Man of Straw Book

Man of Straw is the best known novel of German author Heinrich Mann originally published in German under the title "Der Untertan" whatever that means. I'll have to go look it up, but it probably has nothing to do with the words "Man of Straw" because that seems to happen fairly often. It has been translated into English under the titles "Man of Straw", "The Patrioteer", and "The Loyal Subject", and obviously I got the "Man of Straw" copy. Heinrich Mann was a German novelist who wrote works with strong social themes. His first name was Luiz but I guess he didn't like that name and went by Heinrich, I wouldn't know how to say Luiz anyway. He criticized the growth of fascism often which forced him to flee for his life after the Nazis came to power in 1933. When he left Germany he first went to France and lived in Paris and Nice. When I first read that I thought that the way things went during World War II fleeing to France probably wasn't all that safe, but then I read that during the German occupation he escaped to Spain, Portugal, and then to America. His brother was Thomas Mann, also a writer. I was wondering as I read about him if he had another brother, it feels like he should have. His father's name was Thomas Johann Heinrich Mann, and his brother got the name Thomas, he got the name Heinrich, so it seems like they should have had another brother to take the name Johann, but I can't find one.

I also read that the Nazis burnt Heinrich Mann's books as "contrary to the German spirit" during the infamous book burning of May 10, 1933, which was instigated by the then Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. I'm wondering how infamous it was because I didn't even know there was a book burning in 1933, but there are many things I don't know and have to go look up as I read, the book burning will be one of them. But since my copy wasn't burnt I suppose I should talk about it.

When I finished the last page of Man of Straw and closed the book my first reaction was to celebrate, maybe bake a cake, throw a party, that kind of thing, I managed to control myself and make my strongest reaction to be go get another book, which is better than a party any day. I was so proud of myself because I made it to the last page and for a while it was very questionable that I would be able to spend that much time with the main character, Diederich Hessling. I can't stand this guy and I did not want to spend almost 300 pages of our lives together, the first 100 were bad enough, but the "I always finish a book" instinct in me was strong, so I finished it. Always finish a book except two I guess I should say.

As I've said before how I feel about a book is always how I end up rating the book, so things like how well it is written and such mean nothing to me. Somewhere in the introduction to my copy it says:

"Heinrich Mann's Man of Straw is one of the few outstanding political satires of German literature."

I wonder if there's any character worse than Diederich in less outstanding political satires of German literature. It is also the only book besides The Brothers Karamazov to get two entries in "The Political Imagination in Literature" which means nothing to me, and the only thing saving that political imagination book from sounding extremely boring would be that it has the word literature in the title. However, there is more to saving the book Man of Straw other than it's title, which, come to think of it I don't exactly understand, I liked the book, it was interesting at parts anyway, I just hated Diederich. If Mann wanted me to hate the character when he created him he certainly succeeded, but he should have given me some character to love in his place. I didn't dislike anyone else, I just didn't care about them. I am curious enough though, now that I've read the book, to go look up the emperor of the time, Wilhelm II, who before I read this I knew nothing about, and now that I've read it I only know that he was the Emperor of Germany. One of many I would think. So far my only feeling toward the guy is I feel sorry for him having people like Diederich obsessed with him and following him around. Diederich is like an emperor stalker, or maybe an early paparazzi without a camera.

Diederich, when he isn't being a big bully, or a liar, or a chauvinist - oh, he doesn't seem to like anybody but that emperor - he's just running around acting plain crazy. Here is his first "meeting" with his emperor:

"Hurrah!' shouted Diederich, for everyone was shouting and, caught in a great surge of shouting people, he was carried along to the Brandenburger Tor. A few steps in front of him rode the Emperor. Diederich could see his face, its stony seriousness and flashing eyes, but he was shouting so loudly that his sight was blurred. An intoxication, more intense and nobler than that stimulated by beer, raised his feet off the ground and carried him into the air. He waved his hat high above all heads in enthusiastic madness, in a heaven where our finest feelings move. There on the horse rode Power, through the gateway of triumphal entries, with dazzling features, but graven as in stone. The Power which transcends us and whose hoofs we kiss, the Power which is beyond the reach of hunger, spite and mockery!"

Now I'm already thinking the guy is crazy and we're not out of the first chapter yet, then we have this happen,

"Diederich looked like a man in a very dangerous state of fanaticism (no kidding), dirty and torn, with wild eyes - from his horse the Emperor gave him a piercing glance which went through him. Diederich snatched his hat off, his mouth was wide open, but not a sound came from it. As he came to a sudden stop he slipped and sat down violently in a puddle, with his legs in the air, splashed with muddy water. Then the Emperor laughed. The fellow was a monarchist, a loyal subject! The Emperor turned to his escort, slapped his thigh and laughed. From the depths of his puddle Diederich stared after him, open-mouthed."

Now it's not his fault he fell into a puddle, anyone could, but he is so proud of this afterwards, and the way he goes around bragging to people of how he met the Emperor sounds a little crazy. Then there is his wonderful military career he is always going around telling us about, of his bravery, of how he would still be in the military if he hadn't been injured, a foot injury which he faked; he is the strongest proponent of the military but certainly went out of his way to be excused from his obligatory military service. He is often doing things that are confusing to me, for instance when he is with Agnes, the girl in love with him (for some unknown reason); she hides in his closet when one of his friends comes to visit, and this happens when the friend leaves.

"When he opened the door, however, she was leaning over a chair, her breast was heaving and with her handkerchief she was stifling her gasps. She looked at him with reddened eyes, and he saw that she had almost chocked in there, and had cried - while he was sitting out here drinking and talking a lot of nonsense. His first impulse was one of immense remorse. She loved him! There she sat, loving him so much, that she bore everything! He was on the point of raising his arms and throwing himself before her, weeping and begging her pardon. He restrained himself just in time; he was afraid of the scene and the sentimental mood which would follow, and would cost him more of his working time and would give her the upper hand. He would not give her that satisfaction. For, of course, she was exaggerating on purpose."

But, back to our fascination with the Emperor, here is what happens when Diederich and his new bride, Guste are on their way to their honeymoon:

"They got into a first-class carriage. He gave the porter three marks and pulled down the blinds. Carried on the wings of happiness, his desire for action suffered no relaxation. Guste could never have expected so amorous a temperament.

'You are not like Lohengrin,' she said.

As she closed her eyes, Diederich got up again. Like a man of iron he stood before her, his order hanging on his breast; it glittered like steel.

'Before we go any farther,' he said in martial tones, 'let us think of His Majesty, our Gracious Emperor. We must keep before us the higher aim of doing honour to His Majesty, and of giving him capable soldiers.'

"Oh!' cried Guste, carried away into loftier splendours by the sparkling ornament on his breast. 'Is it...really...you...my Diederich!'

Ok, reading over that again, I can see that maybe there are two crazy people in the book. And when Diederich and Guste realize the Emperor is in town, Diederich goes on paparazzi duty:

"Meanwhile a knot of curious onlookers had formed, and then the gatekeeper stepped to one side. Behind an outrider, in an open carriage, came the blond ruler of the North, beneath his flashing eagle-helmet. Diederich's hat was in the air and he shouted in Italian, with the precision of a pistol-shot: 'Long live the Emperor!' And obligingly the knot of people shouted with him.
In a jump Diederich had got into his one-horse carriage, which stood ready, and was off in pursuit, urging the coachman with hoarse cries and an ample tip. Now he stops, for the imperial carriage is only just coming up. When the Emperor gets out there is another little knot of people, and again Diederich shouts in Italian...Watch must be kept in front of the house where the Emperor lingers! With chest extended and flashing eyes: let him beware who ventures to come too near! In ten minutes the little group re-forms, the carriage drives out through the gate, and Diederich shouted: 'Long live the Emperor!'........ and on and on and on.

Ok, I'm done and you can go and read the book if you can actually find it and actually want to. I only talked about the things that bothered me, there is a lot more to the story, the parts that make the guy a big bully, but I've talked long enough about this book and I'm ready to move on. I was somewhat distressed to read that Man of Straw is only the first part of a trilogy and I'm not sure I can take two more books of these people, on the other hand, maybe they all get what they deserve in the end. What I think they deserve that is. I'm going to look up the emperor. It would be three stars without Diederich, I'm not sure what it is with him.