Saturday, April 28, 2018

A DEATH IN VIENNA




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A Death in Vienna, Daniel Silva, G P Putnam's Sons, 2004, 399 pp
 
 
I read the fourth book of Silva's Gabriel Allon series during Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day. It just worked out that way but was appropriate because while investigating the death of an old friend in Vienna, Gabriel uncovers the existence of a Nazi war criminal who had escaped justice for more than half a century.
 
Of course the plot is twisty, Allon is called upon to face plenty of danger, and this time he gets the target. In the first three books I learned about how he lost his child and the tragedy of his wife. In this one I learned the tragedy of his mother, a survivor who died in Israel. I had not known there exists in Jersusalem the Yad Vashem Archives, a collection of testimony and memories given by Holocaust survivors.

When Gabriel reads his mother's testimony, he learns his own family history for the first time. He also identifies the man he is after. That leads into the complicated politics of Austria, where Holocaust deniers hold and/or seek power. The parallels with Hungary, read about in Susan Faludi's In the Darkroom, were striking and eerie.

Reading A Death in Vienna brought about some realizations and deeper truths about history. There is not a country on Earth who has not done shameful acts against mankind and those who perpetrated those acts do all they can to deny and obliterate the memories of them. 

Yes, I already knew that but now I believe more strongly than ever in the importance of those times and acts being brought to light. While I am fine with justice being done and the correct punishments carried out against those who committed the crimes, what is more important for the mental and spiritual health of mankind in general is that the truth is brought out.

Apparently, despite contradictory evidence, I still believe the world can be a better place. That is why writers write and why I read.


(A Death in Vienna is available in paperback by order from Once Upon A Time Bookstore.)

6 comments:

  1. What a fitting tribute, Judy! I liked this entry very much, and it is one of my greatest hits (judging by my stats) ;-) I agree that in keeping the memory of those horrific acts alive we hopefully contribute a little to prevent them from happening again, now or in the future.

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    1. Carmen, thank you so much. I am glad we agree!

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  2. Gabriel Allon is an interesting character. I've enjoyed getting to know him. A Death in Vienna is the last book in the series that I have read. I hope to get to others later this year.

    I fear I am a bit more cynical than you regarding the improvement or perfectability of mankind. And womankind. Even when the truth is shoved in our faces, we can find a way to ignore it or deny it. "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" is a wonderful sentiment, but what of those who refuse to know the truth? Before I read your review I was reading about the new National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, the monument to those who have been brutalized, enslaved, and lynched in America, our own Holocaust and original sin, and the reaction of some of the people in the area who resent the idea of such a monument. That may have affected my reaction to your review. But the truth is there have been many holocausts in the history of humanity and they just keep happening. That doesn't mean that writers should stop writing about them though or that we should stop trying to get the truth out there. Each of us must do what we can, however insignificant it may seem. (Sorry for the rant.)

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    1. Dorothy! A) I love a good rant. Never be sorry. B) Most days lately I am more cynical too. I can certainly see why reading about the the reaction of the locals to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice brought out your cynicism. Yes, we do what we can. What else can we do?

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  3. I think I should mix in a couple Silva books but I should start at the beginning. His Gabriel books sound good. & hopefully they aren't too complex to follow ? thanks

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    1. Starting at the beginning is a good idea because you get his story, how he became an assassin, why, and what happened to his wife and child. His first book is not his best, but they get very good after that. Not complex but better than some of the thrillers I have read.

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