Novels to Remember Austria
“Let others wage war. You, lucky Austria, shall marry.”
- "Goliath" (Scott Westerfeld, 2011)
Austrian National Day would recall the Declaration of Neutrality by the Austrian Parliament on October 26, 1955. It came ten years after the end of World War II. When the Third Reich fell, the balance of power in Europe changed, where France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States played a part in its transformation. This would define East-West relation during the next few decades.
Austria's decision to be neutral was seen as sensible. It's located in the middle of Europe. Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia, then members of the Soviet bloc, were its neighboring countries, so were Germany and Italy. They could've been easily stepped on, even exploited, in case of a wrong move on their part. Instead of spending on the building of defense, the money was used on civil programmes or tax cuts. Austria became better off in no time. It was a different story on the cultural side, though.
What we were missing?
The first book to come to mind would be "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" (1949), Maria Augusta von Trapp's memoir of tragedies and accounts of kindness by strangers who became her friends. It recalled their beginnings in Salzburg, escape from Nazi-invaded Europe, and adventures in America. Maria, who was once a postulant, didn't intend to tell her story at first. A friend of hers kept on reminding her that the world must knew it. They did, as the book was turned into a beloved musical (starring Julie Andrews).
There were other written materials that bring back earlier times. The eighteenth century saw the rise of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a musical prodigy who was a subject of numerous books. Alexander Pushkin's "Mozart and Salieri" (1832) was the most notable work, suggesting a rivalry between two gifted musicians. Not a few rebuffed this theory. Gordon Korman's "One False Note" (2008) let young readers knew more of Mozart's legacy, even suggesting he had a sibling who was more talented than him.
Joseph Roth's "Radetzsky March" (1932) and "The Emperor's Tomb" (1938) were about the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But many novels (set in Austria) revolved around the Second World War.
We like tea too
Graham Greene's "The Third Man" (1949) was a novella that the English novelist penned after the success of the film. (Greene also wrote the screenplay.) It was usually the other way around, but in this case, it was the fascinating premise that made it a hit.
Holly Martins, a pulp Western writer, came to Vienna to meet Harry Lime, his childhood friend. Alas, Holly learned that Harry was killed a few days before his arrival. The cause was a speeding car while crossing the street. It was an unfortunate accident, but during the funeral, Holly learned there might be foul play involved. He believed in his friend's innocence; the war ended and the Viennese people don't know whom to side with. Then a book club invited Harry to a lecture. This was his chance to do a little investigation.
This would be our chance to discover other books as well.
