Hitler's Niece: a Novel

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In an Author's Note at the end of the book Hansen mentions that in fact he originally planned to write a short story based on this material, but that when he discussed it with John Irving (a notoriously expansive writer himself) Irving said: "You may have a novel there." Hitler demands to know at all times where Geli is, what she is doing and with whom. He retains the freedom to see other mistresses—including Eva Braun—but keeps a tight leash on Geli, discouraging other suitors. Once Emil Maurice, Hitler’s good-looking Corsican chauffeur begins dating Geli, Hitler finds a pretext to dismiss him. “She is with me,” Hitler snarls when another man, Schirach, asks his permission to take out Geli on a date. (244) death did not derail her uncle's rise to political power. Hitler would not die for another 14 years, when he committed suicide in his bunker below the garden of the Reich chancellery in Berlin.

Hansen tries very hard to sound authentic, down to referring to Vienna as Wien and Munich as München. Hansen stumbles from time to time in his portrayal of Hitler and his Germany. He occasionally lapses into Katzenjammer Kids German -- You are liking Mnchen, Adolf?'' -- and does not always find the most seamless way of introducing expository And there’s also great wodges of unfictionalised historical exposition straight out of a boring history book : All in all Hansen does the history and details fairly well, but these alone fail to recreate the atmosphere of those times. You give me goose flesh, Herr Raubal.” The old priest peered through the bottom half of his glasses at the baby girl and smiled as he petted her flossy brown hair with his hand. “She’s fallen asleep,” he whispered.

Springtime for Hitler, in Love With His Niece

She tore off the paper and found underneath it a fat and difficult novel, Don Quixote. “You say the title how?” she asked. Hitler told her. She opened the book, and inside, where she hoped for a sentimental note from the older brother she worshiped, or even a “To My Dear Paula,” she instead found Hitler’s handwritten list of other books in history, biography, politics, and literature that would possibly benefit her. Her face fractured with disappointment as she said, “Thank you, Adolf,” and hurried to put Don Quixote away. In an apparent effort to convey Geli's point of view, Hansen writes much of this novel from a deliberately naïve perspective. The problem with this approach is that Hitler and his Nazi henchmen emerge, in the first

She died of a gunshot wound, in what was ruled a suicide, but many (including Hansen) speculate that there was foul play behind the deed and that she was, in fact, murdered. This evolving relationship between Geli and her uncle is laid out by Hansen in clumsy, stage-managed scenes. He lards his narrative with awkward exposition detailing Hitler's political machinations and he resorts to increasingly In rating Hitler’s Niece I’m not going to wimp out with “It started out a two stars but ended up a four so I am giving it a three.” For me it really was a four star book most of the time. But I am still going to put it out on Bookswap where it might just pop up for someone else who is not sure about more Hitler. GR worked for me this time; I would never have heard of this book without GRs. Your uncle, Angelika,” Angela said, and shook the baby, trying to get her to smile, but Geli only stared at his hair. “See? She loves you.” Raubal told him, “You know what Hitler’s poverty is? An orphan’s pension of twenty-five kronen per month plus a loan from his Aunt Johanna of another thousand.”fat men hoisting steins of foaming beer" and "a lantern that when lit depicted a little boy urinating"). I have no interest in contracting syphilis, I assure you. In fact, August and I have solemnly vowed to keep forever pure the holy flame of life. But if it is my goal to form the ideal state, I have an obligation to investigate from afar those festering and illicit monuments to the perversion of our times.” portion of the book, as bizarrely comic figures, narcissistic oddballs, whose biggest sins are egomania and self-absorption. Hitler's idea of flirtation is to boast about himself and his destiny, while "Doktor