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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Holocaust atrocities; Nathan's violence; Sophie's traumatic past
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
A lot
Explicit sexual content; Sophie's exploitation in camp contexts
Substance Use
A lot
Nathan's drug use and erratic behavior; alcohol
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The titular choice — which of her children should die — is one of literature's most devastating psychological horrors
What this book is about
Stingo, a young Southern writer in 1940s Brooklyn, befriends Sophie Zawistowski and her volatile lover Nathan. As Sophie reveals her life — her time in Auschwitz and the choice forced on her — and Nathan's mental illness grows more dangerous, Styron weaves together the Holocaust, American dreams, and the persistence of evil in a profoundly moving and disturbing novel.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
The 'choice' forced at Auschwitz is psychologically devastating
Holocaust atrocities depicted
Violence from a mentally ill character
Explicit sexual content
Reader Verification
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