Untethered by the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and, with it, the dwindling of his family's name, Franz Ferdinand Trotta has few ambitions beyond frequenting the cafes and bars of Vienna. But in a rapidly changing and violent age, disinterest is not an option: as the first intimations of Nazi barbarities merge, Franz Ferdinand is drawn, inexorably, into the coming storm.
Vivid and prophetic, Roth's acclaimed novel is a stirring reflection on the passing of time, youth and disillusionment, and an elegy to a lost Europe.
The Emperor's Tomb is the sequel to The Radetzky March, one of the great masterpieces of 20th century German literature with some characters, and the narrative thread occasionally overlapping. It was written in the last period of Roth's life, and though different in character – not least because it is told in first person – the shadow of the darkening colours of the end of an era is maintained.
It is especially evocative in the exemplary and atmospheric translation by Michael Hofmann and the tone of David Rintoul's reading.
'Unforgettable, really great literature' – William Boyd.
'The carefully wrought work of a poet in full sympathy with his subject and his subject matter, in all its rootlessness, melancholy and ironic brevity.' Economist