Helpful Score: 3
This book is fascinating from the beginning - Geli, Hitler's niece and the object of his affection, is bound to obey Hitler like she was his servant for throughout her short lifetime. An inside look into the Third Reich and the weakness and perversions of Hitler. It was very difficult in the beginning to read about Hitler as a "regular man" but he was less than that - an underachieving, neurotic and thoroughly disgusting man. Interesting read for anyone interested in learning about history and about the "relationship" poor Geli had to endure.
Helpful Score: 2
This book was very enjoyable.
ideal for any history or WWII enthusiast! It keeps you on the edge of your seat!
Helpful Score: 2
I must admit to knowing next to nothing about Hitler's relationship with his family and with his young niece before reading this book. This fictionalized account of their relationship was an emotional read for me. At turns fascinating and revolting, I wanted to stop reading but couldn't put the book down. Ultimately enlightening, but so disturbing and difficult to read.
Fabulous inside look at Hitler's niece's life...
great book- some fact, some fiction, lots of insanity- just the way i like it!
please keep in mind that this is a work of fiction. while some of it may be true, most is supposition.
well written, engaging, interesting
highly recommend this book
please keep in mind that this is a work of fiction. while some of it may be true, most is supposition.
well written, engaging, interesting
highly recommend this book
I guess I need to know more about Hitler the man and not just to monster to accept some parts of this book. I just could not get into this as a piece of historical fiction, there seem to be little history and a lot of fiction.
Adolf Hitler is a nobody who can't draw, can't do well in a school atmosphere and has a genuine hatred for the Jewish people. He comes to his half-sisters apartment to maybe get something to eat and is introduced to his young niece, Angelica (Geli, pronounced gaily) Raubal.
Hitler is in his take Germany-by-storm phase, and is doing well, and requests his sister and niece to live with him as his caretakers.
He falls in love with his beautiful niece, although she is probably not feeling the same way about him. She eventually comes to love him, even in his weirdness. The relationship is strange and not always very kosher.
Although this is written as a novel, I am sure that most of the history in this book is factual. Unfortunately, the one part of the book that you would love to know the truth about will never be known for a fact, as it is of a personal nature and the persons are deceased. I walked away from reading this book with a strong, fresh hatred for Adolf Hitler, not that I liked him to begin with.
Ron Hansen definitely did a lot of research on a woman who doesn't have too much history written about her and filled in gaps with aplomb.
Hitler is in his take Germany-by-storm phase, and is doing well, and requests his sister and niece to live with him as his caretakers.
He falls in love with his beautiful niece, although she is probably not feeling the same way about him. She eventually comes to love him, even in his weirdness. The relationship is strange and not always very kosher.
Although this is written as a novel, I am sure that most of the history in this book is factual. Unfortunately, the one part of the book that you would love to know the truth about will never be known for a fact, as it is of a personal nature and the persons are deceased. I walked away from reading this book with a strong, fresh hatred for Adolf Hitler, not that I liked him to begin with.
Ron Hansen definitely did a lot of research on a woman who doesn't have too much history written about her and filled in gaps with aplomb.
