Look who's back by Timur Vermes

"Look who's back", debut novel of Timur Vermes, translated from German by Jamie Bulloch. This book is published by Maclehose press Quercus in Apr 2014 and has 352 pages.

This is a fiction with fantastical theme, an outrageous idea. What's the idea? Hitler wakes up ..... in 2011, in Berlin. He finds his country changed completely. Nobody recognizes or salutes him. Everyone thinks that he is an actor impersonating Hitler.

Hitler realizes that he woke up after more than 60 years and realizes that destiny has chosen him over everyone else because he is the only one capable of bringing the revolution single handedly. He keeps behaving like Hitler and other keep thinking that he is deliberately taking the impersonation to the limit. He is offered a TV show. Hitler takes it as an opportunity to mobilize support for the revolution that he is destined to bring. His first telecast goes viral on YouTube. The TV channel creates Hitler's webpage. That attracts millions of hits. He becomes a celebrity, loved and hated at the same time. Some see his racial insinuations as humor, some find it in poor taste, some are outraged and some are enamored.

Can Hitler bring another revolution? Will people take him seriously? Why did he come back?

The book is narrated by Adolf Hitler in first person. Author has depicted him as a self centered and pompous chap who thinks for the good of Volk, but HE decides what is good. Hitler's amusement at volk picking up the crap of their dogs, internet, computer, modern language etc is humorous.

When a man wakes up after more than half a century without knowing it, he is expected to be in denial mode for a longer duration and is expected not to accept reality easily. In this book Hitler comes out of denial mode and accepts reality within minutes of waking up. A bit strange! Author has also not explained why and how he wakes up after more than 60 years.

The book has flashes of brilliance. Hitler's interpretation of modern day world, behavior and reactions of modern people is too good. However some of the parts are boring like the one when Hitler surfs the TV channels or visits national party headquarters. The book becomes uninteresting on a number of occasions.

While reading this book I was always curious of how author would end it. When I reached the end, it appeared incomplete. The book should have been shorter by about 50-100 pages. Then it would have become more effective. A fantastic idea not executed equally well.

An OK book. Read it for a change.