Adolf: A Tale of the Twentieth Century - Osamu Tezuka
(found at library)
Osamu Tezuka revolutionized the world of comics in Japan—some claim he is largely responsible for the fact that comics are viewed as more respectable in Japan than in the U.S. This series is a work of historical fiction; during the time of World War II, the lives of three men named Adolf become "inexorably intertwined," as the book jacket says. One, of course, is Hitler himself; the other two are childhood friends living in Japan: a half-Japanese half-German, and a German Jew. I didn't realize when I started that this was actually the first of five books; I don't think the library has the rest of the series, so I'll have to wait before I can find out where the story is going. Tezuka's style, although he often dealt with mature themes and subject matter, often used cuter characters, which makes for an interesting contrast. So far the story involves some mysterious document regarding Hitler that could bring down the entire Nazi regime; a few people have been killed in an attempt to obtain this information. At the same time, the two young Adolfs experience pressure from their families to break off their friendship. It's an interesting view of WWII from the eyes of a Japanese who opposed war, and I'm curious to see how the story will play out.
Fed to jonathan's brain | February 28, 2003
