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jitka_c's review against another edition
3.0
Nebylo to špatné, ale nebylo to ani skvělé. Kniha stojí na zajímavé myšlence a docela vtipných situacích, ale postrádala jsem nějaké vyvrcholení. Nějakou myšlenku, ke které by to celé směřovalo. Takhle to byla jen čtivá, zábavná satira s Hitlerem. Nic, k čemu bych se potřebovala vracet.
emmadaamen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ylbirda's review against another edition
3.0
Es war schwer, das Buch zu lesen. Von Anfang an dachte ich, dass es vor allem um Provokation geht. Und so sieht es am Ende irgendwie aus. Der witzige Anfang lässt relativ schnell nach. Die lange Mitte ist nicht witzig und auch nicht besonders interessant (auch wenn ich glaube, dass der Autor genügend recherchierte). Das Ende ist wiederum etwas besser, jedoch scheint es etwas faul geschrieben zu werden. Wenn die Zeit kommt, schwere Fragen zu beantworten, werden sie einfach ignoriert und übersprungen. Das Buch konnte auch viel kürzer sein. Vielleicht werde ich irgendwann den Film gucken - möglicherweise wird es ein Fall vom ,,der Film ist besser als das Buch" sein?
rike125's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
martieb's review against another edition
funny
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
stanley_nolan_blog's review against another edition
4.0
Look Who's Back, first published a decade ago in Germany, was prescient in its argument about celebrity culture making anyone a star for all the wrong reasons. Timur Vermes took this conclusion to its logical conclusion, what if Adolf Hitler himself re-appeared in 2011 Berlin? Simple: he'd become a popular figure for his apparent overidentification (Stiob) with taboo opinions.
The book leads me to two opinions that are equally distressing: first, by writing in the first-person from Hitler's perspective, it forces the reader to understand the world through his eyes, creating the impossible scenario of forcing one to empathize (but not sympathize) with him. This immediately creates the conditions for Zizek's uncomfortable argument that anybody could, in fact, have been a Nazi under certain conditions. (For instance, Hitler's opinions in the book are oftentimes similar to positions politicians take against their enemies, which they try to use against one another. Is this not what happened to the conservatives the grifted onto Hitler's original movement?) If you're someone who thinks otherwise, then I admire your hubris.
Second, the entertainment industry that allowed Hitler to become a popular figure in fictional 2011 Berlin for financial gain was the same kind of process that led to the "real" Hitler's rise in the nineteen-twenties as well as Trump's in 2015/6. As it turns out, obscene gestures in publicly venerated institutions creates attention, which, as we all know now, turns into a healthy profit.
The book leads me to two opinions that are equally distressing: first, by writing in the first-person from Hitler's perspective, it forces the reader to understand the world through his eyes, creating the impossible scenario of forcing one to empathize (but not sympathize) with him. This immediately creates the conditions for Zizek's uncomfortable argument that anybody could, in fact, have been a Nazi under certain conditions. (For instance, Hitler's opinions in the book are oftentimes similar to positions politicians take against their enemies, which they try to use against one another. Is this not what happened to the conservatives the grifted onto Hitler's original movement?) If you're someone who thinks otherwise, then I admire your hubris.
Second, the entertainment industry that allowed Hitler to become a popular figure in fictional 2011 Berlin for financial gain was the same kind of process that led to the "real" Hitler's rise in the nineteen-twenties as well as Trump's in 2015/6. As it turns out, obscene gestures in publicly venerated institutions creates attention, which, as we all know now, turns into a healthy profit.
peejaybe's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating, challenging look at modern society through the eyes of Hitler. Through the pages of this book you get an insight into how Hitler convinced the German population of his beliefs, no matter how distorted they were.
It is funny, clever and makes you think about how certain individuals in politics today are not that far from Hitler.
It is funny, clever and makes you think about how certain individuals in politics today are not that far from Hitler.
juneuk's review against another edition
2.0
This was a book that I found hard to get a handle-I could see what it was trying to do , but at the same time there were instances when the 'satire' tipped over the line to the point that it had me squirming.
jeffcass's review against another edition
3.0
Read for the second time in 2024.
I enjoyed this satirical novel much less the second time around. It tries to read like Mein Kampf but falls short. The constant references that Hitler makes to the members of his (ex) government feel forced and are atypical of his character. In many ways, Look Who's Back reads like a "Blast from the Past" novel with a main character (Hitler) discovering new technology and habits. I smirked and sniggered a couple of times, but that's about it.
What is, however, positive about this book is its portrayal of how humans react toward a charismatic leader, no matter how absurd his ideas might be. We have seen this countless times in history, from military and political chiefs to cult leaders and drug kingpins. Should we allow such characters to gain popularity, even if it's for the sake of comedy and satire? I for one think that satire is part of the whole package of a democratic system, but this novel shows how it can sometimes be exploited for nefarious means.
I enjoyed this satirical novel much less the second time around. It tries to read like Mein Kampf but falls short. The constant references that Hitler makes to the members of his (ex) government feel forced and are atypical of his character. In many ways, Look Who's Back reads like a "Blast from the Past" novel with a main character (Hitler) discovering new technology and habits. I smirked and sniggered a couple of times, but that's about it.
What is, however, positive about this book is its portrayal of how humans react toward a charismatic leader, no matter how absurd his ideas might be. We have seen this countless times in history, from military and political chiefs to cult leaders and drug kingpins. Should we allow such characters to gain popularity, even if it's for the sake of comedy and satire? I for one think that satire is part of the whole package of a democratic system, but this novel shows how it can sometimes be exploited for nefarious means.
lakmus's review against another edition
4.0
In the beginning, it was just plain funny. Later it got a bit repetitive, but nevertheless the overall point makes it worth the read. As a non-German reader I guess I am missing out on a lot of cultural and social context, but the larger idea is pretty international, regardless. Yep, evil people don't sport a pair of horns, hoofs and a tail. They don't blaze fire, they are not, most often, apparently monstrous. In fact, they are so treacherous as to have qualities that would be considered positive in 'non-evil' people. How preposterous.
It's not like the previous generations were immoral imbeciles who supported these leaders (not just Hitler, there are plenty around the world and through history) thinking, hooray, time to start a war and go on a mass-murder rampage. The world isn't black and white, and people don't have 'good' and 'evil' labels printed on their foreheads. Timely reminders are in order, and this is a good one.
It's not like the previous generations were immoral imbeciles who supported these leaders (not just Hitler, there are plenty around the world and through history) thinking, hooray, time to start a war and go on a mass-murder rampage. The world isn't black and white, and people don't have 'good' and 'evil' labels printed on their foreheads. Timely reminders are in order, and this is a good one.