Midnight

The novel's title, Midnight in Europe, is a reference to the impending specter of World War II. Since the novel takes place from 1937-1938, but was published only recently, in 2014, Furst trusts that the reader is aware of at least the basic structure of World War II. Indeed, World War II is never explicitly mentioned in the novel, seeing as its characters would have no way of knowing the exact name of the conflict. Still, the novel intends to give the impression that the threat of war could be obviously seen by those in Europe years ahead of the actual conflict.

When Ferrar and de Lyon travel to Berlin as part of an arms deal, it is immediately clear that the country has completely devoted itself to an upcoming war effort. As the two men look at the imposing industrial landscape around them, de Lyon mutters...