A civilized German officer, an admirer of high culture and a composer of classical music, stays in a house in occupied France. The master of the house and his niece - understandably - refuse to talk to him.
Is self-indulgence in the products of culture - music, good literature, philosophical reflections, art – just pretence, if you allow atrocities, tortures and murders to happen elsewhere? This question is posed in Jean Bruller's novel The Silence of the Sea, expressed by Renaud, a character in the novel. This demanding question should not frighten the reader away from the book, as the stories it contains lead to deep meditation.
World War II won't leave us alone. If the same happened now, would we again be surrounded by decent people who would not lift a finger to prevent horrible acts?
Photo by: DroneflyerNick
Vercors (Jean Bruller) The Silence of the Sea (1942)
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