Eurotrash

In his new novel, Kracht (The Dead), winner of the Swiss Book Prize, turns the concept of the road trip on its head. The narrator, who is also named Kracht (and shares the author’s first name as well), embarks on a journey through Switzerland with his 80-year-old mother, who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. Since his mother’s wealth primarily comes from investing in the arms industry, mother and son decide to divest themselves of as much money as possible in protest of the violence of the business. As the story proceeds, readers learn that while they live in Switzerland, they are of German ancestry and have a disturbing family history. Kracht’s maternal grandfather, a devoted Nazi, indulged in sadomasochism. By insisting to the Russians that he was a socialist, he later rose through the ranks in East Germany. The road trip provides the means for mother and son to relive their past, learn about each other, and exhibit affection, irritation, and anger with each other and with the world around them. The novel moves back and forth through time with hallucinogenic intensity.