Z/Web

Author: Philip Kerr

Finally Kerr’s done it! I’m going to have to check out his earlier novels, because they’re obviously better. This one is fascinating. It’s set in Germany a few years after WWII, when the country was being occupied by the Allies (U.S., Soviet Union, France, etc.). This was especially interesting reading now, as the world contemplates a new Iraq. Germany after the war was a mess, with people starving and the black market practically the only way to get anything. In the middle of this hotbed Kerr sets a murder investigation. The hero’s a former German police officer who’s now a private investigator. The plot’s incredibly intricate, so I won’t explain much of it here, but let’s just say he uncovers a conspiracy that involves the U.S. and Russian governments and Nazis who survived the war taking on new identities. While complicated (perhaps overly so), it’s fascinating. Kerr is in top mode here, with excellent writing. His use of intricate detail is used here to paint a world for us, not impress us with his five-syllable vocabulary. Wonderfully written, suspenseful, and really makes the world of 1947 come alive. Highly recommended.

Except for an excess of penile jokes, this movie is much tamer than Adam Sandler’s usual fare. It’s okay overall, with Sandler as a shy loser who’s mistakenly entered into an anger management course run by a lunantic teacher (Jack Nicholson). Jack’s methods are bizarre but in the end effective, as Sandler learns to be a man. While the psychology’s about as deep as a drop of water, it’s an interesting ride. Jack’s got the colorful role with Sandler playing the straight man. The ending is satisfying as ought to be expected in this kind of film.