Book Review: The Gustav Sonata. By Rose Tremain.
If two boys and their mothers can represent wartime Switzerland, then Rose Tremain’s novel The Gustav Sonata can. It not only shines a light on their relationships but on Switzerland’s relationship with itself. The country had an existential crisis during the 1930s and 1940s when it wavered between official neutrality and the influence of its Nazi neighbours – the historical context in Rose Tremain’s novel. It’s as though its cheese fondue eating and Glühwein swigging citizens were questioning themselves – are we the good guys helping refugees or the bad guys compliant to Hitler’s demands. The verdict in The Gustav Sonata is they were the bad guys at official levels with heroics by individuals like Gustav’s dad who were the good guys – but they were the exceptions.
A lifelong friendship is played out in the 2016 novel concerning practical and pragmatic Gustav and musically gifted but anxiety ridden Anton. Charted in three parts there’s their initial meeting as school friends with their contrasting families – Gustav’s hard to like mother poor and embittered antisemite Emelie – and Anton’s Jewish, flirty and wealthy Ariana. Which helps to define the course of the novel and symbolises the country’s struggles at the time.
In part one we follow the lives of protagonist Gustav who has a hard life but his inner steel and self control keeps him grounded as he acts as a sort of adviser to wealthier but flaky Anton – whose mother Adriana recognises his positive influence. A aspect of the story that many will recognise from childhood when you had a richer friend who you visited after school revealing the social gap in your lives – but which is bridged by a strong friendship.
Part two flips back to when Gustav’s mum first meets his dad Erich – a conscientious copper who is torn between his lust for his colleague’s sexy wife Lottie and his desire to do the right thing and falsify documents to allow more Jewish refugees into the country. It’s an insight into Swiss politics at the time as Nazi troops threated an invasion prompting the country to do whatever was asked by Hitler’s regime – hide stolen gold, allow military trains and traffic through the country – and stop Jewish refugees from seeking asylum. A policy which has reverberated ever since as revelations about the so-called neutral nation’s cosy relationship with the Nazis have been published.
Part three moves on to the lives of the two friends as they near retirement in the 1980s and 1990s as they both reflect on their pasts and attempt to renew their lives despite the weight of their own shortcomings. It’s a grown-up novel in the sense that Tremain unearths the difficult truths behind all the characters revealing their inner motives and feelings – all held hostage by their pasts and their experiences. No caricatures or one dimensional personas – but with others that populate the narrative like the sad old English major who plays cards, Lottie’s husband policeman conflicted Roger and miserly Irma – Emelie’s mother. There’s plenty of angst, inner anger, frustration, betrayal, secrets and thankfully plenty of sex complete with it’s stained sheets and sweating bodies – plus it’s a comparatively short novel – just my kind of book. But above all it paints a vivid picture of Switzerland that conflicts with its picture postcard image and cements our need for friends who can support us, criticise us, praise us but always be there for us.
Harry Mottram
The Gustav Sonata is published by Vintage in paperback and is available in libraries and all good book shops.
Harry Mottram
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