Double bass

Author: Patrick Suskind
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: This book depicts the inner life of a disaffected member of a national orchestra's double bass section. The protagonist "I" has a father who is an official and a mother who is a flutist. "I" has always felt unloved at home. The father hopes "I" will follow in his footsteps and become an official rather than an artist. However, "I" goes against his father's wishes and becomes a musician, yet chooses the double bass—a heavy, unattractive instrument that cannot be played solo—as a way to take revenge on my mother. "I" began learning the double bass at the age of seventeen and, over the next eighteen years of my, developed a complex, love-hate relationship with the instrument that accompanied me day and night.
I have a father who is an official and a mother who is a musician, and I have never been favored by my parents. In the house, a record is spinning on the turntable, Brahms' Symphony No. 2 is echoing in the air, and someone is humming along. Footsteps fade away and then draw closer again. Compared to German writers of the same generation, Suskind's literary output is not high, and his works are also not very long. However, his rich and peculiar imagination, profound philosophical depth, thought-provoking plots, timeless symbolism, and exquisite writing leave a deeply impressive impression.
Perfume reads like a mysterious legend. Suskind employs a realistic narrative style to vividly portray the bizarre life of a genius from 18th-century Paris, Grenouille, who "searches for perfume and kills women." In The Pigeon, Suskind fully demonstrates his skill in delicate psychological, bringing to life the stream of consciousness and inner monologue of No?ll, a bank guard in Paris. No?ll, a loyal and straightforward man, has lived in his small room for thirty years, leading a dull, solitary, and uninvolved life. However, one morning, a pigeon suddenly appearing at his door leaves him panicked and disoriented. Thus, his usual tranquility is shattered, and every detail of his life—including his clothing, food, shelter, daily routines, and duties—is disrupted. The protagonist's mental world teeters on the brink of collapse. This inexplicable chaos only subsides when the ominous pigeon quietly departs, and everything returns to normal.
In The Double Bass, the protagonist's long, cynical, yet helpless self-mockery accurately reflects the contradictory mindset of a disappointed person. Meanwhile, The Story of Mr. Summer reveals Suskind's true views on human affairs through the playful, humorous, yet satirical narration of a child. From these works of varying themes and genres, one can see Suskind's exceptional talent for storytelling and his deep mastery of the German language.