Two Brothers - Ben Elton

I haven't read all of Ben Elton's books, but having enjoyed all those so far this has to be the best to date. He has such a great writing style that gets you hooked right into the story and tuned into the bigger message he is trying to convey. In the past that has covered a variety of topics including drug culture and reality TV.  This time he turns his attention to the experience of the Jews in the run up to, and during, the Second World War.

The Stengel family and friends come to life straight off the page as Elton evokes their everyday life and struggle under the Nazi reign. The two brothers in the title are the Stengel twins, who together with their maid's daughter and their father’s music pupil form The Saturday Club. The story follows their friendship throughout this period of history as they are all forced into lives they never chose.

The boy's father Wolfgang particularly stood out for me as a character. His exciting bohemian life as a talented musician, playing the clubs at the beginning of the novel, is slowly crushed as he experiences the growing persecution. His demise is a powerful story in itself, difficult to read and incredibly moving.

The book explores humanity and what an ordinary person (Jew or Nazi) will do to survive; how all these people manage in times of extreme - deprived of food and basic human rights, subjected to brutality and violence. The lengths that some characters go to in order to survive is remarkable and leaves you asking if you can really question their tactics given their remarkable situation.

The author's note at the end reflects on the personal inspiration he had to write this novel, given his incredible family history. The care and attention to detail he delivers in this novel is evident throughout and, according to a recent interview, is the story he has wanted to write all his career. It really is a remarkable, touching piece of work that stays with you after you have finished it.