The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H.

The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H.

Company type	Novella
Industry	Literature
Founded	1981 (1981)
Founder	George Steiner
Products	Novella

The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H. is a 1981 novella blending literary and philosophical elements, authored by George Steiner. The narrative centers on Jewish Nazi hunters who uncover a fictionalized version of Adolf Hitler living deep in the Amazon rainforest three decades after the conclusion of World War II. The work generated significant debate, particularly among critics and Jewish intellectuals, due to its depiction of Hitler defending himself during a jungle trial, where he controversially argues that the Holocaust is foundational to Israel's existence and portrays himself as a "benefactor of the Jews."

Originally appearing in The Kenyon Review in 1979, the novella was later revised and published as a paperback original by Faber and Faber in the United Kingdom (May 1981), followed by a hardcover edition from Simon & Schuster in the United States (April 1982). British dramatist Christopher Hampton adapted the story for the stage, with performances staged in London (1982) and Hartford, Connecticut (1983), which incited public demonstrations and criticism directed at Steiner.

The novella delves into themes such as the formidable influence and terror of language, reflecting Steiner’s enduring fascination, alongside philosophical explorations concerning history, justice, culpability, and vengeance. Rather than providing explanations for Hitler’s motives, Steiner engages him in a challenging and provocative discourse.

Reception was divided: Time described it as "a philosophic fantasy of remarkable intensity," whereas The New York Times reviewer John Leonard condemned the unchallenged platform given to Hitler’s speech as "obscene," expressing profound unease. Despite controversy, The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H. earned a finalist position for the 1983 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Plot

Emmanuel Lieber, a Holocaust survivor based in Tel Aviv, leads a team of Jewish Nazi hunters on a mission to locate Adolf Hitler, whom he suspects remains alive. Following leads pointing to South America, they eventually discover the nonagenarian Hitler residing within the Amazon jungle. Lieber travels to San Cristóbal to await their return with the captive, but adverse weather conditions complicate extraction efforts.

Global speculation about Hitler’s capture arises from intercepted radio transmissions, sparking debates over appropriate trial venues and legal authority. When contact with the search party is lost, they decide to conduct Hitler’s trial in the jungle rather than risk transporting him. Despite Lieber’s objections, they proceed with a makeshift tribunal where members assume roles of judge, prosecution, and defense; local tracker Teku acts as an impartial witness.

Hitler responds with an extensive four-part self-defense speech:

1. He asserts that his ideology was influenced by Jewish concepts of the master race and racial segregation: "My racism is a parody of yours."
2. He defends the Final Solution by characterizing Jewish principles as oppressive "blackmail" demanding impossible standards.
3. He rejects sole responsibility for evil acts by referencing Stalin’s genocides and comparing worldwide atrocities to diminish his own.
4. He claims that the Reich ultimately led to Israel’s foundation and portrays himself as a Messiah whose actions made this possible, seeking acknowledgment.

Though Teku cannot comprehend the language fully, he senses its significance and pronounces "Proven" before their encounter is interrupted by a helicopter.

Main characters

• Emmanuel Lieber – A Jewish survivor of the Holocaust who leads the expedition to capture Hitler; after narrowly escaping execution in a mass grave at Bialka, he dedicates himself to ensuring those behind the genocide face justice.
• Search party (comprised entirely of Jews with Holocaust family histories, except for John Asher)
  • Simeon – head of the search group and acts as the "presiding judge" during Hitler’s trial; Lieber’s trusted ally, torn between supporting Lieber’s relentless pursuit and exercising prudence.
  • Gideon Benasseraf – falls ill and dies before proceedings begin; during his fevered state, he proposes that Hitler may be Jewish; he had previously recovered in Paris while burdened by guilt.
  • Elie Barach – an Orthodox Jew serving as the "prosecution attorney"; regarded as the group’s ethical guide, disturbed by Gideon’s assertions and contemplates the possibility of Hitler as a second Messiah.
  • Isaac Amsel – an 18-year-old witness at the trial; son of a former search party member who was killed in São Paulo, motivated by a desire to avenge his father.
  • John Asher – half-Jewish and unwillingly appointed "defense attorney"; an outsider lacking Holocaust connections but valued for his military expertise and logical approach; assigned by Lieber.
• Teku – an Indigenous tracker from the local area and independent witness at the trial; once a guide for the party but left them while continuing to follow their trail.
• Adolf Hitler – 90 years old, the former Nazi leader who escaped death in Berlin’s Führerbunker and has been hiding deep in the Amazon rainforest.

Background and publication

George Steiner, a scholar, philosopher, and literary critic for The New Yorker and The New York Times, had previously examined the Holocaust in works such as Anno Domini (1964) and Language and Silence (1967). Many concepts in The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H. derive from these earlier explorations. Steiner described this novella as emerging from his lifelong reflection on language’s power both to create meaning and to destroy.

Composed between 1975 and 1976 in Geneva, this 120-page novella was first published in the Spring 1979 edition of The Kenyon Review and later appeared in an abridged form in Granta in 1980. Its initial book publication was a paperback original by Faber and Faber in 1981, followed by a hardcover release in the United States through Simon & Schuster in 1982. The novella was translated into French, Hebrew, Italian, and Swedish but notably never issued in German due to internal disputes at Steiner’s German publisher Suhrkamp Verlag regarding its compatibility with their cultural mission. Renowned authors Uwe Johnson, Max Frisch, and Hans Magnus Enzensberger opposed its German publication. Steiner accepted this quietly and even permitted speculation about political motivations behind the absence of a German edition.

As an outspoken anti-Zionist Jew, Steiner regarded Judaism as fundamentally exilic and centered on textual tradition, viewing Zionism as a deviation. His essay Our Homeland the Text elaborates this perspective.

Steiner confided to critic Ron Rosenbaum that his fictional portrayal of Hitler took on an autonomous existence, likening it to a "[golem]- or [Frankenstein]-like" creation, stating that the book "wrote me." He stressed that the novella confronts not only the Holocaust but also other atrocities such as those in Cambodia, Vietnam, El Salvador, and Burundi: "one must confront the abyss if one is able." In his 1997 memoir Errata: An Examined Life, Steiner reflected that if he had foreseen the influence of The Portage and its theatrical adaptations, he would have made it "my primary endeavor."

Stage adaptations

The Portage, Steiner's sole fictional piece transformed for the theatre, underwent adaptation in 1982 by British dramatist Christopher Hampton. Its debut took place at London's Mermaid Theatre, directed by John Dexter, with Alec McCowen cast as Adolf Hitler. McCowen received the 1982 Evening Standard Theatre Award for best actor. The production generated considerable controversy. Robert Skloot described the drama as "an infrequently expressed fantasy regarding the origins of genocide" that confronts individual tolerance, highlighting Steiner’s provocative decision to focus on Hitler and Hampton’s inclusion of an extensive 25-minute monologue for the character. Although containing elements of distortion and defamation, Hitler’s speech was recognized for its compelling performance.

In 1983, the play transferred to the United States, staging at Hartford Stage Company in Connecticut under director Mark Lamos with John Cullum portraying Hitler. Cullum’s concluding address earned acclaim from The New York Times for its "Wagnerian intensity," which almost humanized Hitler. World Literature Today emphasized the challenge posed to audiences in confronting Hitler should he reemerge. Skloot pointed out that despite Steiner’s fictionalized facts, the play engages with unresolved ethical questions. Steiner clarified that granting Hitler the final speech was designed to provoke audience rebuttal rather than acceptance.

Controversy

The Portage provoked debate over alleged "admiration for Hitler," a sentiment heightened by its faithful stage renditions in both the UK and US.

Hitler’s concluding speech unsettled numerous readers and critics alike. Steiner, who was Jewish, permitted Hitler a near-final justification before external intervention, intensifying the controversy. Some critics charged Steiner with conflating his own beliefs with those of his fictional Hitler and even accused him of anti-Semitism due to his critiques of Jewish nationalism and Israeli policies.

In contrast, Time interpreted Steiner’s purpose as an examination of Hitler’s rhetoric as a form of supernatural influence. Lieber’s caution regarding Hitler’s oratory reinforces this interpretation. Menachem Z. Rosensaft, chair of the International Network of Children of Jewish Survivors, affirmed that nothing in The Portage diminishes or excuses the Holocaust.

Rosenbaum observed that as Hitler’s trial concludes in the novel, Steiner faced intense criticism ranging from artistic disparagement to personal attacks. The theatrical adaptations intensified this backlash, with accusations that Steiner irresponsibly allowed Hitler’s "lengthy, insidious" speech to remain unchallenged on stage. British Jewish academic Hyam Maccoby warned that attributing a strong justification for blaming Jews to Hitler risked encouraging anti-Semitism.

Some critics also implied that Steiner accepted his fictional Hitler's assertions as truth, while reports suggested certain London audience members applauded Hitler rather than the production itself.

Steiner defended his method by referencing literary precedents where villainous speeches go unopposed, such as Satan's monologue in Milton's Paradise Lost and The Grand Inquisitor's discourse in Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. He stressed that Lieber’s earlier monologue serves as a counterbalance to Hitler’s speech and clarified that his fictional Hitler does not have the ultimate say—Teku, the Indian tracker, pronounces "Proven," an ambiguous conclusion signaling unresolved complexities beyond human understanding. Scholar Dominick LaCapra noted this ambiguity reflects profound uncertainties rather than definitive closure.

Reception

The response to The Portage was varied. In The Observer, Anthony Burgess described it as "astonishing," while Christopher Booker of The Daily Telegraph referred to it as a "powerful piece." English novelist A. S. Byatt hailed the work as a "masterpiece." In his 1998 book Explaining Hitler, Rosenbaum labeled it "A Frankenstein story," alluding to the fictionalized Hitler that Steiner created, which seemed to take on an independent existence. Writing for Time, Otto Friedrich characterized the novel as "a philosophic fantasy of remarkable intensity," emphasizing Steiner’s departure from conventional Holocaust narratives by choosing not to challenge Hitler’s speech and concluding instead with an atmosphere of "bleak ambiguity."

Conversely, Morris Dickstein of The New York Times offered a negative assessment, describing the novel as "misconceived and badly executed," and argued that it distracted from meaningful contemplation of the Nazi period. He found the work "wearisome" and burdened by excessive "fine writing" (belles-lettres). Dickstein also criticized the characters as lacking vitality; despite their detailed backgrounds, they remained indistinct verbal constructs. He observed that since Hitler's speech draws extensively from Steiner’s earlier writings, the portrayal inadvertently evokes sympathy for Hitler by presenting him as both pitiable and brilliant.

Another review in The New York Times by John Leonard acknowledged the novel’s merits—such as its wit, diverse cast, and vivid settings—but faulted its characters for being mere abstractions and found its symbolic conflicts reminiscent of Kafka and Proust. His primary critique targeted Hitler’s speech, which he deemed "obscene," and he took issue with Steiner’s decision to end the book there, arguing that this choice diminished art's capacity to transcend and left him feeling disturbed.

In Salmagundi, Alvin H. Rosenfeld praised The Portage as a "breakthrough work" that effectively juxtaposes the physical environment with the "landscape of speech," exposing language’s sinister power. He highlighted Nazi hunter Emmanuel Lieber as a compelling embodiment of Jewish consciousness, navigating between extremes of Holocaust literature through both detached enumeration and profound emotional depth. Nevertheless, Rosenfeld expressed unease over Steiner’s verbatim incorporation of his prior ideas into Hitler’s speech, suggesting a convergence between Steiner’s and Hitler’s self-perceptions. He also questioned the choice to conclude the novel with Hitler’s speech, warning that it succumbs to the seductive eloquence of negation and weakens moral reasoning. Despite these reservations, Rosenfeld concluded that The Portage stands among the most vigorous fictional confrontations with Hitler.

The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H. was shortlisted for the 1983 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Themes

One of the primary themes in The Portage is the exploration of language itself. Rosenbaum emphasizes Steiner's simultaneous fascination with and skepticism toward speech, underscoring language's potent and terrifying role throughout his career. Steiner noted that in German, Hitler wielded a rhetorical force uniquely capable of linking abstract ideas with acts of political violence. According to Steiner, Hitler’s brilliance resided "not so much in the written word, but the embodied voice," which was described as "mesmeric." Steiner depicted Hitler as "a kind of medium for the evil genius of the German language itself," with his speech functioning like "antimatter" relative to ordinary discourse.

Margaret Burton contrasts language as both "a venue for truth" (embodied by Lieber) and "a source of destruction" (represented by Hitler). Bryan Cheyette interprets Steiner’s portrayal as uniting these opposing uses within a single dialectical framework, reflecting an internal conflict within Steiner himself. Alexander M. Sidorkin suggests that Steiner engaged in a "dialogue with evil," probing his own repressed biases to give life to Hitler's rhetoric.

Additional themes encompass philosophical and ethical reflections on history, justice, guilt, and vengeance. The act of capturing one of history’s most notorious figures compels his Jewish captors to grapple with complex emotional responses. The narrative persistently questions Hitler's historical importance without offering definitive conclusions. Norwegian scholar Jakob Lothe critiqued Steiner’s dramatization of these themes as ultimately ineffective due to weak fictional execution.

Bibliography

• Burton, Margaret (2003). "Language in The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H.: From Polarity to Moral Ambiguity." Studies in American Jewish Literature, 22, 108–119. Penn State University Press, University Park, Pennsylvania.
• Cheyette, Bryan (1999). "George Steiner's Post-Holocaust Fiction: Navigating Between Repulsion and Attraction." Jewish Social Studies, 5(3), 67–81. Indiana University Press.
• LaCapra, Dominick (2001). Writing History, Writing Trauma. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Lothe, Jakob (1981). "From Conrad to Coppola and Steiner." The Conradian, 6(3), 10–14. Joseph Conrad Society (UK).
• Rosenbaum, Ron (2014). Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of His Evil. Da Capo Press, Boston, Massachusetts.
• Rosenfeld, Alvin H. (1981). "Steiner's Hitler." Salmagundi, 52/53, 160–174. Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York.
• Sagiv, Assaf (2003). "George Steiner's Jewish Problem." Azure: Ideas for the Jewish Nation, 130–154.
• Sidorkin, Alexander M. (2002). "Dialogue with Evil." Counterpoints, 173, 185–195. Peter Lang AG, Bern, Switzerland.
• Skloot, Robert (1994). "Stage Nazis: The Politics and Aesthetics of Memory." History & Memory, 6(2), 57–87. Indiana University Press, Bloomington.
• Steiner, George (1979). "The Portage to San Cristobal of A. H." The Kenyon Review, 1(2), 1–120. Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio – complete text of the novella as originally published by Steiner.