This book is the blandest retelling of the Holocaust I have ever read. There is no attempt made to ground any of the characters or give them emotive personalities. I am left astounded by how praised it is as the book reads like Elie forgot his own story and is drawing from the scraps of a fragmented memory. Whenever something supposed to be dramatic or heartfelt happens I am left dumbfounded due to the lack of connection to the characters or their story as I've seen it all before in better renditions of the Holocaust. This book is undoubtedly overrated. The style of writing is slow and dull, with almost every line ending in a full stop needlessly. The dialogue feels forced and robotic along with the dragged out scenes where nothing really happens. To end this review how did Elie manage to write himself as the most uninteresting protagonist in all of literature?! Please explain!