The Storyteller discussion

The Storyteller is so much about the power of stories—whose story (Minka’s, Josef or Sage’s) did you find the most compelling?

I think I would choose Sage’s. To be put in the position of having to make a decision about taking someone’s life is not something I would ever want to experience and whether or not I’d be capable of making the decision.

I found them all compelling.. The strength tha Minka had to live through that ordeal and survive.. the feeling of power over other humans that Josef had but then to feel remorse... Sage.. who lost her mother and feels guilty, to grant forgiveness to man who was part of a group that persacuted (sp) her grandmother. All different, yet all powerful.

so far I am liking Josef the best...im on page 207 and Minka's has just started.
It is amazing to see how he was before the war started and how he had to change and now as an old man...

I just finished the book last night. Like Kathleen, I found them all compelling, each in a different way; but if I have to choose, I'd say Minka. The ordeal she went thru to survive, her strength and courage. Not to mention that because she survived, she lived decades carrying her ordeal (in her head) every single day. I'm not sure if that in itself is somewhat a punishment. As I read the novel I honestly wondered if death would have been a better choice than to endure what Minka with thru - it's just a thought.

Truly an amazing novel. I believe this to be Picoult's best work of fiction (with facts).

I really enjoyed this book so much! I enjoyed Minka's story the best. I was sad when I realized she was finished telling it and we were back in the present day.

Jenny wrote: "I really enjoyed this book so much! I enjoyed Minka's story the best. I was sad when I realized she was finished telling it and we were back in the present day."

Simon & Schuster Canada wrote: "The Storyteller is so much about the power of stories—whose story (Minka’s, Josef or Sage’s) did you find the most compelling?

I think I would choose Sage’s. To be put in the position of having to..."

I liked Minka's the best..heartbreaking but hopeful

I truely loved this book and find it impossible to choose one story over another. Josef and minka's stories are opposite sides to the same war at around the same age. Sage is a young woman faced with her own modern day injuries consummed with guilt and choice. All three stories are heartbreaking and uplifiting in the way they deal with the hand life dealt them.

Jools wrote: "I truely loved this book and find it impossible to choose one story over another. Josef and minka's stories are opposite sides to the same war at around the same age. Sage is a young woman faced wi..."

Simon & Schuster Canada wrote: "The Storyteller is so much about the power of stories—whose story (Minka’s, Josef or Sage’s) did you find the most compelling?

I think I would choose Sage’s. To be put in the position of having to..."


Minka's story was by far the most compelling for me. It was certainly the most developed, and she was the character I cared most about. I didn't particularly like Sage, and thought her story was predictable.

Simon & Schuster Canada wrote: "The Storyteller is so much about the power of stories—whose story (Minka’s, Josef or Sage’s) did you find the most compelling?

I think I would choose Sage’s. To be put in the position of having to..."

But, why did Sage think she "had" to do anything? Just because this person asked her to do such an outrageous thing, in no way compelled her to do it, or even to think about doing it. Just in my own opinion, I felt that it was really perverse of Sage to actually think of doing it, let alone what happened after that. Additionally, I felt like Josef was again treating Sage like what happened to her didn't matter, as long as he got what he wanted. She was just another expendable Jew. What if she had been arrested and convicted of murder?

Jools wrote: "I truely loved this book and find it impossible to choose one story over another. Josef and minka's stories are opposite sides to the same war at around the same age. Sage is a young woman faced wi..."

I would disagree with the POV that Josef was a victim of what "life dealt him." He chose to brutalize others, many others. It wasn't done TO him.

I don't believe Josef treated Sage "Like a expendable Jew" In his life before the war his best friend was a Jew. He tried to protect his friend when war broke out.He never wanted to be part of the war or Hitlers Youth. His love was books, stories. His brother was the brute. Josef pretended to be his brother to get Sage to act.

She had the choice Josef and Minka did not choose the life they where forced into as teens

Jools wrote: "I don't believe Josef treated Sage "Like a expendable Jew" In his life before the war his best friend was a Jew. He tried to protect his friend when war broke out.He never wanted to be part of the ..."

But Josef chose Sage's family, her mother and then her, because they were Jewish. He then asked her to murder him, which is a crime. She would have had the consequences of that act, emotionally, for the rest of her life, and possibly also physically, if she was sent to prison. Josef didn't care at ALL what the consequences would be to Sage, as long as he got what he wanted, which was death. He wasn't doing it for her benefit, only his. That pretty much says "expendable Jew" to me.

Josef had a history with Minka, and the sad part was he just wanted to hear how the story ended after all those years. I stick by my statement Josef did not "Hate Jews" as his life before the war proves and the way he saved Minka' life in the POW camp. The same way the other SS officer tried to save all the kids lives.

Sage has a choice to help end his life or not. Her hand was not forced though he did manipulate her decision by making her believe he was his evil and more ruthless brother.

I think we interpreted this book differently that is all. You see "Expendable Jew" and I don't.

Same way as you give the book two stars and I give it five.

Jools wrote: "Josef had a history with Minka, and the sad part was he just wanted to hear how the story ended after all those years. I stick by my statement Josef did not "Hate Jews" as his life before the war p..."

I do because he wanted Sage to do something that she would have had to live with the rest of her life, and like I said, possibly be imprisoned for. Did he care about what consequences his request would have for her? I am not talking about the war, his brother or Minka. I am talking about the fact that he asked her to do something, for HIM that would have grave consequences for her,and his only concern was getting what he wanted. This was the crux of the book, and pretty hard for me to just blow past.

I'm sorry you feel like that. I'm not talking war either when I say she had a choice which she does. Everyone has a choice nobody held her life to ransom. She knew the consequences of taking another humans life.

I agree with you there, but what makes me wonder is why or how he, or anyone, would even ask her to do something that could have such negative impact on her life? True, it was her choice to make, and to accept the consequences, though why she would do it I don't know, but it seems beyond selfish and self absorbed to even ask someone to do such a thing, with no concern for the consequences to them. She didn't even know him. It's not like he was her suffering, dying parent or something, which would at least make more sense.

I really liked Minka's story and the story she was writing. Her Ania story was so powerful that it kept her alive! My least favorite story was Sage's, I just didn't have any connection to her at all and I'm not sure I agreed with her decision...

I'm also not sure why Sage felt she needed to comply with his wishes. The other concern I had was--if Josef was actually Franz, how is it he could describe in gruesome detail the shootings of civilians and children in the trenches? Did he commit the same acts? Reiner would not have shared that kind of detail with Franz.

I think the details of what happened in the trenches was explained by Leo, as he says these stories of the horrors of the holocaust are well documented by holocaust survivors. Hence why he pushed Sage to try and find a story no one but the people involved would know. So I think plus the fact sage read his little leather book with all the different endings to Minka's book made Sage realise it was Franz and not Reiner.

I think Josef being Franz also explains how he was able to be such a good guy for the past 20 years -- one celebrated by the town.
Because at heart he was a good guy who got drafted into a terrible situation and worked within it to try and make some difference. His brother, though, appears to have relished it.

I have another question, though. Now that you know that it as Franz telling us how much Reiner hated what he did and had to drink to escape it, do you think that was really true? Or do you think that's just what Franz hoped it was doing to his brother when really maybe the guy was just an evil drunk?

You're right, gertt, yet so many Holocaust survivors did just that. Many of them didn't talk about it with their families and created who new lives and families.
I don't know how they did it -- or what gave them the ability to do so when today it seems smaller-scale tragedies seem to disrail people more.
And I'm sure they ALL struggled and had terrible times, but I'm just so amazed they were able to even function after something like that.

I agree that I don't know how concentration camp survivors were able to go on and make new lives for themselves, but many did. I watched "Schindler's List" the other night after not having seen it for many years, and it included some of Schindler's survivors talking about their experiences and lives. The horror is unimaginable, yet they went on. Others can't talk about it, like Minka, but she went on and lived a good life. Then there was Sage, who acted like her life was some kind of tragedy because she had a scar on her face. She was alive, she was healthy, she wasn't being persecuted for being Jewish, she had a talent she was able to use, her sisters were alive, and yet all Sage did was hide from life, feel sorry for herself, and make self destructive decisions. If I was Minka, I would want to slap her upside her head and tell her to snap out of it.

Yeah
I think it's good for all of us to realize no matter how bad things are there's almost certainly someone who has gone through -- and triumphed over -- worse.

Yes, I know Sage thought that, but she hadn't, right? I forget exactly what happened with her mother, but it wasn't Sage's fault, if I am correct. Grief is one thing, but unfounded guilt is another, and lends itself to Sage's self absorption. It made it all about Sage instead of her mother. She should also have had some idea of what her grandmother had been through, even if she didn't know every detail. She knew Minka was a Jewish woman in Europe, and no Jew in Europe was unscathed. How old was Sage again also? It sounded to me like she really needed to grow up and think of other people besides herself. At the beginning of the book, she was completely self absorbed.

i loved minka's story.

Minka's story was the best for me

For me Minka's, I would loved if the entire book was that story.