Hitler's Niece by Ron Hansen

Hitler's Niece by Ron Hansen


For those of you who don't know, Hitler apparently carried on an affair with his half-sister's daughter (that would make her his niece), Angela "Geli" Raubal. During her short life (she was found dead from a supposed self-inflicted gunshot wound at 23), Hitler kept a tight reign on her. He became obsessed with her and controlled Geli's every move. She was forbidden to make any friends and was accompanied either by Hitler or one of his men at all times. Though this novel is fiction, it will fill my craving for historic fiction, I'm sure and give interesting insight to such a sick man

All I have to say is "Yowza". Talk about an effed up man! Now, I feel I can talk about this because I doubt any of you will be reading this book, in my previous post, I stated that Hitler's niece, Geli (pronounced "gaily") committed suicide. I do believe I was wrong in this statement. Based on the information from the novel as well as the Internet, it seems that Hitler either shot her through the heart himself or had someone else to it (Heinrick Himmler?) Reason: She was pissed that he wouldn't let her do anything without him; he had her watched all the time and if he wasn't with her, he would interrogate those around her as to what she did, hour by hour. It was also eluded to that she was telling people what a freak he was (sexually) and that he had been molesting her. What I got from this novel was what I already knew of Hitler: He was a very disturbed man. The difference in the info I have of him now is that he not just horrible to those he felt were "impure" but he was just as horrible to his family in his manipulation of them and in the sick things he did. Overall, the author, Ron Hansen, did well in his writing but used way too much detail that wasn't needed to get his story across. Though I think you were to feel sorry for Geli, it was difficult because at first she welcomed the attention that Hitler paid to her and in the end, you were just waiting for her to die.