Our book group choice for March 2023 is Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes. Berlin, Summer 2011. Adolf Hitler wakes up from a 66-year sleep in his subterranean Berlin bunker to find the Germany he knew entirely changed.
Internet-driven media spreads ideas in minutes and fumes celebrity obsession; immigration has produced multicultural neighborhoods bringing together people of varying race, ethnicity, and religion; and the most powerful person in government is a woman. Hitler is immediately recognized . . . as an impersonator of uncommon skill.
The public assumes the fulminating leader of the Nazi party is a performer who is always in character, and soon his inevitable viral appeal begets YouTube stardom, begets television celebrity on a Turkish-born comedian’s show. His bigoted rants are mistaken for a theatrical satire–exposing prejudice and misrepresentation–and his media success emboldens Hitler to start his own political party and set the country he finds a shambles back to rights.
Discussion Questions
- How did you find the main protagonist’s observations of modern day Berlin/ the world? Did you agree?
- Did you understand the use of German and references to Second World War/ German culture?
- Did you struggle to keep up with the political commentary?
- How uncomfortable did you feel reading this? What made you feel uncomfortable? Was it offensive?
- How easy did you find it to read?
- How believable did you find the way people interacted with the central protagonist? Did you find the concept “believable”? (putting aside the time warp) eg the duel perspective?
- Did you find it a bit slow?
- Did you find any of it funny?
- How did you find the other characters? Were they three-dimensional?
- What is it really about? Politics? Media? Or should it be taken at face value?
- To whom would you recommend this?
Individual Ratings
Sue's Rating 
Anthony's Rating
EmmaT's Rating
Catherine's Rating
DKB's Rating 