Paul Bailey established himself as an author of distinction when
his first novel, At the Jerusalem, won the Somerset Maugham Award.
Since then, he has twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as
well as receiving several other awards. This latest novel is
written in his customary spare, dignified prose; he tells his story
with a calm compassion which merely enhances the horror of certain
parts of the tale. Andrew Peters, formerly Andrei, comes to live
with his Uncle Rudolf in London when the Fascist regime in his
native Romania threatens the safety of everyone with even a trace
of Jewish blood in their veins. After a hair-raising journey to
Paris, his father puts the bewildered seven-year-old on a train to
London, and promises that the family will be reunited very soon.
Andrew never sees his mother or father again. Instead, he quickly
settles down to a life of pleasure and excitement in his uncle's
household. Rudolf is a gifted tenor, and travels the great cities
of Europe where he stars in various operettas. Andrew accompanies
him on these excursions, and as the years pass, he becomes
increasingly attached to his uncle. But he never forgets his roots,
and when Rudolf finally reveals the truth about what really
happened to his parents, Andrew knows he has to return to Romania
to lay the ghosts of the past once and for all. The relationship
between the naive young country boy and his elegant, charismatic
uncle is the lynchpin of this understated novel. Andrew's physical
attraction towards Rudolf is touched upon, but is handled with
sensitivity and discretion. Far more overpowering is the sense that
Rudolf has betrayed his own sublime talents by performing in
populist operettas, rather than taking on the challenges of grand
opera. As Rudolf sinks deeper into an almost imperceptible
melancholy, Andrew seems unable to tear himself away from his
uncle's side. One by one Rudolf's faithful old retainers fall away
until only he is left to support Rudolf to the bitter end. This is
a moving account of how age and background are no barrier to a deep
and lasting relationship. Once again, Bailey displays his profound
insight into the complex workings of the human heart. (Kirkus UK)
At the age of 70, Andrew Peters looks back across the years to remember life with his doting Uncle Rudolf, who rescued him from fascist Romania as a child. Vivid, often hilarious, stories of Rudolf's brilliant but blighted singing career are intertwined with the slow unfolding of secrets that have shadowed Andrew's otherwise happy life. Told in matchless prose, this deeply moving novel captures a vanished epoch with exquisite tact and restraint.
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