MORE EXCERPTS FROM DEATH OF THE ADVERSARY

I PARTICULARLY LIKE THIS PASSAGE ABOUT A LEADER WHO RISES TO POWER AND DESTROYS A CERTAIN GROUP IN THE COUNTRY - NO MENTION OF HITLER OR JEWS, BUT THIS NOVEL TAKES PLACE IN THE 1930S. THE YOUNG MAN WHO IS TELLING OF HIS EXPERIENCES IS HERE DESCRIBING HAVING HEARD THE LEADER SPEAK IN ONE OF THE TOWN HALLS

"WHAT WAS THE STRANGE THOUGHT THAT BROKE IN UPON ME? THAT HE WAS JUST AS UNCERTAIN AND WAVERING AS I MYSELF -THAT GRIPPED BY THE FEAR OF BEING A STRANGER TO HIMSELF HE HAD RAISED UP HIS ADVERSARY - ME - AND HAD PAINTED MY IMAGE ON THE WALL. ... IT WAS HIS COUNTER IMAGE. HE SCREAMED BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW. HE WANTED TO BE SOMEONE WHO SAW HIMSELF AS REAL AS A TREE ... HE RAISED ME UP AS HIS COUNTER IMAGE, SO AS TO BE ABLE TO SAY TO HIMSELF, " I KNOW NOW WHO I AM NOT" EVERYTHING HE WAS KEEPING SILENT ABOUT AND WITH WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO COME TO GRIPS, HE SAW IN ME. IN HIS FACE, I WAS THE HARD LINE THAT RAN DOWN FROM HIS NOSE TO HIS MOUTH. IN HIS VOICE, WHEN IT RAGED, I WAS THE TREMBLING.