Fallada is talking to all of us

While Alone in Berlin is about an aspect of life in Berlin in Nazi Germany, the book forces the reader to question how easy it is to manipulate people to think and live in a particular way.

These days in Ireland it is popular to criticise and ‘blame’ the banks, Fianna Fáil, the hierarchical church for the woes of the country. But where were the ‘blamers’ during the so-called ‘good times’? But of course they were not good-times.

In every organisation crazy things happen and who ever has the courage or the wit to oppose and speak out? Once you do you are marked for life and there is no redemption unless there is revolution. And even then not necessarily.

We are privileged and lucky to live in a democracy. But it always happens that those in charge, those who are considered the ‘in people’ are admired and adulated. Maybe that’s natural but there is also something terribly wrong about it. It means people can easily be afraid to oppose and criticise.

Fallada manages to paint a clever picture how the Nazis were able to consider anyone who was opposed to them as ‘low people’ with no morals. Really extraordinary.

While the two prison chaplains play minor roles, Fallada has a curious insight into the transcendental and imminent aspects of ministry. Is it possible Pope Benedict has read the book? Interesting to know what he might say about the two men.

A fascinating book and a book for our times.

And if the Nazis had not been all that bad and evil, it could be possible to dismiss the book. After all it was written in something like 28 days by a curious character, who drank too much, took drugs and killed a person I a duel when he was just 16. He spent 17 months in a sanatorium for the mentally ill.

It seems as if Fallada spent his life trying to come to grips with the realities of the world around him. He was convinced he could succeed in asserting himself against it.