abecedarian
Well-Known Member
It was my first Mulisch, too. In retrospect I may have been a little bit generous giving it a 5/5 - it's not flawless - but it was one of those books that really shook me up, and I remember really having to draw a deep breath when I finished. Sort of a mix of a psychological/theological study of Hitler and his acolytes and an existential horror novel... not a happy read, but a good one.
I will rate a book like that high too. A great read doesn't have to make me feel happy when I close the book..If the characters and their situations linger after I've finished the last sentence, I'll rate the book much higher than one that only makes me feel good and leaves nothing for me to think about afterwards.