Sophie's Choice

Sophie's Choice (1979) by William Styron. Set in New York in 1947, in the wake of World War II, Sophie's Choice tells the story of Stingo, a young man just starting his career as a writer, and of Sophie and Nathan, a couple he meets in his boardinghouse. The book really is Sophie's story, though. She's a Polish survivor of Auschwitz, and now, living in New York, she is struggling with what we now know as survivor's guilt. This book is a true masterpiece, combining elements of war and the Holocaust with stories of Stingo and his sexual frustration. And always, at the center of the story, is Sophie, a beautiful woman carrying a burden of guilt that ultimately she cannot bear. Styron's writing is simply stunning in its power and beauty. This is a book worth rereading, even though the first time through is bound to be the most powerful. Grade: A