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rafacolog's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Suicide, Murder, Xenophobia, and Genocide
bookwormcat's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The idea of Hitler being alive in the modern world made me squirm. The book being told from his perspective made me deeply uncomfortable. However, this was satire, and at times even made me chuckle. As it went on, however, it made me think more and more about the cult of celebrity, the power of the internet, and how people can use "humour" as a vehicle for more extremist content. It made me consider how people hear what they want to, and excuse the rest as "joking". This book really made me think a lot about so-called "cancel culture", freedom of speech, and how easily things can get very, very bad, very quickly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Antisemitism, Genocide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Suicide
samchase112's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
But with superior morale, with an unwavering, fanatical spirit, everything is possible!
What would Hitler say? Vermes takes a rather literal approach to this question when he drops Adolf Hitler into the 21st century. What ensues is a novel filled with satire and uncomfortable laughing - should I really be enjoying Hitler's antics this much? It's interesting to see our world through the eyes of someone from a previous century, let alone a notorious monster. What was most frightening about it was the way the book ended, as Hitler begins to work his "magic" upon the public once more and rise in power and influence. It really has me thinking whether or not Hitler could actually accomplish everything again. While the novel got a little repetitive after a while - I can only hear the same reactions to Hitler's insistence that yes, this was his real name so many times - Vermes had obviously done a great deal of research and I enjoyed how authentic everything felt. Be warned - a lot of knowledge of contemporary German culture as well as Nazi knowledge is required here in order to find pretty much anything funny. In the end I honestly flew through the pages, and while it's not a novel I would've chosen for myself, it's certainly an experience I won't soon forget.
And really, the Jews are no laughing matter.
What would Hitler say? Vermes takes a rather literal approach to this question when he drops Adolf Hitler into the 21st century. What ensues is a novel filled with satire and uncomfortable laughing - should I really be enjoying Hitler's antics this much? It's interesting to see our world through the eyes of someone from a previous century, let alone a notorious monster. What was most frightening about it was the way the book ended, as Hitler begins to work his "magic" upon the public once more and rise in power and influence. It really has me thinking whether or not Hitler could actually accomplish everything again. While the novel got a little repetitive after a while - I can only hear the same reactions to Hitler's insistence that yes, this was his real name so many times - Vermes had obviously done a great deal of research and I enjoyed how authentic everything felt. Be warned - a lot of knowledge of contemporary German culture as well as Nazi knowledge is required here in order to find pretty much anything funny. In the end I honestly flew through the pages, and while it's not a novel I would've chosen for myself, it's certainly an experience I won't soon forget.
And really, the Jews are no laughing matter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide and Violence
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