Rosshalde

I found this novel to be a beautifully quiet and thoughtful book. Like another recent read, An Amsterdam Affair, it is driven by art and the compulsion to create is a strong theme of the work. Veraguth substitutes artistic acclaim and success for happiness in domestic life choosing to seclude himself in his garden studio rather than working to repair his bitter marriage. Hesse understands his protagonist completely and, since finishing, I have read elsewhere that Rosshalde does reflect his own circumstances at the time of writing. His exploration of a stilted, crumbling relationship is at times painful to read and the whole familial set-up is perfectly illustrated in Veraguth's great masterpiece painting. In contrast, descriptions of the Rosshalde estate are fluid and enticing making the gardens seem like the only warm oasis in a chilly life. For me, Rosshalde was a depressing novel although not unpleasant to read. I did find 'the tragedy' to be too overblown and almost Dickens-like in its heartstring tugging, but I imagine this was in the expected style of a century ago.