This is a book that simply wasn't for me. It is a languid examination of the life of a minor aristocrat in Austria-Hungary in the build up to WW1 and then the interwar years. It is a book in translation looking at life, death, despair, and hope, and the people we are connected to, and for someone who is more interested in pastoral fiction with a dose of melancholia, it would suit them well as it is expertly written.

Without doubt, this is one of the strangest titles I’ve ever encountered. I understand it follows on from another book with the same family, but I don’t think it matters that I hadn’t read that book first. The translation by Hoffman feels sympathetic and he speaks of the work in a chapter at the end. That helped give the work better context and it’s encouraged me to listen to the book again.

I have to say I don’t really know what the story is about. The narrative sweeps from the start of one world war to the start of another, but isn’t linear. It’s all over the place with the theme of death and mothers featuring consistently. The end is very odd, with specific reference to the tomb of the title and I’m sure there’s meaning in the way it ended. But all of this aside, it’s both beguiling and intriguing. Beautifully written, everything sounds meaningful even though it seems so unstructured. There are numerous little vignettes which I enjoyed. Narration is superb and kept me listening. A paper copy may be easier to follow but this story has hit a spark of internet and I’ll be looking at more from Joseph Roth and another Austrian author, Stefan Zweig. They both require attention and concentration but have something to say.

I would listen to David Rintoul narrate a menu and enjoy it so this was an easy win for me, historical and emotional, good story and interesting characters