A disillusioned former American soldier of German origin, trained in Camp Ritchie and involved in intelligence operations in the post-WWII Germany, John Glueck, the main character in Steffen Kopetzky´s Propaganda, is a witness of the end of idealism in the American politics. Terror, corruption, hidden truth after the Vietnam War destroyed his trust in Washington DC politics and politicians.
With accents that rather remember of the hints against the US politics during "the war against terror" than in the post-WWII politics, this book was too political and less literary to really enjoy its message. It belongs, indeed, to a certain ´intellectual´ trend in German culture aimed at an intellectual revenge - at least - against the US. After all, someone whose values were so corrupted in such a short time, cannot assume a ´judge´ role in the post-WWII Germany, isn´t it?
Therefore, although the story is well built and the idea of the end of illusions pertinently assessed, using ´propaganda´- like ways to state the same truth over and over again, in an effort to convince the reader of its obvious truth is really annoying as it assumes the reader unable to have his or her opinion.
The only reason why, despite all odds, I kept reading the book was the pleasant voice of actor Johann von Bülow. Indeed, there is always more than one reason why it is always worth to mention the reader of an audiobook, as it´s the case with the name of the translator.
Propaganda is a book worth reading for anyone interested in ideological representation in nowadays literature, but if looking for a historical fiction taking place in the post-war period, I will graciously skip it.
Rating: 2 stars
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