The central character in this novel is Otto Laird, a Jewish refugee of Austrian heritage. He is old, in his twilight years, living in Switzerland with his second, younger wife, but he is in decline, reflecting on his past life as he communes with nature and writes endless letters to old friends and acquaintances that he has no intention of sending.
The premise of the novel concerns the inevitability of old age, along with decay and disintegration; Otto's bereavement and grief following his first wife's death (also a renowned architect) and the end of his productive life as a revolutionary architect. It also features forgiveness and redemption, as Otto comes to terms with his estranged son by reflecting on his mistakes as a parent and father, and his subsequent personal 'restoration' - notwithstanding the demise and demolition of his major work, Marlowe House, a 1960s brutalist tower block in East London. Otto revisits this building, after an absence of many years, with the view to participating in an unsuccessful BBC documentary to try to save it from demolition. Time in London, and staying in his tower block, stirs up many memories for Otto, but brings home the likelihood of the building's impending fate.
Although we didn't all agree about the literary merits of this book, we all found it accessible if somewhat slow and clunky. Some threads seemed inconclusive, a bit like the rambling minds of the aged. This resonated with some of us on a number of points, evoking a certain empathy with Otto as he approached his life's end. The story unfolds in a series of memories, over Otto's life. Moving between past and present, as he reflects and comes to a better understanding of his personal journey. It is also a book about the passage of time, as so much happens in a lifetime, but time rushes by without us noticing and perhaps can only be fully appreciated retrospectively