Lilac Song

Somewhere near the start of reading Lilac Song I was reminded of the novel The Remains of the Day, which I find to be an interesting and helpful point of comparison. Where Stephens takes every opportunity to distinguish himself, in his position as a butler, from Lord Darlington, the relationship between Otto and Sibylle has a more parent-like quality to it, perhaps best represented by Otto calling Sibylle his child, at one point. Sibylle is hopeful and imaginative, qualities which occasionally bring her into conflict with Otto, even if Sibylle harbors too much respect for the man to argue much.

I found this relationship to be profound and well portrayed. There are lots of fine details in here that complicate the narrative beyond a dichotomy of two similar stereotypes, one which portrays the young rebellious thinker as childlike and naive and another which portrays an old powerful man as out of touch with modern political realities. This is not to say that Lilac Song does not have a point of view on these politics. The world portrayed here is one that is preciously aware of time and its consequences, one that contends with the value of recognizing the past while imagining the future. I would hope to live in a world where Sibylle keeps working on her game, where it's possible to map out the path to a brighter future.