I haven’t written in my blog for a long time, but I’m returning with a book that has unexpectedly become highly symbolic of current events—when one country, under the pretext of “brotherly help,” wages war against another. And a third, also supposedly “brotherly,” sometimes helps the first, sometimes tries to stay on the sidelines. Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Since childhood, I was taught that we must never allow the return of Nazism. I was psychologically crushed when, at around 12 years old, I saw the film “Triumph Over Violence“ (in Russian its title literally means ‘An Ordinary Fascism‘) on TV (I even felt physically sick from what I saw). For many years, I’ve continued reading and reflecting on how the dehumanization of entire nations and the transformation of people into monsters become possible. Documentaries, memoirs, and historical works are often far more terrifying than any fiction because with fiction, you can always think: “Well, this is just made up—things couldn’t have been that bad.” Even though you know they could. And they were. And now we see just how easy it is to “repeat it”—ironically, by those who, on a genetic level, should have carried an unshakable aversion to repeating it.
But sometimes, there are brilliant books on this very subject, and “Two Brothers” by Ben Elton is one of them. Perhaps because it is based on the real-life story of the author’s own family.
The novel Two Brothers tells the story of two boys born in 1920—one Jewish, one German. Because one of them is adopted, though he doesn’t know it for many years. That same year, the future Nazi Party was formed, the party that would lead to the most horrific war of the 20th century and the deaths of tens of millions.
As the brothers and their friends grow up, we witness the rise of Hitler and his followers and how this shapes life in Berlin during those years. At the same time, we see these events decades later, through the eyes of one of the brothers. The author doesn’t immediately reveal which of them is telling the story, but through small details, the reader can figure it out. Though the novel still holds a few unexpected surprises.
The most interesting part is that I stumbled upon this book completely by chance—the cover and synopsis caught my eye. I added it to my “someday I’ll read this” list but hesitated to start it. After all, very few authors manage to tell the story of genocide within a society honestly and without pretense. Then I started seeing glowing reviews from people I trust. Even my wife read it and told me I would definitely like it (and who knows me better than my wife?).
Ben Elton manages to tell a story of teenagers coming of age amid a society growing increasingly hateful toward Jews at the heart of Germany in a way that feels completely real. There is no artificial drama here—everything is written plainly and simply. At times, it’s even engaging, as strange as that may sound. And through that simplicity, you realize that there’s no real surprise in how a struggling nation turned to scapegoating—even if the scapegoat was their own neighbor, even their own brother.
And yet, despite the horrors unfolding in the novel, the book still leaves room for hope—because not everyone lost their humanity. The brothers remain brothers to the end. And some friends are willing to make painful and even dangerous choices for the sake of love and friendship.
I read this book more than two months ago, before the war in Ukraine began, but I still find myself thinking about it. And for me, that is a mark of true quality. Only truly outstanding books leave such a lasting aftertaste. One that, unfortunately, is now tainted with the bitter realization that history has taught many people nothing. That even after 100 years, it was just as easy to descend into a fratricidal war—while still calling it a war to “save the world from Nazism.”
This book is exceptional, and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t read it yet or is still unsure—just like I once was.
My rating: 5/5
