LE BENEVOLE | I EDIZ. 2007 | JONATHAN LITTELL

Le benevole (Italian translation of Les Bienveillantes, 2006) by Jonathan Littell is a dense, morally complex novel narrated by Maximilien Aue, an ex-SS officer deeply involved in the machinery of the Holocaust. The narrative spans from the invasion of the Soviet Union, through the mass executions in the East, the death camps, up to the fall of Nazi Germany. It combines historical detail, psychological introspection, and an unflinching gaze at violence and complicity. Littell delves into Aue’s personal relations, guilt, identity, and absurdity, portraying him neither as a monster nor a hero, but as a deeply flawed human. The book challenged readers with its scope, its explicit scenes, and its attempt to understand evil from the inside.