Summary of The Gustav Sonata
“The Gustav Sonata” tells the story of Gustav Perle and his friend Anton Zwiebel, who grow up as boys around 1950 in the Swiss town of Matzlingen. Gustav lives with his embittered mother in a small apartment. Together, they struggle to make ends meet. Anton, by contrast, comes from a wealthy family and is prepared by his parents to become a concert pianist. Through a flashback, we learn how Gustav’s mother met his father, Erich, a police officer who, during the Second World War, falsified the entry dates on the passports of Jewish refugees to allow them to stay in Switzerland. The act cost him both his job and his marriage. In a flash-forward to the 1990s, the story follows Gustav and Anton into adulthood as their friendship falters and ultimately transforms into love.
Reasons to read The Gustav Sonata
“The Gustav Sonata” is a deeply moving novel about friendship, moral courage, classical music, and the search for love in post-war Switzerland. The novel is loosely inspired by the true story of Paul Grüniger, a police officer from St. Gallen who defied government orders by allowing Jewish refugees without official papers to enter Switzerland, thereby saving hundreds of lives. Rose Tremain is one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary novelists, best known for her historical fiction. She has received many literary awards, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize (for “Sacred Country”), the Whitbread Book Award (now Costa Book Award) for “Music and Silence”, and the Orange Prize (for “The Road Home”). In 2016, “The Gustav Sonata” won the National Jewish Book Award.
Setting: St. Gallen & Davos (Switzerland)
“The Gustav Sonata” is mainly the fictional town of Matzlingen, likely inspired by St. Gallen. Another key setting of the novel is Davos, where Gustav’s parents attempt to repair their marriage and where Gustav later spends a holiday with Anton’s family.
Original title: The Gustav Sonata
Year of publication: 2016
Nr of pages: 272
