Michael - A New Translation

In a diary form the story follows the journey of Michael, a fictional character who represents a young Joseph Goebbels. At the beginning of the novel Michael has just returned home from service in the Great War. He finds a new democratic Germany which invokes feelings of both love and hate. Throughout the novel Michael wrestles with this mix of nationalist pride and anger towards Weimar Germany and he explores his personal philosophy and belief system. The book emphasizes the Völkisch ideals held by Goebbels early in his political career. In the novel Goebbels gives praise to Christianity, and describes Jesus as one of the finest men to have ever lived. He also demonstrates his early socialist sympathies when he stated that Germans had to be 'something like Christ Socialists.' The book also explores nature of God and the contemporary man: 'modern man...is intrinsically a seeker of God, perhaps a Christ-man.' Goebbels retained a small amount of Christianity, but an eccentric form, which diminished even more after the failed church reform program in 1934-35.