Ian Phillips

Grosse Fugue Ian Phillips

Grosse Fugue interweaves the sublime and the depraved to create a searing tale of tragedy and reconciliation. This gripping epic charts the journey of a virtuoso violinist from child prodigy, through conscription into the trenches of the First World War, to a life in post-war Austria that is violently interrupted by the Holocaust. Sweeping through London, Vienna, Paris, Toulouse, Auschwitz and beyond, the novel tracks the fate of Reuben Mendel and his family, played out against the seismic events of the 20th Century. Grosse Fugue is a story of love, loss, identity and the need to make sense of catastrophe. It provocatively examines the legacy of genocide, survivor guilt and the redemptive power of great music.