The i Tetralogy

Mathias B. Freese
Hats Off Books (2005)
ISBN 1587364042
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (1/06)

“Here we are, another Holocaust book”, you ask? Not really, this one is not just a journal of what happened and how. This 365 page book is a psychological thriller. It takes you into the mind of the hunter and his prey. You are privy to the thoughts of a prisoner in the camp, his anguish, his fears, his hopelessness. “The i Tetralogy” takes you for a walk within the soul of one condemned. One that refers to himself as Rectum, for that is how he truly feels. Freese takes you through this one man’s hell, shows you what it was like to live the life of a Jew in the camp.

From that, to another section in the book where you, the reader, are drawn inside of Gunther, the ruthless guard. Freese makes you a part of this creature, you feel his disgust for the Jews. You begin to understand what drive, what motivation Gunther had for performing such sadistic acts upon the prey. Freese gives you many instances where Gunther and his fellow guard Karl, practice their art upon the poor prisoners.

The remainder of the book deals with Gunther in America. Though he knows he must keep it hidden, his loathing of the Jews continues. He is amused and amazed at how easily it is to hide in the open in America.

“The i Tetralogy” was both an interesting and boring read. I say interesting in the fact that it was presented with a different angle, Freese actually took the reader into the mind of the prisoner and the guard. I’m sure Freese’s PhD in Psychotherapy aided him in this endeavor. On the boring side, yes, it was another Holocaust book. Although it was presented well, the Jew bashing that occurs within the mind of the guard is a bit overdone. That is just this reviewer’s knowledgeable opinion.

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