THE WEEKEND BY BERNHARD SCHLINK, WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON, $29.99.
Bernhard Schlink writes so elegantly, with such calm simplicity – remember The Reader? – that he can pull you into the darkest and most difficult subjects before you realise where he’s taking you.
In this case, it’s the weekend reunion of a group of one-time members and supporters of the Baader-Meinhof gang, who have gathered to celebrate the release of Jörg – convicted murderer and terrorist – after 24 years in prison. These lovers and friends have left their violent pasts behind and now want to help Jörg, too, adapt to freedom. Yet, as the days pass, tension builds. Their memories conflict, they challenge each other’s commitment and motives, and old jealousies and betrayals bubble to the surface. It’s a subtle and strangely tender novel about people who have put themselves outside the law struggling to find their way back in – uncertain they ever can or will.
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