Three Wars

by Joseph E. Kaufmann

This is strong stuff, and some of it is very frightening. Once again, Kaufmann writes in the first person, but the stream of consciousness is less muddled and progresses smoothly. There are some fundamental problems, however, such as they hyper-reality that exists amongst a somewhat accurate depiction of a gullible German family prior to WW II. The idea that all of this happens to a three or four year old child is quite a stretch, and while the story stops right after the child almost kills Hitler, we can only assume this man has lead an amazing life if all this has happened to a three year old. What happens in the following years? The author will really have to continually outdo himself. The idea that the adult would remember these incidences with such clarity is also a stretch, but here, “dramatic license” is usually applied, although stretching it back to the age of three is a little contrived. The idea that this child almost inadvertently kills Hitler is a little unbelievable as well.

As with most of Kaufmann’s work, there is always some little nugget that stands out above the rest of the material and deserves comment. In this story, it is the whole scenario regarding the busload of Jews. It is very horrifying with some vivid images that are quite powerful. However, as with all of the other works, this is an incomplete project, and therefore it is impossible to ascertain what direction the story will take, and what kind of redemption the character will go through. At this present stage, it is only an illustration of the Nazi’s brutalization of the Jews, and while it is powerfully portrayed, it is just gratuitous. More development is necessary before further comment can be made.

442 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2019