The Dry Danube
Adolf Hitler narrates, ranting and raving, his own life story during the years prior to the First World War. In Vienna, trying to achieve recognition as an artist, Hitler is obsessed with two leading artists, Kolberhoff and Treischnitt. Dramatic efforts to woo them failed completely, as do Hitler’s efforts to develop his career in this area.
The novel is essentially one paragraph divided into four parts. The lyrical writing style clearly reveals the main character’s unbalanced fixation on two individuals he considers to be the leaders in art as well as his own insecurities. The reader may quickly think there is little that the author will not put in writing. The private, demonic and twisted thoughts assumed to be Hitler’s flow across the pages. Hints of Hitler’s later political life are planted throughout the book. The fact that the reader knows the future adds power to the story.
This book requires determined readers who are undaunted by a representation of insanity. Even the author suggests that a second reading may yield a different reflection on the novel. Recommended for those who enjoy a challenge.
