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52nd out of 70 books
—
24 voters
Young Adolf
Young Adolf was published in 1978 and was Beryl Bainbridge’s first and only historical novel until the 1990s. Many its characters are inspired by real people: besides the protagonist Adolf Hitler, there is his half-brother Alois, Alois’ English wife Bridget and their baby Pat. Some other names mentioned in the novel - mainly those of relatives of the future dictator, such...more
Published
(first published 1978)
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Young Adolf was another book that I read for the Vibes & Scribes book club, and frankly, I struggled to work my way through it. Apparently, this book was Bainbridge's first historical novel, and according to her own remarks, she intended the book to be an homage of sorts to her native Liverpool. If this was the case, her anti-hero protagonist overshadows and renders irrelevant the setting. He is the young Adolf Hitler who, beset by paranoid delusions that he is being pursued, comes to stay w...more
—this one’s a romp! Published in 1978, it’s a novel that conjurs Adolph You-Know-Who at the age of 16 going to Liverpool to visit his half-brother. He’s shy, awkward, rude, socially inept, and in the course of the story we’re given excrutiating scenarios about how he might possibly have done some of the things he did. Numbers on wrists, for example. The forward-combed forelock. It’s fiction, of course, but really, how could you (and why would you) make up a character like him? This is the third...more
Jul 28, 2011
Gary Stocker
added it
About the few weeks that Adolf Hitler was meant to have spent in Liverpool prior to the first world war. Would actually have been funny if you did not realise what he was to do a few decades down the line. Some of the other charecters in the book almost make him look sane. One or two sentences give chilling hints as to where he was to get some of his ideas from.
Maybe the Brits have a sense of humor I don't always get although I love their BBC comedies. The premise of the book was too silly for me.
Schokkende ontdekking: Hitler heb ook een moeder. Leuke herinnering is de mondelinge overhoring van mijn klasgenoot Fai. Dat deed de docent klassikaal zodat we van elkaar konden leren lees om zijn krenking publiekelijk en dus dieper te laten zijn. In een (dappere doch vruchteloze) poging tot humor vatte Fai het boek samen als : 'Hitler is crazy', een woedeuitbarsting van de belligerent ghoul tot gevolg hebbend. Terwijl hij stond te tieren, vloog achter zijn rug het kerststukje op zijn bureau in...more
Disappointing fulfillment of an intriguing premise
Adolf Hitler as a loathsome Charlie Chaplain.
Very amusing - especially the climax.
Jan 09, 2012
Cris_Ellie (Egregore)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Hitler fans perhaps?
Recommended to Cris_Ellie (Egregore) by:
no one! just saw this in my grandma's stash :)
Shelves:
historical
A novel that portrays the German Dictator Adolf Hitler's youth. Plagued by paranoia and fear of what seems like people who are out to take him, this provides a little insight of what Hitler's early years may be. But one things for sure, I was a bit thrown of by the oddness and almost comical circumstances in which the characters were placed.
This book is frosty, and not particularly engaging, though I can't say I disliked it, either. Portraying the young Hitler as someone who ran around and fell down a lot is interesting, but I feel like more could have been done with a real-ish story about a part of the dictator's life that nobody knows anything about.
Oh, how I wanted to love this. Adolf Hitler's alleged 1910s-ish summer holiday in Liverpool with his brother and sister-in-law? Surprisingly flat, but I'm planning on giving it another go at some point... still hoping I'm off-base.
An intriguing proposition but something of a curate's egg being neither comedy or an attempt to understand this personification of evil.
May 21, 2013
Jennie
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2013
Jen
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May 09, 2013
Riyadh Ali
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Apr 23, 2013
Sadiest
marked it as to-read
Apr 09, 2013
Steve Read
is currently reading it
Apr 04, 2013
Maureen Tovey
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Apr 04, 2013
Julie
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Mar 31, 2013
Tyler Shepherd
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Mar 30, 2013
Lynda Edward
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Mar 29, 2013
Robthew
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Mar 05, 2013
Lisa (scarlet21)
marked it as to-read
Feb 17, 2013
Sunshine
marked it as to-read
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Bainbridge was born in the port city of Liverpool in north-west England. Her agent, and her entry in Who's Who, gave the date as November 21, 1934, but records show her birth was registered early in 1933. Bainbridge herself sometimes said she struggled to remember her birth date, ever since she lied about her age so she could take a trip to France as a youngster without her parents' knowledge.
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