There were three aspects of
the Nazis’ vision for Africa that I wanted to
represent – the messianic, technocratic and sadistic – so planned a villain for
each. Hochburg is clearly the messianic, Kepplar the technocrat (keen readers
will notice how he never raises his hand, merely gives the orders), while UHRIG
was the violent thug.
The inspiration for Uhrig’s
character came from a line in Orwell’s 1984.
I can’t recall the exact quote but it’s something like ‘all that hate is sex
gone wrong’. I knew Uhrig was going to be the most vicious character of the
book, but I also wanted to know why.
What if he had a proclivity
for black women? Given the Nuremberg Laws this would be as impossible as it was
illegal, and it was the repression of his desire that had twisted him so much.
Some readers have seen Uhrig as little more than a rent-a-villain, which always
disappointed me because he is actually one of the most subversive characters: a
member of the Einsatzgruppen who is also a miscegenist.
 |
| If Uhrig was in the Union army... |
I also saw him coming from
the Mario Bregga school of thuggery: big and bawdy, vaguely comic. Again,
playing with types, I liked the idea of such a brutal character not only being
funny but also an object of derision for the reader and other Nazis: both Hochburg and Kepplar make jokes at his
expense.
[With the American
publication due in a few weeks, there maybe people looking at this who haven’t
read the book, so spoiler warning for the next paragraph.]
As I approached the end of
the writing I was undecided what do with Uhrig. To satisfy the narrative I knew
he had to die at Neliah’s hands but wasn’t sure of the exact circumstances.
Then I made the connection between him and monsters – and knowing how in a
horror movie the monster always comes back one last time, realised he had to
‘rise’ from the dead, which leads me to...
U is also for Underworld
There are many theories of
story. One of the most influential on me is Joseph Campbell’s ‘monomyth’
(before it got hijacked by the Vogler school... but that’s another blog
altogether!). Campbell’s writing posits the idea that all stories are actually
journeys to the underworld: a task the hero must undertake to discover the
elixir of life. You can certainly interpret Afrika
Reich this way.
The prologue shows the
ordinary, upper world of a farm in Suffolk: a summer’s dawn, orchards. The rest
of the book is set in the ‘underworld’ of Africa: hot, dark (often literally),
with regular bouts of fire and torture, and it is in this crucible that Burton
must learn the true value of home. It’s practically The Wizard of Oz with swastikas!
Follow the yellow skull road, follow the yellow skull road! :o)
ReplyDeleteAnon - you maybe taking things a bit too literally!
DeleteDamn, I wish I'd written that. Very witty, Anon :)
DeleteAnd did you know the Munchkins were played by a German troupe that escaped Nazi Germany? The connections keep coming! :o)
DeleteTo use a lovely cliche, home is always where the heart is and I hope Burton follows his heart in the end! As for Uhrig - oh what a thoroughly nasty piece of work. Glad he went the way he did though but there were moments in that sewer scene where I really thought he'd never return to his underworld! Horrid man!
ReplyDeletep.s. follow the yellow skull road! LOL! Hochburg and Nazis in Congo, oh my!
:-)
Take care
x
Kitty - Yes, Uhrig is most definitely a 'horrid' man! The Wizard of Oz theme seems to be going down well...
DeleteAnother interesting blog, I esp like the idea of each of the villians representing a different part of Nazi Africa though didn't pick that up. Also have to admit I had no idea who Mario Brega was. Having googled him I'm not much the wiser ;o)
ReplyDeleteLouise - Glad you enjoyed the latest blog. Mario Bregga was an Italian actor specialising in beefy tough guys, often with a predilicition for violence... perfect for Uhrig.
DeleteGreat! From now on at parties I'll drop his name in and impress people that I know about Italian films... and German Africa, of course :o)
DeleteAnother insightful entry; always such a privilege to take a peek at TAR's inner workings! One question: you've mentioned before how important a character's name is to you ... is there any special significance in Uhrig's name? Any allusion to time (Uhr)?
ReplyDeleteAnon - Thanks for your comment. To be honest I hadn't considered the Uhr/time/Uhrig connection before - which I guess answers the question. There's no connection with time. In the original 'psychedelic' version of the text there was a bureaucrat called Uhrig and I simply borrowed the name from myself.
Delete-Guy
ReplyDeleteStill haven't read the book yet for which apologies... though I feel I will know it inside out by time I pick it up! I wonder if having all these insights will make for a better read.
The demon picture. I really recognise it but can't place it. Kids TV programme from the 80s? It's SO familiar!
PS - good luck with American publication.
Will - I hope I haven't spoiled the plot for you! Perhaps I should have more spoiler alerts... but I always figured people would come to the blog *after* having read the book.
ReplyDeleteThe demon picture comes from a 1980s computer for ZX Spectrum called 'Underwurlde'. No connection whatsoever to my book or comment... other than it popped into my head when writing the blog. Haven't thought about it in years. What a strange thing the mind can be...
I remember now!
DeleteULTIMATE: PLAY THE GAME. Sabre Wulf and Alien 8 and the werewolf one whose title I don't remember. FANTASTIC!!!
Self-confessed lurker on this blog and I've never wanted to comment before but your assertions above made me angry!
ReplyDeleteUhrig does not like black women: he RAPES them. There's a huge gulf between sexual violence and 'proclivity for black women'.
Whether it's appropriate for him to be seen as comic is a different issue, more one of taste, but I think your central premise is verging on the offensive.
Please do not think I'm attacking you or you book, but I felt very uncomfortable with what you'd written. I know you always reply, so I Look forward to your response.
I thoroughly agree that Uhrig is totally offensive and deserved all he got and how. He acts rather than thinks too. And that's just scary. He is Hochburg's armed thug with such self-hatred I don't think he even knows why nor does he care. But as a reader I think villains no matter how reprehensible are far more interesting if we know why they are what they are - and reading this post I sort of understand (but do not agree!) with why Uhrig is such a monster. The thing is we like to think those who commit violence are "senseless" and "monstrous" except that you wouldn't know just by looking. They could be sitting next to you. A person who does bad things must have some underlying deep seated and complex reason for doing so even if what they do seem so senseless. And I think that's what this post is about. This is Uhrig deconstructed rather than the author's who is firmly on Neliah's side and who gives Neliah a glorious set up to wreak revenge on her tormentor.
DeleteTake care
x
Anon – thanks for your comment, and sorry to have made you angry – that wasn’t my intention. Apologies too for not replying sooner. I am so busy with Book 2 at the moment that I haven’t been keeping as up to date with blog comments as I would like.
DeleteYou make some good points, though I suspect part of the problem is that I didn’t quite explain myself well enough.
Obviously Uhrig is a rapist and to that extent his liking of black women is about violence and coercion. Beneath that, though, is the subtle point that he is actually attracted to black women – it’s just the physical expression of it that is repellent. The sheer fact that he engages in sexual contact with black women (regardless of whether it is consensual) says something. One of the things that has always struck me in my reading about the Nazis is how little rape/sexual violence was directed towards Jewish women – partly because it was illegal, partly because Germans clearly didn’t desire them. It’s the same in my book with African women – so the fact that Uhrig is prepared to rape them implies that he has a disregard for normative sexual mores of his culture.
Hm… I know what I want to say but am not entirely convinced I’m expressing myself lucidly enough. I hope you understand what I’m attempting to convey.
Dear Guy
DeleteThank you for taking the time to reply, especially when you are so busy.
Although I still have my reservations, your comments and the context you set them in, mean I understand more what you were trying to convey.
I should add that although I found your novel hard to read in places, i did think it was good and I praise you for having a strong, black female lead in a book that could so easily have been dominated by white men, good, evil or comic.
Sincerely,
Diana
Dear Guy,
ReplyDeleteI've read your Das Afrika Reich book here in Dar es Salaam over the weekend of 23-24 FEB 2013, in two days. Good Job ! Could be perfected, though, in the 2nd and 3rd sequel. Unlike you, I've been living in Africa for years (my first base was Lusaka), and Africa is my 4th continent. If you are interested, I'd like to assist you with checking the facts for your follow-up sequels - as a work of fiction, the author is allowed some fantasy, but it's shouldn't be a fairy tale, either.
Thanks, Dale ( DALE.KABAT@CRS.org )
Dale – thanks for your comment, it’s always good to hear from readers in Africa. Glad to hear you enjoyed the book. I’ve always wondered what it must be like to read it in Africa itself.
DeleteActually, part of Book 2 is set in Dar, so I might need some help checking facts. Thanks for the offer.
Any idea when we'll be seeing book 2? Can't wait for it!
ReplyDeleteAnyone know when the next in the series is out? Checked amazon and can't find book or release date :O( Is Guy Savile still using this blog? he hasn't replied since Jan.
DeleteSky Fan & Anon – thanks for your comments. The next book is due out in 2014 (see latest blog entry for more details). Anon, yes, I am still using this blog! I have been so busy writing Book 2, however, that I’ve been neglecting my replies here.
DeleteThanks for reply and details about 2014. Can't wait for book 2! Cheers, S
DeleteGreetings from Texas! I read your book across the weekend and throughly loved it. Action-packed doesn't do it justice! I'm already recommending it to everyone I know. Looking forward to the sequel and what happens next. When will it be hitting the stores? ~Vincent
ReplyDeleteVincent – thanks for your comment and I’m glad you enjoyed the book. Thanks also for recommending it: good word of mouth is the best publicity there is. Having spent some time in Texas it’s good to hear from a reader in the Lone Star State! The next book is due for publication sometime 2014.
DeleteGet your arse in gear! No blog for almost 2 months. What's up? K and V still to do before you can take a break ;-) LOL
ReplyDeleteAnon – you'll be glad to hear I posted a new blog entry yesterday, with the next A-Z to follow in the coming few weeks.
DeleteSaw your novel on Seattle P:I and googled your website. Good to have a fresh perspective on an old story with the laternate history in Africa rather than the usual Euro/US-centric setting. More original. Already downloaded to my iPad. Look forward to reading it. DR
ReplyDeleteDwain – thanks for your comment. I thought Africa made for an unexplored setting too (hence the reason I wrote the book!). Hope you enjoy it. Do let me know what you think.
Delete