The narrator, who goes by the name Diter, a mysterious man from the SS, investigates the past of Adolf Hitler, following an order from Heinrich Himmler. What is hidden behind Diter's particular interest in little Adolf? Is it truly Himmler who pulls the strings of the investigation, or perhaps some ultimate dark force? And what terrible secret does Hitler's parents' relationship hide?

"The Castle in the Forest," Norman Mailer's first major novel in years, is a mosaic of unforgettable literary characters, rich in twists and surprises, addressing the eternal theme of the battle between good and evil. Mailer's Hitler is not the one we all know, but something much more mysterious and satanic. Critics agree that it is perhaps the most comprehensive and ambitious literary endeavor of the great American author.