Gustav and Anton, two boys who encapsulate post war Switzerland. Gustav, the unloved son of Emilie who works in a cheese factory, and Anton who is from a much wealthier family. But it is Gustav, whose philosophy is based on being master of oneself, who is Anton's rock. But does Anton really appreciate that friendship? When the story jumps to them in middle age, we find out who loves who.
This poignant and sensitive novel is also about betrayal. And for this we travel back in time to when Gustav's parents met. Betrayal can take all sorts of forms, and how Gustav's father's position in the police is in jeopardy in 1938 is crucial, both for the neutrality of Switzerland in WW2, and for Gustav himself many years later.
The characters who inhabit this story are vivid and real. Sometimes novels like this one can be a little disappointing in the final quarter. But not this one. Here it is something quite special. The author's writing is, as always, quite superb. Emotional and sometimes heart braking, but always truthful, the human stories burst from the page.
As an experiment, I decided to read one of the eight short stories when I had finished another book. Maybe that was the wrong choice as I think they should be read together. They range between 33 pages and 65 and are a type of domestic drama that I'm like. Even so, the first, from which the book takes it's name, is quite chilling in it's own way. The final (and longest) story, POWERS, is quite astonishing. It contains what could be considered as a number of even shorter stories, some with individual chapter headings, some extracts from a diary, some first person, others third person. Quite a rush through the life of Nancy, told at various times as she grows older. A real feat of ingenuity.
Although I hardly ever read thrillers these days, the reviews were so good I gave it a try. It was OK. The story was fine and the it rattles along at a good pace. But this is ultimately a book about sleaze and I was glad when it was over.
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