“We had to learn to see differently, to think differently, to resist differently.”
Volume 1: The Underground Struggle
The novel opens in 1937 Berlin, where a group of young working-class antifascists—including the unnamed narrator and his friends Coppi and Heilmann—engage in clandestine resistance against the Nazi regime. They discuss art, history, and politics, drawing parallels between classical mythology and their own struggle. The group studies the Pergamon Altar, interpreting its friezes as symbols of rebellion. As fascist oppression intensifies, they distribute leaflets, organize meetings, and evade the Gestapo. The narrative shifts between their present actions and reflections on past revolutionary movements, emphasizing the continuity of resistance.
Volume 2: Exile and Betrayal
After fleeing Germany, the narrator and his comrades navigate the perilous landscape of European exile. In Paris, they encounter disillusioned communists, opportunistic informants, and fellow refugees. The Spanish Civil War looms large, exposing fractures in the leftist resistance. The group debates Stalinist purges and the failures of international solidarity. Meanwhile, flashbacks reveal the narrator’s childhood in a proletarian family, where early exposure to art and literature shaped his worldview. The volume ends with the Nazi invasion of France, forcing the survivors into further displacement.
Volume 3: The Cost of Resistance
The final volume follows the narrator’s imprisonment in a Swedish internment camp, where he recounts the fates of his comrades: some executed, others broken by torture. He reflects on the aesthetic dimensions of resistance—how art and memory sustain defiance even in defeat. The narrative weaves in historical figures like Bertolt Brecht and Käthe Kollwitz, linking their creative work to the broader antifascist struggle. The book closes with the narrator’s resolve to document their story, ensuring that the “aesthetics of resistance” outlive oppression.
Key Ideas
- Art as a tool for political resistance and historical memory.
- The intersection of mythology, history, and revolutionary struggle.
- The psychological and physical toll of antifascist activism.
- Critique of Stalinism and the failures of organized leftist movements.
- The enduring legacy of working-class solidarity in the face of fascism.
Who should read this book?
- Readers interested in historical fiction about antifascist resistance.
- Those exploring the relationship between art, politics, and memory.
- Scholars of 20th-century European leftist movements.