Customer Reviews

Guide for the Bedevilled

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

The most outstanding screenwriter of the 1930's shares his feelings about Jews and antisemites at the height of WW2 and the Holocaust - 1943.

His insights are astounding and his passion is legendary. He was one of the few people in America who worked against all odds to save European Jewry during the Holocaust. His contribution has yet to be given its due. This book is not about his contributions. This book was one of them.

I hope and pray that world Jewry learns the lessons of this book and unifies for all time.

This book is a must read.

P.S. On and around the same topic as this book I also recommend:

"Menachem Begin His Life and Legacy" by Hillel Seidman

"Shake Heaven and Earth" by Louis Rappaport

"Treblinka" by Jean-Francois Steiner

Please let me know what you thought of these books. Thanks!

It is hard to believe Hecht was never formally educated beyond high school, but this may very well be the secret to his genius. He wasn't instructed - he learned. Not from establishment but from his own rich life.
For two reasons I haven't ranked "A Guide" 5 stars. Firstly, Hecht's lofty vocabulary, though never pretentious, renders this book and its brilliant ideas almost inaccessible. Borrowing often from French and making frequent use of arcane figures of speech and historical references, I found myself having to consult multiple dictionaries and the Internet in order to keep up with him. Secondly, I tend to disagree with a few of his conclusions. I think Hecht exaggerates in his praise for America and its benevolence. And (though my gut is convinced he is right) I felt his sweeping delegitimization of Germany as a people deserved greater and more substantial evidence.
All things considered, though, this was an immensely enjoyable and insightful read. Hecht's style is intimate, entertaining and engaging. From a historical, literary, and philosophical perspective this book ought to be read by everyone.