Spoiler warning: this post explains the full ending of The Reader. If you have not finished the book, stop here and come back later.
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Quick answer: Hanna Schmitz, a former Auschwitz guard serving a life sentence, learns to read in prison using tapes recorded by Michael Berg, her former teenage lover. On the day she is to be released, she hangs herself, leaving her savings to a survivor's daughter, which Michael delivers.
Quick facts
– Book: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
– First published: 1995
– Type: A German literary novel
– Tone of the ending: Haunting
Table of Contents
What Leads Up to the Ending
In 1950s Germany, fifteen-year-old Michael begins an affair with Hanna, an older woman who asks him to read aloud. She disappears. Years later, as a law student, he sees her on trial for war crimes. He realizes she is illiterate and accepted a heavier sentence rather than reveal it.
What Happens at the End of The Reader
Years later, divorced and unsettled, Michael records himself reading literature and mails the tapes to Hanna in prison, without ever writing a word to her. Using the tapes and library books, Hanna teaches herself to read and write and reads about the Holocaust. After eighteen years, she is to be released, and the prison asks Michael to help her. He visits her once, and the meeting is cool and awkward. On the morning of her release, she hangs herself in her cell. She leaves her savings in a tea tin and asks Michael to give it to the surviving daughter from the trial. In New York, the woman refuses the money for any cause linked to the camps, but keeps the tin, which reminds her of one stolen from her as a child. Michael donates the money to a charity for literacy in her name.
The Ending in 4 Quick Points
- Hanna learns to read.
- She kills herself.
- Michael remains haunted.
- The survivor refuses to forgive.
What Happens to the Main Characters
| Character | What happens to them |
|---|---|
| Hanna Schmitz | Dies by suicide |
| Michael Berg | Haunted by guilt |
| Ilana Mather | The survivor |
What the Ending Means
The ending explores guilt and the second generation's relationship to Nazi crimes.
Other Ways to Read the Ending
Readers debate whether the book makes Hanna too sympathetic.
Themes the Ending Brings Together
Guilt. Hanna and Michael's guilt.
Literacy. Reading changes Hanna.
Shame. Hanna's shame.
Is the Ending Happy or Sad?
Most readers describe the ending of The Reader as haunting. How you feel about it usually depends on what you hoped for the characters and what you expected Bernhard Schlink to do with the story, so it is worth asking friends how they felt before you compare notes.
Who Will Like This Ending
Readers who enjoy endings that are haunting will find a lot to talk about here. If you prefer every thread tied up neatly, it helps to know in advance how Bernhard Schlink closes the story, which is exactly why many readers look it up. Either way, the final chapters reward a second look once you know where everything is heading, because small details from the middle of the book start to matter. If you are reading with a group, agree beforehand whether everyone has finished, so nobody has the last chapters spoiled.
Book Versus Adaptation
The 2008 film with Kate Winslet follows the ending.
Discussion Questions About the Ending
If you are reading The Reader with a book club or a friend, these questions work well once everyone has finished:
- Did the ending surprise you, or had you seen it coming from the first chapters?
- What does the final scene say about guilt, and do you agree with Bernhard Schlink's view?
- Which character made the most important choice in the last part of the book, and was it the right one?
- How would the story feel if it had ended one chapter earlier or one chapter later?
- Does the ending leave you hopeful about the characters, or do you worry about what comes next?
- Would you describe the ending as haunting, or would you choose a different word?
How to Read the Final Chapters Again
- Compare the opening with the close. Look at how the first chapter introduces guilt and how the ending answers it.
- Track each final choice. The table above shows where every main character ends up, so ask which of those outcomes was earned.
- Notice what Bernhard Schlink leaves unsaid. Gaps in the last pages are often deliberate, and they are where most of the debate about the ending begins.
- Listen for echoes. Images, phrases or settings from earlier in The Reader often return in the final scene with a new meaning.
Questions to Ask Yourself After Finishing
- Was the ending of The Reader earned by what came before it, or did it feel sudden?
- Which character's final moment affected you most, and why?
- If you could change one thing about the last chapters, what would it be?
- Did the ending change how you think about the opening pages?
Check price of The Reader on Amazon
Books to Read After The Reader
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
- Atonement by Ian McEwan
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens at the end of The Reader?
Hanna Schmitz, a former Auschwitz guard serving a life sentence, learns to read in prison using tapes recorded by Michael Berg, her former teenage lover. On the day she is to be released, she hangs herself, leaving her savings to a survivor's daughter, which Michael delivers.
Is the ending of The Reader happy or sad?
Most readers call it haunting.
What does the ending of The Reader mean?
The ending explores guilt and the second generation's relationship to Nazi crimes.
Is the ending of The Reader the same in the adaptation?
The 2008 film with Kate Winslet follows the ending.
Who wrote The Reader and when was it published?
The Reader was written by Bernhard Schlink and first published in 1995.
Is The Reader worth reading if I already know the ending?
Yes, especially if you enjoy German literary novels. Knowing the ending can make a first read richer, because you notice how Bernhard Schlink prepares for it from the opening chapters.
Should I read The Reader before reading the ending explained?
Yes, if you plan to read it, because this post gives away the whole ending.