A Rent Boy in the Third Reich

Zekria Ibrahimi

Chipmunkapublishing ltd

Ratings and reviews

Zekria Ibrahimi 's "A Rent Boy in the Third Reich" meanders down a twisted path from the free-spirited days of the Weimar Republic to the bleak, colorless void that was Nazi Germany. The protagonist, Hans Kleins, hales from Bavaria where he finds himself oppressed by prudish Catholicism of his parents and his neighbors. As he basks in the wholesomeness of Bavaria, he finds himself drawn to and infatuated with a blonde Adonis called Ernst, who becomes the embodiment of his passion and love for other men. He soon tires of the overwhelming oppressiveness of Bavaria and sets out for Berlin where he finds himself employed in a seedy nightclub being hired out to men of all ages and ranks. It is here in Berlin that he finally experiences the satiation of his long-held, hidden gay desires. His revelry draws to a close as Hitler and his henchman overtake Germany and begin their death march across Europe. Light on narrative, and heavy on philosophical musings, this book is a difficult read especially as Hans grapples with the popular belief that homosexuality is abnormal. The narrative is a bit confusing as there are no chapter breaks and the story jumps forward and backward in time indiscriminately, but after completing the novel it became apparent that this a novel of retrospection and the actions are being told from Hans's jail cell. Above all, Ibrahimi places Love and its multitudinous facets at the centre of the novel and creates a work that is as powerful as it is heartrending. The final scene moved me to tears as it squashed Hans' last vestige of hope harbored from his golden days of youth.