56 pages • 1 hour read
Olga LengyelFive Chimneys: The Story of Auschwitz
Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1947A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Five Chimneys by Olga Lengyel is a nonfiction account of her harrowing experience as a prisoner in the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp during World War II. Lengyel, along with her family, is subjected to unimaginable horrors including separation, cruel treatment, and witnessing the mass murder of fellow inmates. Lengyel survives the camp, participates in underground resistance efforts, and ultimately escapes to tell her story and honor those who perished. The book discusses antisemitism, the Holocaust, murder, and physical and sexual violence.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Olga Lengyel's Five Chimneys is a harrowing, firsthand account of her experiences in Auschwitz. Critics commend its unflinching detail and emotional depth, offering an essential historical perspective. Some find the graphic descriptions overwhelming, but its raw honesty is seen as its greatest strength. Overall, it's a powerful, though sometimes difficult, read.
Who Should Read Five Chimneys?
A reader who would enjoy Five Chimneys by Olga Lengyel is interested in firsthand Holocaust narratives, harrowing survival stories, and historical accounts of human resilience. Fans of Elie Wiesel's Night or Primo Levi's If This Is a Man would find this memoir particularly compelling due to its intimate and poignant portrayal of life in Auschwitz.