Two men wait through the night in British-controlled Palestine for dawn--and for death. One is a captured English officer. The other is Elisha, a young Israeli freedom fighter whose assignment is to kill the officer in reprisal for Britain's execution of a Jewish prisoner. Elisha's past is the nightmare memory of Nazi death camps. He is the only surviving member of his family. His future is a cherished dream of life in the promised homeland. But at daybreak his present will become the tortured reality of a principled man ordered to commit cold-blooded murder. Resonant with feeling, Dawn is an unforgettable journey into the human heart--and an eloquent statement about the moral basis of the new Israel."
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
An illuminating document . . . the plight of traditional Jewish morality confronted with the modern world of power politics and of murder."--Maxwell Geismar
From the Publisher
"Two men wait through the night in British-controlled Palestine for dawn--and for death. One is a captured English officer. The other is Elisha, a young Israeli freedom fighter whose assignment is to kill the officer in reprisal for Britain's execution of a Jewish prisoner. Elisha's past is the nightmare memory of Nazi death camps. He is the only surviving member of his family. His future is a cherished dream of life in the promised homeland. But at daybreak his present will become the tortured reality of a principled man ordered to commit cold-blooded murder. Resonant with feeling, Dawn is an unforgettable journey into the human heart--and an eloquent statement about the moral basis of the new Israel.
"An illuminating document . . . the plight of traditional Jewish morality confronted with the modern world of power politics and of murder."--Maxwell Geismar
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Elie Wiesel's Night is one of the most horrifying, moving accounts of the Holocaust experience that I have read. This book, Dawn, is sometimes referred to as a sequel to Night; however, I think that is misleading. Though readers of Night will see the influence of the author's concentration camp experience reflected in this book, Dawn is something very different.
The most obvious difference, of course, is that Night is nonfiction whereas Dawn is a novel. Dawn tells the story of Elisha, a Holocaust survivor, who is recruited to a terrorist group in Palestine that is trying to drive out the British in the years after World War II. After participating in a number of terrorist activities without remorse, Elisha is assigned to execute a prisoner in retaliation for the execution of one of his comrades. As he waits through the night for his task at dawn, Elisha struggle (literally) with his ghosts.
When faced with an author like Wiesel who has written a classic piece of nonfiction like Night, it is often difficult to judge his fiction fairly. The fiction doesn't seem to have the same impact. And though I, too, prefer Night, I found this book to be powerful in its own right. Dawn gives real insight into how people can be haunted and changed by an unfathomable trauma. In addition, it addresses real philosophical issues such as when does killing become murder and how does becoming a murderer change a person? Does suffering unto death justify a (some might say) disproportionate response?
In these post 9/11 days, I also found the insight into the terrorist mindset very interesting. The American revolutionaries and the Zionists were considered terrorists in their day much as the Palestinians and al Queda are today and, though there are obviously differences between all these groups, there are some attitudes that run through all who can find it in themselves to use terror tactics. It is fascinating to see words come from the mouths of these young Jewish partisans that would fit equally well in the mouths of Palestinians today.
All in all, Dawn is an excellent work: brief but powerful.
The most obvious difference, of course, is that Night is nonfiction whereas Dawn is a novel. Dawn tells the story of Elisha, a Holocaust survivor, who is recruited to a terrorist group in Palestine that is trying to drive out the British in the years after World War II. After participating in a number of terrorist activities without remorse, Elisha is assigned to execute a prisoner in retaliation for the execution of one of his comrades. As he waits through the night for his task at dawn, Elisha struggle (literally) with his ghosts.
When faced with an author like Wiesel who has written a classic piece of nonfiction like Night, it is often difficult to judge his fiction fairly. The fiction doesn't seem to have the same impact. And though I, too, prefer Night, I found this book to be powerful in its own right. Dawn gives real insight into how people can be haunted and changed by an unfathomable trauma. In addition, it addresses real philosophical issues such as when does killing become murder and how does becoming a murderer change a person? Does suffering unto death justify a (some might say) disproportionate response?
In these post 9/11 days, I also found the insight into the terrorist mindset very interesting. The American revolutionaries and the Zionists were considered terrorists in their day much as the Palestinians and al Queda are today and, though there are obviously differences between all these groups, there are some attitudes that run through all who can find it in themselves to use terror tactics. It is fascinating to see words come from the mouths of these young Jewish partisans that would fit equally well in the mouths of Palestinians today.
All in all, Dawn is an excellent work: brief but powerful.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book was recommended to me as a sequel to Night. If you're looking for a traditional sequel in Dawn, you'll probably be disappointed. Dawn is a sequel to Night in that it reveals another chapter in the life of the Jewish community that survived the Holocaust. Weisel raises serious questions of right and wrong by placing a Holocaust survivor "on the other side of the gun." If you like struggling with difficult moral/ethical issues, this book would be a great choice. If you like the different aspects of the Jewish experience of the Holocaust, you'll also want to read The Accident, the third book in the Night Trilogy.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This short novel was a bit difficult to take but, then, I believe that this was how the author meant it to be. It is the story of a Holocaust survivor who is now in Palestine involved in the underground efforts to wrest control of the area from the British. The man must execute a British officer and his struggles with this is the crux of the story. I was not ever quite sure how Wiesel intended us to view the "hero". At times I thought that the author wrote as though we would understand the actions of the Jewish militants. At other times, I felt he was trying to show us that violence only creates more victims. Certainly, the ending of "Dawn" was a powerful statement of the evil that can emerge from any man no matter how just the cause. I think that the author adds to his purpose by keeping us a bit off balance throughout the story. He reminds us that there are no easy answers nor easy perspectives.
Most of us are aqcuainted with the story of the creation of the Israeli nation including the non-diplomatic efforts by the militant groups. This book was copyrighted in 1961 at a time when the events could be viewed with a somewhat different perspective. I say this because I found myself drawn to wonder how Wiesel would view a Palastinian suicide bomber. I guess it was his analytical analysis of the conflicting sides that made me wonder about this. I realize that it was not the author's point to excuse or justify the violence. However, there was a certain antiseptic approach to the subject that caused me to wonder about the modern day terrorist.
This is a story that will challenge the reader to ask themselves a question or two. It only takes a short while to read but it has a message that should last quite a while.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
wow, I don't understand the hype at all
I had been excited to read this after reading Night. I didn't enjoy Night so much because it lack purpose, depth and needed more detail so I was hoping to find that in the later... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Joe Newman
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Meditative Read
Elie Wiesel's "Dawn" is a thoughtful look on the price of survival in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Filmbuff-reads stuff
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read with a poet's heart
The words of DAWN, by Elie Wiesel, affected me as much, or more, than its content. As in NIGHT, Wiesel writes with pointed prose much the way a poet does. No superfluous words. Read more
Published 20 months ago by FQHBOOKS
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Eyes of Death
I'm a latecomer to Wiesel's writing. As one who has traveled in Romania and Israel, I've found it a pleasure--albeit, a sobering one--to read his work. Read more
Published on December 29, 2010 by Eric Wilson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bitter and non-redemptive, more wooden than "Night"
In "Dawn" Elie Wiesel extends the idea he began in "Night" that life and any positivity lost all meaning for him, and he tries to make up for it here by showing his tortured... Read more
Published on January 20, 2010 by Daniel Mackler
2.0 out of 5 stars
The mind of a virgin killer
Elie Wiesel's second book, "Dawn," is a clear improvement over "Night." The former, rather than simply giving a gory firsthand account of history, explores the reasons behind the... Read more
Published on June 11, 2006 by Jesse Jones, aka
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dawn
The book dawn is about Elie's life after the war and his stay in the concentration camps. He ends up being drawn to a Palestinian terrorist group. Read more
Published on April 25, 2006
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than "Night"
A wonderful book with great insight into the moral dilemnas of conflict and Israel's fight for independence.
Published on January 31, 2006 by *_ME_*
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dawn
Dawn written by Elie Wiesel is a story about two men who are
meant to be killed at the same time, at dawn. Read more
meant to be killed at the same time, at dawn. Read more
Published on April 18, 2005 by skell
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Change From Night to Dawn
Dawn, the sequel to Night, is a book that creates suspense and can put you on the edge of your seat. Read more
Published on April 18, 2005 by Connor
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