He who saves one life saves the world entire.

Current book: Schindler's List
Pages read: 326 - 397 (end)

The war ends! All Schindler's Jews survive! Schindler is exonerated of any possible crimes, but is pretty much impoverished and never finds business success again. Fortunately, he is taken care of by the Schindlerjuden and goes to Jerusalem every year to visit. He is recognized as a Righteous Gentile by the state of Israel, and, at his death, is mourned throughout Israel and the world.

I don't have any particularly new insight about the end, though it's nice that Schindler was taken care of because of his good deeds. Keneally makes the point throughout that he isn't a perfect, monolithic hero, and that his personal life and business dealings were never pristine, but, in the end, Schindler's deeds surpass all of that. He is a hero for saving lives at the risk of his own, and the mere fact of that salvation supersedes his fallibility.

However, my verdict from earlier stands: it's not a novel. It was pretty interesting, and it certainly makes one reflect on the Holocaust and the meaning of relative merit, so, in that respect, it's a pretty good book. But that doesn't make it a novel. It is unworthy of the list by virtue of disqualification.

Next up: Lord of the Rings. It will last for all eternity.