What I mean by Fictional Fiction is pieces of writing or film that have been mentioned in stories or elsewhere, that don't actually exist. For example, I'd love to read the 'Misery' series of novels mentioned in Stephen King's novel of the same name. I'd also like to read Hitler's Diary (I'm sure it's mostly fictional because he was insane) and The Dharma Initiative Handbook from Lost.
A book of Stephen King's poetry. To be honest, he's not actually that bad of a poet. I wish he'd write more.
You are correct in thinking that Hitler's Diary was mostly (well, totally) fictional, but not because he was insane. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Diaries
It might be fictional non-fiction, but I'd like to read The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy that features in Douglas Adam's novel of the same name.
The idea Hitler was crazy is a well known lie. He was pretty sane, which is why his legacy is so disturbing to us still.
I was more referring to the insanity apparent through his actions, not that he was actually mental diagnosed as insane, which I don't think anyone could do now that he is dead. He may indeed have been an evil, sane man, but his delusion, his extremism, his troubled youth, his unnaturally strong hatred, his lies, his actions, all have the appearance of insanity. To be able to do what he did without a strong mental problem would in itself make him appear a psychopath, or an NPD case, which are both in themselves mental illnesses.
The notebook made reference in Dhalgren. Part of the notebook becomes most of chapter VII in the book, but you never get the whole notebook and since it sets up a circular narrative... it would be interesting to see.
This is a good point S S. My sister, who, is a psychologist and I (psychiatrist) often have these discussions, and while for reasons I won't go into now, certain mental health problems are technically defined as 'not mental illnesses', in reality, from the human psychology and behaviour point of view, they clearly are. Just not treatable. Hitler was an extreme narcissist. Narcissists are usually incapable,of anything but self-love, which is why they can appear psychopathic. But underneath, narcissism is a compensation for feeling worthless. So deeply insecure, sad and rejected in fact, that it's a matter if survival to start loving yourself, and that self-love has to compensate for lack of all other loves, so it grows out of proportion. Also, because it is there to mask the depression, it is based on strong denial and is therefore inflexible and obsessive. Hitler was also grandiose and I would not be surprised if he had a milder form of bipolar disorder. Many charismatic people have it, many leaders too. He was also deeply paranoid. All this puts him into the 'severe personality disorder plus minus mental illness' category. Unfortunately, strong narcissistic traits, megalomania and paranoia have remained desirable quality in politicians to this day, especially the leaders. This is indicative of a wider problem, more collective psychopathology, that is responsible for putting people like Hitler, and all the other, albeit lesser narcissists, in power. ps. Here's an interesting psycho-historical analysis of Hitler, not entirely accurate imo, but they got the fundamentals right. http://www.psychologyandsociety.org/__assets/__original/2012/01/Hyland_et_al.pdf pps. to the OP - Sorry for the off-topic!
I must admit I've often had this fantasy (or maybe it isn't a fantasy but is instead a book I read long ago - I don't actually know) of a book with snow on the cover, and the image of a rural landscape in winter; almost like the painting Hunters in the Snow. I imagine it is set around the mid 80s, early 90s (the book is bound in early 90s binding style) and is about a young family who move into a large house. Somewhere in America, New England sort of area. And the father dies one night in a car crash during heavy snow-fall - leading to the mother to spend more and more time in a cheap motel to grieve alone, away from her children when a neighbor starts to try and help her come to terms with her loss. They end up having an affair. In the end the neighbor leaves his wife (who is childless - leaving her under the pretense of looking after the widow's children) between Christmas and New Year for the widow and they end up being together, but something in the back of his mind knows his new wife still loves her ex-husband more than he. I don't even know what this book is called, but for some reason it is always in the back of my mind, and I am reminded of 'scenes' from it every so often. The thing is, I have no idea if I have made it up or not, but it is such a powerful 'memory' for me. It's odd.
