Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Look Who’s Back” is the English language version of the German novel “Er Ist Wieder Da.” The novel was written by Timur Vermes and published in 2012 by Eichborn Verlag. Before we go any further, I need to compliment the Author for having the utter audacity to conceive of this story. Having said that, be prepared to be offended. Some folks are going to be outraged. Others are going to be laughing out loud. This is wicked satire that is quite likely to press (mash!) a few buttons for the reader.

The novel opens in modern-day Berlin. Adolph Hitler is waking up in a vacant lot. Yes, der Führer is not dead. He has been taking a very, very long Rumpelstiltskin nap, a sixty-seven year nap. Waking up is bad enough, but the headache is worse. Shooting yourself in the head with a 7.65mm pistol will do that. Hitler staggers to a kiosk run by a foreigner, an ‘Auslander’ in Deutsch, and the satire begins.

The satirical elements of the novel really get going when this ‘new’ Hitler is discovered by some media folks. I am getting close to spoiler land here, so I will not go into details. Let us just say that through a series of hysterical misunderstandings, Hitler ends up on national television in modern Germany. The Führer begins to ride a wave of populism, becoming a star on You-Tube, discovering the power of social media. The tide of fans, the hipsters and pundits, believe that this new star is a method actor that never breaks character, or some kind of avant-garde comedian. Of course, he is not. He is still Adolph Hitler, the murderous Nazi bastard.

Satire is dangerous to write and difficult to pull off. I believe Timur Vermes does a good job of both. The novel is not without a few stumbles, but I accept that in a satirical work. Even Jonathan Swift tripped up here and there. The nature of satire is to push the limits of the believable, while holding up society and its members to the bright light of mockery. It is, of necessity, an act of fine balance. One group will laugh while another is lampooned, then howl in horror as they find themselves on the hook. So it goes with “Look Who’s Back.” It is, for example, easy to laugh when the author targets the nutter right-wing extremists. But when the satirical spotlight shines hot and bright on the politically-correct members of the left, some folks might find themselves squirming in their seats.

There are some dangers in this satire. Adolph Hitler was a monster who was responsible for the murders of millions of innocent people. Some reviewers would say that any portrayal of him as a human being is a dangerous thing. But the truth is that as evil as Hitler was–and he was a monster–he was also a human being, whether we like it or not. Hitler was not a good human being, but he was flesh and blood. He ate and slept, teased Eva Braun and played with his dog; weirdly normal stuff when he wasn’t orchestrating death and destruction.

I think it is important to remember that human beings are capable of great evil. One twisted, charismatic human being, placed just at the right moment in history, can do immense damage and cause insufferable harm. Seemingly cartoonish buffoons can, and have, risen to power on the wave of populism. In “Look Who’s Back” the Author uses the spectre of a new Hitler harnessing the power of social media to build a new populist movement. Before anyone shouts out that this is completely unbelievable, I would ask them have a good, long look at tonight’s television news.

This book is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The novel contains a lot of grist for the mill, enough to grind folks on both ends of the political spectrum, with plenty left over for the centrists. While it is busy offending folks, however, the book is also very funny. Shockingly funny, cringingly funny, and I-can’t-believe-I’m-laughing-at-this-horrible-stuff funny. The Author shoots wide of the mark from time to time, but I think it is worth it for the hits that he scores.

I recommend “Look Who’s Back” with the caveats listed above. Yes, you will probably be offended by some portion of this story. I was offended when I found my own beliefs squarely in the Author’s sights. And that’s okay, because it was funny and I need my beliefs challenged.

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