Tag: Book Review

Book Recommendation, Literature

Brent’s Book Recommendation: Look Who’s Back, by Timur Vermes

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“What irritates me most of all about these morning people is their horribly good temper, as if they have been up for three hours and already conquered France.”
– quote

Published in 2012, this German novel begins with a 56 year old Adolf Hitler finding himself in 2011 Berlin, somehow having time-travelled from his bunker in 1945. People take him as a brilliant Hitler imitator, daring and completely devoted to his art and give him a chance on TV. Written in a first person Hitler perspective, this is far funnier than you might ever expect – a satire on modern day Germany, and Western culture at large.

The true terror of this comic novel lies in the likeability of its protagonist. If you’re not careful you may find yourself rooting for the Führer as he struggles to save Germany from the horrors of democracy. A prescient novel several years ahead of its time.
Book Recommendation, Literature

Brent’s Book Recommendation: The Master and Margarita

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““You’re not Dostoevsky,’ said the citizeness, who was getting muddled by Koroviev.

‘Well, who knows, who knows,’ he replied.

‘Dostoevsky’s dead,’ said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently.

‘I protest!’ Behemoth exclaimed hotly. ‘Dostoevsky is immortal!””

– Excerpt

 

The novel, written in the 30’s, was published 2 parts in 1966+67. This retelling of Faust sees the devil visiting Stalin’s Moscow with two henchman, inlcuding one the greatanimals of literature: a psychotic, talking cat named Behemoth.

 

Margarita and the Master are torn between an evil regime, and evil incarnate. This Russian classic supposedly introduced the phrases “manuscripts don’t burn”, and”second-grade fresh”, into the Russian consciousness. It remains an underrated classic outside Russia. If not my favourite novel, it’s at least in the top three.