The i Tetralogy [Paperback]

Mathias B. Freese (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2005

The i Tetralogy -- i, I Am Gunther, Gunther's Lament, Gunther Redux -- is the gut-wrenching epic depiction of the dehumanization of man through an incisive observation of three pivotal characters. Each of them, victim, perpetrator, and murderer's son, is inextricably linked by the varying dimensions of their moral nature. Assaying the monumental impact of the Holocaust, this species-shattering event, the tetralogy elucidates a truth about humanity: the Holocaust has forever defined the species as indelibly damaged, capable on a molecular level of killing and consuming its own. The reader experiences this unvarnishedÂ--perhaps axiomaticÂ--truth about humanity, which no revisionist can deny. The reader also ponders the risk in forgetting, in sanitizing, in "sweetening" the Holocaust.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Beautifully conceived and written -- filled with insights. It speaks of the humanity that emerges out of despair."

-- Marianne Kador, ACSW, Psychotherapist

From the Publisher

From novelist Mathias B. Freese comes The i Tetralogy -- a gripping epic that explores the nature of the Holocaust during and after the war, through an incisive observation of three pivotal characters. The varying dimensions of their moral nature inextricably link each of them -- victim, perpetrator, and murderer's son. Brilliantly weaving interior monologue and external event, the quartet assays the monumental impact of the Holocaust upon i, a death camp prisoner; his Nazi taskmaster Gunther; Gunther's escape to America at war's end; and consequences upon Conrad, Gunther's eldest son. The reader ponders the risk of forgetting, of sanitizing, of "sweetening" the Holocaust.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 378 pages
• Publisher: Hats Off Books (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587364042
• ISBN-13: 978-1587364044
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,062,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing, graphic and descriptive...I loved it!, February 9, 2006

By 

Sassy Brit "alternative-read" (UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The i Tetralogy (Paperback)

The i Tetralogy ~ Mathias B. Freese ~ Hats Off Books ~ History: Fiction

Combining true to life characters, believable settings and a peek into the psychology of all those involved, The i Tetralogy provides a descriptive, disturbing and graphic account of fictional history.

The i Tetralogy, consists of four volumes; i, I am Gunther, Gunther's Lament and Gunther Redux. Written from the perspective of three key characters; the Jewish prisoner, the executor and the murderer's son, this is a bleak, but powerful and graphic fictional perspective of the effect the Holocaust had on each character. It also focuses on the legacy it left behind.

Beginning in Europe in the mid-1940's, we visit the grim, weary life of a death camp prisoner as he silently digs the latrines, deprived of the dignity and humanity he was once accustomed to. This is a heart-rending account of one man's inner strength and resilience, despite a weak and decaying body; and how he learns ways of being vigilant and obedient in order to avoid death.

When volume two, I am Gunther, begins, the reader will be taken aback with the change of attitude. Seeing life as a German guard, Gunther, debating the suffering and cruelty he subjects the prisoners to, on behalf of his country. Yet among his ludicrous beliefs and ideals of superiority, one can't help, at times, feeling sorry for him, as a lost human being stuck in a world gone mad.

Half a century later, Gunther's Lament, follows the aging Nazi, Gunther, to a suburban town on Long Island. Here we explore deeper into his wrecked and warped mind as he struggles to come to terms with his very existence, without the security the war gave him as a German guard with power.

In Gunther Redux, the story continues as it investigates the views and thoughts of his son Conrad, who is tormented by his father's 'previous life' and burdened by the damaging truths of what really went on inside the death camps.

It is hard for the human mind to comprehend the full horror of the Holocaust. Telling the story through three key characters, however, provides a vivid insight into this inexplicable and shocking period of history. When I finished the book I found myself asking all sorts of questions; how did the dominant and brutal leader, Hitler, convince the Germans that they were the superior and most powerful race with such devastating effectiveness? Why did they believe in him? Can ordinary people be convinced to accept instructions to behave without decency and humanity under the right circumstances? Although this is a work of fiction, the characters are extremely true to life. The setting is so believable it almost reads like an autobiography of these three different people, making it an astounding, descriptive piece of well written prose.

The final section titled Raison d'Etre provided many answers to my questions, whilst giving me a greater understanding of Mathias B Freese's personal views and the psychological terror of all involved during (and after) this disturbing period of history.

alternative-read reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinarily insightful and moving!, October 20, 2005

By 

Betsie's Literary Page (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The i Tetralogy (Paperback)

October 19, 2005

Written in first-person, readers are led through the complexity of human despair and survival. The i Tetralogy examines Nazi atrocities of the Holocaust during World War II and outcome of a civilization's arrogance of power.

I've read a lot about the Holocaust in history books and novels; I've seen movies like Exodus and Schindler's List, as well as television shows and miniseries like The Holocaust and Shoah, but not much can be compared to The i Tetralogy.

For the most part, many of us have trouble understanding how any one human; much less an entire nation could perpetuate the heinous crimes committed during the Holocaust.

Keep in mind that The i Tetralogy does not teach anything new. I don't believe it's meant to; I do however believe it's meant to illicit emotional response to a chilling subject, and that it does. Through its realistic characters, Freese immediately immerses readers in the experience of the Holocaust. They reflect the blood curl every human being is capable of. At the same time, reminding us throughout each page of how delicate and important our lives really are. Freese clearly presents the cold and callousness with which Nazi Germany planned to exterminate the Jews as one unbroken line that started from racism.

Unfortunately, the Holocaust did not change anything and genocide still occurs in the world, but there are lessons to be learned here regarding other genocides and ethnic wars and race and hate crimes.

The i Tetralogy is by far more than just another story about the Holocaust, its particular series of crimes, and the fact that it has come to stand for Evil Incarnate. It is a book, which needs to be, ingested contemplatively and certainly one that should be retained for repeated readings.

Reviewed by Betsie

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important book!, August 25, 2005

By 

Kevin Elliott (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The i Tetralogy (Paperback)

Honest, abrasive and engaging... okay... enough with the Ney-Yorker-esque blurbs, even though they are true. Honestly, this is the most disturbing account of the holocaust I have ever read. If I didn't know any better, I would think Mathias B. Freese had gone through this experience himself.

Told in first-person, we are led through the tunnels of human despair and survival. Base human emotion, action and reaction are uncensored and laid bare, making The i Tetralogy more than just another novel about the holocaust. This book is an exploration of what a civilized human being is capable of when s/he is pushed and the resulting guilt (or lack of) we feel for our convictions. Not only in action, but in thought, this book reflects the horror we all have inside of us and reminds us of the fragility and importance of our lives.

Even if you've read Elie Wiesel's Night, Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago, or others, this book will surprise you with raw language and emotive power.