The Glass Pearls is a gripping blend of kitchen-sink realism and noir thriller, featuring a complex portrayal of a former Nazi war criminal. The novel challenges traditional narratives by making the protagonist, Karl Braun, a nuanced and almost sympathetic character, despite his horrific past.
The Glass Pearls by Emeric Pressburger is a remarkable novel that blends kitchen-sink realism with a slow-building noir thriller. The story revolves around Karl Braun, a former concentration-camp doctor who has reinvented himself as a piano tuner in post-war London. Braun's past catches up with him as he is forced to flee when his activities in the concentration camp are highlighted in a new trial. What makes this novel extraordinary is Pressburger's ability to make Braun a rounded, almost sympathetic character, which makes it hard not to root for him in his flight from justice. However, as the story progresses, the extent of Braun's brutality and contempt for those around him is revealed, adding layers of complexity to the narrative. Pressburger's own background as a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany adds a poignant and personal dimension to the story, making it a powerful exploration of survivor's guilt and the motivations behind atrocities committed by seemingly cultured men.
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An utterly gripping blend of kitchen-sink realism and slow-building, noirish thriller.
Pressburger pulls off something extraordinary here, making Braun a rounded, almost sympathetic character, to the point where I found it hard not to root for him in his flight from justice.
Despite the potentially fraught subject matter, it’s a highly-disciplined piece.