Brecht's Mistress Book

This novel is set in post-war east Berlin. It starts out with a real event: In 1948 Bertold Brecht follows the more than generous offers of the about to be formed communist state, returning from exile. He is offered absolute literary freedom (he can even receive newspapers from all over the world, unimaginable for the ordinary eastern German of that time), a well funded theater to shape according to his ideas and loads of money. In turn he is expected to become a eastern Germany's showcase artist.

Here Amette's protagonist, the fictional (but realistic) Maria Eich enters the stage. She is an Austrian actress with Nazi connections who is induced or rather blackmailed by the infant eastern German spy service, to become Brecht's mistress and spy on the playwright who's loyalty is doubted by the system.

In due course she enters his inner circle, spies on him and although she doesn't fall in love with him, she respects him greatly. Her spymaster, who - as an unnecessary sub-plot also falls in love with her - allows her to leave for western Germany when Brecht's the spy-service's interest shifts and her life is endangered. She later becomes a rather stern German-teacher in Pforzheim.

Considering the fact that this novel won the Prix Goncourt, France's most important literature price, this work has surprisingly few readers on Goodreads. Furthermore, reviews outside of France were rather negative. German reviews were focusing on alleged corruption in the Goncourt committee and showering the Author with false praise ("he managed to spell almost all German Names correctly"). English language reviews were complaining that this work is too distanced and cold.

I don't agree at all. I think this novel is certainly worthwhile for those interested in Brecht's later years. The author creates the typical gloomy east Berlin spy novel atmosphere, known from proper spy novels. But at the same time he creates fascinating dialogues in with Brecht and around him, very cleverly entering hidden allusions on Brecht lines from Poems and plays. The description of Buckow and the creation of the Buckow elegies is especially striking.

What many critics may not have likes, iss that he depicts Brecht as the egocentric prick, he was. Sucking ideas and life blood from all people around him. However, if you read his journals or the great depiction of his Swedish years in Peter Weiß' "Aesthetic of Resistance" you will find the same brilliant but not very likable Brecht.

For all those who - like me - don't read French all that often: Amette's French is elegent yet not too difficult. The main difficulty is guessing the hidden Brecht quotes, if you never read Brecht in French.