The Judges

By Elie Wiesel

Book Overview

From Elie Wiesel, a gripping novel of guilt, innocence, and the perilousness of judging both.

A plane en route from New York to Tel Aviv is forced down by bad weather. A nearby house provides refuge for five of its passengers: Claudia, who has left her husband and found new love; Razziel, a religious teacher who was once a political prisoner; Yoav, a terminally ill Israeli commando; George, an archivist who is hiding a Holocaust secret that could bring down a certain politician; and Bruce, a would-be priest turned philanderer.

Their host--an enigmatic and disquieting man who calls himself simply the Judge--begins to interrogate them, forcing them to face the truth and meaning of their lives. Soon he announces that one of them--the least worthy--will die.

The Judges is a powerful novel that reflects the philosophical, religious, and moral questions that are at the heart of Elie Wiesel's work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805211217
• ISBN13: 9780805211214
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Found Wanting

Through numerous novels, Elie Wiesel has proven himself to be a master storyteller. He is able to intermingle the fictional world with the all too real memories of the Holocaust that haunt almost every piece of writing he produces. While "The Judges" has an intriguing premise, it is not among his better works. When a plane en route to Tel Aviv is forced down by a snow storm, five random passengers find themselves offered refuge in a nearby house. What at first appears to be a safe haven quickly turns into a nightmare when the host, who simply refers to himself as the Judge, tells them of the 'game' at hand. All five of those present will be judged and the one who is the least worthy among them must pay the ultimate sacrifice. The five strangers have trouble believing the Judge at first, simply thinking his pronouncement a farce, but when they discover that they are locked within the room, they quickly realize the seriousness of their predicament. They must try to work together to fight their way out, or decide who should be the sacrificial lamb for the others. "The Judges" has many characteristics that trademark a Wiesel novel. There is the shift in narrative between various characters, and between past and present times. Yet unlike his other works, the narratives here have little cohesiveness - there is no thread that ties them all together and even though the five characters are forced to spend one night together under one roof, that is all that unites them. There may be commonalities among their pasts and their reasons for wishing to remain alive, but beyond that, this story is about disconnect. The ending is far too rushed for the story that is offered and the conclusion to the host's 'game' is trite and predictable. With that being said, "The Judges" is still a fine read, thanks in large part to Wiesel's intellect and his poetic use of language.

excellent book

first of all, i am not a kid, i am simply a person without a bunch of time floating around to fill out all that crap simply to write a review. second, this book was utterly facsinating and i was genuinly disappointed when i came to its end. i love how real elie wiesel makes his characters and really enoyed getting to know the five passengers as well as the judge and his little hunchback. a great read for anyone not afraid to think.

Elie did it again

First I must say that Mr. Wiesel's other books including Night, Dawn, and the Accident are all wonderful books.Second, someone who is reading for action should not read the book. It doesn't have action in the book, but it does allow the reader to dive deep in philosophy.Third, some say that it doesn't have a "realistic" plot. Can I ask, which fiction book truly has a realistic plot? I think Mr. Wiesel was trying to get the reader to "get" more out of the characters than the way the characters ended up in the cabin. I think we could all learn something from reading this book. I know I did.I must say that this book was a good read and I recommend it to all. I would also like to recommend the other three books I mentioned earlier--Night, Dawn, and the Accident. Great books from a great writer!