Review of Himmler and the Handmaid by Erik Martiny

Martiny has put out a lot of books recently.

I was surprised to find another one coming out this year called Bloodberry. I’ve written reviews of all his previous productions from River Boat Books. This one was engrossing and historically intriguing. It offered a well-researched fictional look at a mistress of Himmler’s. The short chapters gave it a page-turner tone, however, the format is more like a diary. If you’re a fan of wartime diaries a la Anne Frank, but more adult, more frank (!) in their portrayal, you will get a lot out of this book. While the framing device was perhaps somewhat forced, the diary itself was well-rendered and full of unique descriptions. I’ve read so many novels about Nazis and seen so many films, I was glad to get a less grandiose perspective. The handmaid is not your average submissive female of the time (in those circumstances). Flying in the face of superiors to get what she wants and using underhanded means to get back at Himmler and his cronies, she takes her situation and makes what she can out of it. Unlike concentration camp stories, this takes place on the sidelines—think Amis’ Zone of Interest. Though the main character uses her body as a weapon, it is honestly the only weapon she possesses. Some readers might find the perspective old-fashioned, but most of Martiny’s books do not adhere to modern standards, containing as they do, enough triggering material to detonate an unprepared mind. If you get a kick out of this, you will also like Audrey Zsasz’ Counterillumination, which was about a psychopathic warden of a concentration camp. More than a tolerable dose of brutality in that one. This account is interested in the psychological effects of confinement and forced roles. Martiny remains a bold and unabashed practitioner of quirky literature.