Hitler in Liverpool

Young Adolf Beryl Bainbridge George Braziller, 219 pp., $7.95

Were it not for the title, superimposed upon a soft-focus shot of the familiar, baleful face, and were it not for an “Afterword” by the author, explaining her reasons for believing that Adolf Hitler did indeed spend several months of the year 1912 in Liverpool and her desire to explain plausibly why the future warlord kept his English visit a lifelong secret, one could review Beryl Bainbridge’s book as the novel it claims to be. In which case affecting not to know who “Young Adolf” was and what he became one would have to say that the story is altogether boring and pointless and would never have been published had it arrived in the mail under a name without credentials. And this despite the fact that Beryl Bainbridge grew up in Liverpool and must be presumed to be describing that dismal city as it was in 1912 with painful accuracy.

SR

About the Author

Selden Rodman

Young Adolf Beryl Bainbridge George Braziller, 219 pp., $7.95

Were it not for the title, superimposed upon a soft-focus shot of the familiar, baleful face, and were it not for an “Afterword” by the author, explaining her reasons for believing that Adolf Hitler did indeed spend several months of the year 1912 in Liverpool and her desire to explain plausibly why the future warlord kept his English visit a lifelong secret, one could review Beryl Bainbridge’s book as the novel it claims to be. In which case affecting not to know who “Young Adolf” was and what he became one would have to say that the story is altogether boring and pointless and would never have been published had it arrived in the mail under a name without credentials. And this despite the fact that Beryl Bainbridge grew up in Liverpool and must be presumed to be describing that dismal city as it was in 1912 with painful accuracy.