Look Who’s Back

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover – is a saying which most defiantly does not apply to this book. One glimpse of it’s cover and I was hooked. (Such fantastical minimal graphic design!)  This books it exactly what you would expect from cover to cover thanks to Munich based  graphic designer Johannes Wiebel. I’m not one to gush about a book cover but this is just beautiful!

So let’s get down to the contents. “Look Who’s Back” was originally written in German by Timur Vermes, but after selling two million copies has been translated into English by Jamie Bulloch. (Fear not, no humor has been lost in translation.)

In this book we follow  Adolf Hitler – not through World War II but rather through the present day. He has woken up in 2011 to find the world around him has changed immeasurably since 1945 – “and he’s Führious.” As he discovers the technological advancements since his alleged suicide he’s mistaken as an impersonator and becomes a YouTube sensation.

As it’s told from Hitler’s perspective it has the potential to be offensive, however through out the entirety of the book the reader is left not laughing with Hitler but at him.

Although there is obviously a lot of historical references (but you don’t need to be a history buff to appreciate the satire) I felt this book thought me more about the time we live in – by seeing it through the eyes of an outsider exploring today’s culture and observing how much the world has changed in just a little over 60 years.

I think this book is the most universally accessible book I’ve reviewed so far. So if you’re not at “Indiependence” this weekend use your saved money to toddle into Easons and grab a copy. (There’s enough for everyone I checked today!)