This was a fun novel to read, especially if you're a WW2 history buff like I am.
With a lot of facts common knowledge for me, it was great to see it transformed into a satiric comedy.
Even the stylish cover is something to admire.
The story revolves around Adolf Hitler who had come back to a Germany well into the 21th century, with a slight head ache and no recollection of committing suicide in 1945.
Soon after his awakening his 'talent' is discovered and he is offered a spot on a television show where he just needs to be himself.
With everyone thinking he's a method actor, he blends in easily and spreads his message for a better Germany in the future which is received with both humor and sincerity.
While he takes everything in stride, he's perfectly portrayed as someone who finds a nazi-explanation or solution for everything that he encounters in this 'future'.
One of my favorites is when he finds out that every store is practically self-catering instead of a counter where your goods are being prepared by the patron. He wonders where all the employees went and is taken aback when he finds out the recent unemployment numbers. He blames the apparent group of giving the poor enough money to stay poor and buy their products while they continue to get more and more rich.
It's not that I share this opinion, but the manner in which it dawned upon him was very cleverly written by Vermes.
That said , I don't mind admitting that the Adolf portrayed is one I think is easily liked. He's straightforward, not afraid to vent unpopular ideas and stand behind his ideas with conviction. He's a person you'd respect if you could forget the genocide he was responsible for.
And that's just what he gets. Respect. Being 60+ years later and no one really expecting the actuel Hitler to be walking the streets of Berlin again, he's 'forgiven' his crimes from during the second World War and given a new opportunity to set Germany on a trail towards success. And that's what he's going to do, as the novel ends with him back on track for a political career, with the slogan NOT ALL WAS BAD.
