories. There were a few rare moments of real connection and depth...but they were fleeting.
I did enjoy certain moments, like the brief anecdote about Alice running to put on lipstick and pearls when the all-male camera crew came over, or how the building manager stood up for her. I also learned quite a bit about Thereseinstadt and music in the concentration camps. I had never heard of that before, and I had never imagined that the Nazi propaganda had extended s far that they would film themselves pretending to be nice to Jews. And I do think Alice seems like a nice lady--certainly there is something to learn here because she survived a horrible experience and has still lived to an incredible age.
However, overall, I don't think this book lived up to Alice's life or to the promises it makes its readers. It wasn't bad...it was just...whatever.
April 17, 2013
In contrast to Alice's Piano, A Century of Wisdom is not chronological. Rather, it is a stirring collection of the lessons Professor Herz-Sommer has learned over her hundred-plus years on earth. It is astounding to me to read of her triumphs over her struggles, but even more so to read of her unfailing optimism and cheerful attitude. It’s also a testament to the resilience and power of the human will.
Since I can’t improve upon them, here are her own words:
“I love people. All kinds of people. I love to talk with people…I don’t look at people as a group to be judged. Behind every man and woman is a story. I am interested in learning about the best in each individual.”
“I was not spared to spend my days looking back, to make myself and others miserable.”
Speaking of her husband, Leopold, who died at Dachau: “He was a learned man. An extraordinary fine character. I respected him. I learned from him. He respected me…who I was and what music meant to me. Mutual respect is the foundation of a happy marriage.”
“We all see only what we want to see.”
Quoting Adolf Eichmann at his war crimes trial, which she attended: “I realize that a life predicated on being obedient and taking orders is a very comfortable life indeed. Living in such a way reduces to a minimum one’s need to think.”
“There is a strange interdependence between thoughtlessness and evil.”
“Tears had no place in a concentration camp. Laughter was our only medicine.”
“Generosity above all.”
“Be kind. Kindness is free. It costs you nothing, and the rewards are great for everyone.”
“Every day is a miracle. No matter how bad my circumstances, I have the freedom to choose my attitude to life, even to find joy. Evil is not new. It is up to us how we deal with both good and bad. No one can take this power away from us.”
Excellent lessons for us all. Thank you, Alice.
Read more on my blog Build Enough Bookshelves.
Since I can’t improve upon them, here are her own words:
“I love people. All kinds of people. I love to talk with people…I don’t look at people as a group to be judged. Behind every man and woman is a story. I am interested in learning about the best in each individual.”
“I was not spared to spend my days looking back, to make myself and others miserable.”
Speaking of her husband, Leopold, who died at Dachau: “He was a learned man. An extraordinary fine character. I respected him. I learned from him. He respected me…who I was and what music meant to me. Mutual respect is the foundation of a happy marriage.”
“We all see only what we want to see.”
Quoting Adolf Eichmann at his war crimes trial, which she attended: “I realize that a life predicated on being obedient and taking orders is a very comfortable life indeed. Living in such a way reduces to a minimum one’s need to think.”
“There is a strange interdependence between thoughtlessness and evil.”
“Tears had no place in a concentration camp. Laughter was our only medicine.”
“Generosity above all.”
“Be kind. Kindness is free. It costs you nothing, and the rewards are great for everyone.”
“Every day is a miracle. No matter how bad my circumstances, I have the freedom to choose my attitude to life, even to find joy. Evil is not new. It is up to us how we deal with both good and bad. No one can take this power away from us.”
Excellent lessons for us all. Thank you, Alice.
Read more on my blog Build Enough Bookshelves.
September 10, 2017
Some tell stories about heroes they imagine, but some others live the events. Some recite verses about Humanity by staying distant from it, but few are the ones who are ready to walk all its paths with a smile and without fearing any cost.
"Alice Herz-Sommer" is a person who made me feel my cowardice and my smallness with every page of her story.
She used the say shouting: "Music is a dream". She carried her dream in her heart and went to her battle she was forced to face. No fancy cars or any other materials to care about. Her treasure was weightless which made her richer than anyone else. Her wisdom was always: "What is in the heart and in the mind can never be stolen", so what was precious to her was always untouchable to each person who introduce himself as her enemy, though she never thought she had ones.
She repeated her sentence joyfully: "Music is God", and this way she kept her paradise closer to her heart which increased her faith day by day. If the lady who used to play romantic tunes to her executers until their eyes are full of guilt-tears isn't a saint, then I don't know what sanctity is.
Her neighbors used to call her: "The lady in Nr.6", since she lived in the sixth apartment of the building where everyone enjoyed her music, even the German. But I prefer to call her "The lady who defeated Hitler with a piano". Yes, her belief in music is what helped her survive to tell the full story. She visited the hell daily and repeatedly and came back safe and full of hope that, in the end, her place will be reserved among the happy ones. As she said: "Bach saved my life".
I feel so ashamed when I look to this one-hundred-and-nine-years-old lady touching the keys of her piano and say with a smile: " ... it wasn't that terrible. I could play music there, and the Holocaust wasn't that hard ... ". Her story is the lesson and the definition of how to be free no matter what, and this is the chapter we all missed and we insist to run towards the slavery. "Alice" is the person I could never be, all the respect to her soul.
The style of "Caroline Stoessinger" in this book is so much similar to the character of "Alice": so soft, so direct, so humble, so cheerful, and full of musical knowledge. A book not to be missed.
"Alice Herz-Sommer" is a person who made me feel my cowardice and my smallness with every page of her story.
She used the say shouting: "Music is a dream". She carried her dream in her heart and went to her battle she was forced to face. No fancy cars or any other materials to care about. Her treasure was weightless which made her richer than anyone else. Her wisdom was always: "What is in the heart and in the mind can never be stolen", so what was precious to her was always untouchable to each person who introduce himself as her enemy, though she never thought she had ones.
She repeated her sentence joyfully: "Music is God", and this way she kept her paradise closer to her heart which increased her faith day by day. If the lady who used to play romantic tunes to her executers until their eyes are full of guilt-tears isn't a saint, then I don't know what sanctity is.
Her neighbors used to call her: "The lady in Nr.6", since she lived in the sixth apartment of the building where everyone enjoyed her music, even the German. But I prefer to call her "The lady who defeated Hitler with a piano". Yes, her belief in music is what helped her survive to tell the full story. She visited the hell daily and repeatedly and came back safe and full of hope that, in the end, her place will be reserved among the happy ones. As she said: "Bach saved my life".
I feel so ashamed when I look to this one-hundred-and-nine-years-old lady touching the keys of her piano and say with a smile: " ... it wasn't that terrible. I could play music there, and the Holocaust wasn't that hard ... ". Her story is the lesson and the definition of how to be free no matter what, and this is the chapter we all missed and we insist to run towards the slavery. "Alice" is the person I could never be, all the respect to her soul.
The style of "Caroline Stoessinger" in this book is so much similar to the character of "Alice": so soft, so direct, so humble, so cheerful, and full of musical knowledge. A book not to be missed.
January 17, 2014
A biography whose title sums up in short who and what it's all about. A fairly swift read and given the subject matter quiet a light work. Alice (a gifted pianist in pre-war Europe) speaks through the author Catherine Stoessinger who fills also descibes Alice's life from a middle class childhood in Czechoslovakia, to the Nazi showpiece concentration camp of Theresienstadt (where a Nazi admirer of her talent promised ALice and her son would appear on no deportation list) , the freedom of the early years of the embryonic state of Israel to retirement in London. Her biography is a powerful testament to the devestation of the Holocaust, to the loss of so many lives and so much gifted talent to the rebirth of the Jewish people in Israel and their struggle for survivial against great odds. Alice dealt with her traumatic life philosophically having been robbed of everything that was not in her mind she came to believe "Only what is inside is important" and that while Jewish Beethoven was her religion. Freed from Theresienstadt by the Red Army ALice returned to a Praha to find a maliscious anti-Semitism prevelant. Eventually finding refuge in Israel Alice began to rebuild her life. From the pages of the book comes a picture of a woman who has always been strong and sure. Her love of life and people, judging the individual rather than the group or mass has obviously been a strength in her life. Her progressive approach to love, sex and child rearing could do with being taken in by many people today, wisdom such as this comes from many years of patient learning and reflection. An interesting book about a woman with a life stranger than fiction. I did however feel that Stossinger was not perhaps the best person to tell the story, the style is a little on the weak side, however, better the story told by someone trying hard than not told at all.
January 28, 2012
"I Never Give up Hope"
Encouraged by great musicians Gustav Mahler and Artur Schnabel and on the brink of a career as a pianist, Alice Herz-Sommer’s world crumbled in 1943. She, along with her husband and son, were deported to Theresienstadt. She survived the Holocaust and the loss of many family members and yet, celebrates life. Hers is a rich tapestry, woven with threads of hope, artistry, grace, courage and inspiration. The mystical, healing powers of music helped her transcend the horrors she lived through.
Alice lives by the words of Greek philosopher Epictetus, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” An example of her resilience was how she gave concerts in Theresienstadt on an out-of tune piano with a broken pedal and keys that stuck. Playing piano passionately is not only her response to brutality, but also her testament to embracing an authentic life. Now, at age 108, plays piano and takes walks daily.
Author Caroline Stoessinger is also an accomplished concert pianist and patron of the arts. She does not present Alice’s life chronologically, but jumps back and forth in time in the biography. Notes from her research are included.
The book is full of vignettes about Alice’s life: picnicking with famous writer, Franz Kafka, secret piano lessons with concentration camp children, peeling potatoes with Golda Meir. Don’t miss the chicken soup recipe. The photographs of Alice playing the piano and laughing are priceless. Teacher, student and optimist Alice Herz-Sommer, rises above.
Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
Encouraged by great musicians Gustav Mahler and Artur Schnabel and on the brink of a career as a pianist, Alice Herz-Sommer’s world crumbled in 1943. She, along with her husband and son, were deported to Theresienstadt. She survived the Holocaust and the loss of many family members and yet, celebrates life. Hers is a rich tapestry, woven with threads of hope, artistry, grace, courage and inspiration. The mystical, healing powers of music helped her transcend the horrors she lived through.
Alice lives by the words of Greek philosopher Epictetus, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” An example of her resilience was how she gave concerts in Theresienstadt on an out-of tune piano with a broken pedal and keys that stuck. Playing piano passionately is not only her response to brutality, but also her testament to embracing an authentic life. Now, at age 108, plays piano and takes walks daily.
Author Caroline Stoessinger is also an accomplished concert pianist and patron of the arts. She does not present Alice’s life chronologically, but jumps back and forth in time in the biography. Notes from her research are included.
The book is full of vignettes about Alice’s life: picnicking with famous writer, Franz Kafka, secret piano lessons with concentration camp children, peeling potatoes with Golda Meir. Don’t miss the chicken soup recipe. The photographs of Alice playing the piano and laughing are priceless. Teacher, student and optimist Alice Herz-Sommer, rises above.
Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
April 10, 2012
This book is an account of the amazing life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the world's oldest living Holocaust survivor. Alice is now 108 years old and still plays piano for a few hours every day and lives alone. Alice grew up in Prague and her family was friends with famous artists and philosophers like Franz Kafka and Sigmund Freud. Alice had a career as a brilliant pianist and traveled all over Europe playing. Alice married her husband Leopold and they had one son, Rafi, when they were deported for Theresienstadt, a "model" Jewish ghetto created by the Nazis as a gateway to other Final Solution concentration camps like Auschwitz. Alice and her son survived, but she lost her husband, parents, and countless more friends, families, and neighbors to the Holocaust. But, through it all Alice held onto her love of music and she feels that it helped her survive and thrive after the Holocaust. She has lived an incredible life surviving the Holocaust, living in Israel when it was a fledgling country and became friends with Golda Meir, she followed her son to London where she lives today. Though she survived the Holocaust, Alice was never bitter or hateful. She has experienced horrific evil, but still chooses to find joy in her everyday life. One of her favorite sayings is "I am richer than the world's richest people, because I am a musician."
October 31, 2012
This is the story of a woman who survived the Therezienstadt concentration camp with her young son and how she has led her life with an indomitable spirit afterward. Alice Herz-Sommer was already a concert pianist when the war started and Germany invaded her Czech homeland. The Terezien camp was considered a "model" camp for Hitler to parade before the International Red Cross. So arts were allowed to flourish, even as the artists were starving and diseased and sent by the thousands to Auschwitz and Treblinka. She settled i Israel after the was and eventually followed her son to London where she now lives at the age of 108. Filled with life and laughter, she believes prefers not to talk of her war years and just makes friends and plays her piano.
While I enjoyed the story of this remarkable woman, I thought the organization of the book was a little disjointed, touching on subjects rather than a chronological time line. But her story adds to knowledge of the deviousness of the Nazi regime.
While I enjoyed the story of this remarkable woman, I thought the organization of the book was a little disjointed, touching on subjects rather than a chronological time line. But her story adds to knowledge of the deviousness of the Nazi regime.
July 12, 2012
What an inspiring story! At 108 years old, Alice Herz-Sommer has learned the art of living well. This is a woman who has seen the tender, the tough, the sweet, and the bitter in life and yet she looks forward to new experiences and new days. She has a rich life with her music and her friends and delights in using her mind to the best of her abilities. Would that we were all so gifted.
September 3, 2013
I was disappointed in this book, and only made it through Chapter 2. I was expecting wisdom, but the initial two chapters seemed to focus on 'name dropping'(Mahler, Kafka, Meir and letting the reader know of famous people Alice had met and interacted with. Had the title,my expectations, and the early chapters been different, I might have liked this book more.
August 24, 2012
Remarkable woman, this Alice Herz-Sommer. No question about that. However, reading this book about her was rather unsatisfactory. It is so poorly written! It has a weird structure and it is full of clichés... Biggest complain: It could have been much better.
March 6, 2014
This is such a fantastic story about the world's oldest living holocaust survivor - so why did I find this book so boring? I found it muddled and disjointed and struggled to finish it.
Very disappointed - watching Alice Herz-Sommer on YouTube is much better
Very disappointed - watching Alice Herz-Sommer on YouTube is much better
December 29, 2016
De titel van het boek wekt verwachtingen waaraan het boek uiteindelijk niet voldoet. Weinig over de periode van Alice Herz-Sommer in Theresienstadt, veel over contacten in de muziekwereld. Een hoog percentage van "uitmuntende" mensen.
October 28, 2012
What I learned from this book: If you want to live to be more than 100, eat very little and drink lots of hot water.
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