The Nazis didn’t want people to think, to question, to determine for themselves what the world should be. That kind of determination and self-righteous fervor is only ever inspired by one thing: fear. They embraced book burning as a virtuous strike against that which could undermine the strength of their views. It’s no secret that the Nazi party went to great lengths to crush any expression of ideology that didn’t mesh with their own. It’s an ear-worm that digs its way into the sub-conscious, an entirely new thing that mingles with established ideals to create something new. The book represents a thought, and once that thought is expressed and shared, it takes on a life of its own. And it’s the book that turns Pacific into something much more than just another war story. We’re never told what book it is, only that it instils dread among the men, its mere presence threatening to unravel the threads that hold the very Fatherland together. At first glance, the Captain looks to be the quintessential elitist, a true-believer of the Nazi ideal, and therefore presents as the ideal antagonist. He’s seldom seen outside of his cabin, but at night his dreams are filled with the horrors of past battles and lost friends, and his cries are heard throughout the ship. Next, the Captain of the U-boat is a figure of mystery, so damaged by past events that he’s separated himself from his men to avoid forming any sort of bond with them. He’s placed into an unfamiliar environment in a time of war, among men who’ve served together long enough that they’re reluctant to open up to a new, untested member. You’ve got Udo, the established POV character. So of course, glutton for punishment that I am, I decided to pick it out for a review.īreaking the story down, it has all of the elements to make it a classic read. There’s just too much ambiguity to make it easily identifiable. Then there are definite supernatural elements to it, but on that level alone it doesn’t quite work either. Sure, its setting aboard a German submarine during World War II is pretty standard, and it functions on that level just fine… until it doesn’t. Taken literally, it makes no sense at all. The obvious solution is to get rid of the book as quickly as possible, and to that end the offensive material is flushed out into the Pacific, to float among the fishes and never corrupt the minds of men… The book, banned by the Nazi party for its seditious ideas, might seem like a very small thing, but if found by one of the ship’s officers the consequences could be felt by everyone. The young sailor denies ever seeing the book before, and claims no knowledge of how it could have gotten into his property. Udo’s status on the bottom rung of the ladder is cemented when a book is found among his personal belongings. He’s the “new guy”, and as such Udo is subjected to treatment befitting his place in the harsh pecking order among the enlisted men. His shipmates, all veterans of the German submarine service, are hard men who don’t all welcome him with open arms. When radio specialist Udo Grothendieck arrives at his post aboard a German submarine in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, he is as fresh as the day is long. This book would change the lives of all on board… whether they wanted it to or not. Among his meager possessions is a book he has never seen before… one forbidden by the Nazi party. The tail end of the Second World War, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean… Udo, a young radio operator, is delivered to his first posting aboard a U-boat. Story & Art by Martin Trystram & Romain BaudyĬolors by Kyung-Eun Park & Martin Trystram
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |