A play of light

How does a talented and critical artist become a collaborator with a totalitarian regime? Acclaimed film director G. W. Pabst, one of the greats of the early era of cinematography, known for his leftist and humanist views, is going through an unsuccessful period in Hollywood at the end of the 1930s. Despite warnings from friends and the impending conflict in Europe, he decides to visit his native Austria in 1938, which has since become part of the German Third Reich. However, his worries about his sick mother and his creative frustration are soon overshadowed by the outbreak of the Second World War. The borders are closed, and Pabst desperately seeks a possible way out of the dangerous situation. One appears, but it is a truly Faustian choice. The presence of the respected director, of course, does not escape the attention of the ruling regime, and Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels comes with an offer that feels more like an ultimatum. Pabst can continue making films and will be provided with the best actors, unlimited resources, and protection for his family. But he must work for Hitler's followers. Thus begin the years of the artist's balancing act between the escalating demands of the Nazis and his own conscience. This novel by a leading German-language author, listed by The New York Times as one of the ten best books of 2025, is a chilling and psychologically insightful study of self-deception and the gradual moral decline of a man who sold his own soul for his art and survival. “A great novel about moral failure.” – Die Zeit “Make peace with the monster, and he will reappear in your own home, creeping up from the cellar, and then it will be too late. This is precisely what Kehlmann writes about.” – The Daily Telegraph “The novel deals with a topical theme: passive collaboration with a regime.” – NDR “Kehlmann has handled the eternal theme of the moral failure of an exceptional artist remarkably well, not only in terms of content with the attractive setting of cinematography, where other famous personalities make fleeting appearances, but also in terms of form. The author alternates perspectives and viewpoints on Pabst, so we see him through the eyes of his assistant (who, moreover, suffers from dementia as an old man), his wife, his son, and other characters.” – from reader reviews on Databazeknih.cz Dad speaks in a quiet, almost purring voice that Jakob has only heard a few times, and always when he and Mum visited him on set. As soon as there’s trouble, when the spotlights burst or a scaffold falls or the actors argue, Dad uses this voice, which soothes everyone and makes them do what he wants. Jakob has never heard that voice at home. “So you were abroad for many years?” “And now we’re on our way home.” “What is your relationship to the government?” “To which one?” “To ours!” “I’m not interested in politics. I just make films. Thrillers. Detective stories and adventure films.” “But you surely also care about the national awakening.” Dad is silent for a moment, then says: “You can see I’m coming back.” Apparently, that was the right answer. The policeman returns the passports. “Heil Hitler,” he says, slides the door shut, and moves on. – excerpt from the book