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The Architect : a Tale
Two architects: Andrew Martin, a fêted young Australian whose success has come early, and Johannes Von Ruhland, an aging genius who draws with the hand of God but whose work has never been realised. When Martin finally meets the mythic Von Ruhland on a trip to Berlin, it is a dream fulfilled, but once that dream is brought back to Australia it jeopardises his marriage and divides his friends. Martin returns to Berlin where he is increasingly drawn into the labyrinth of Von Ruhland's world. And when the master architect proposes a daring collaboration, the consequences are as profound as they are unforeseeable...
- GenresNovels21st Century
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
John Alan Scott
18 books4 followersJohn Alan Scott (who has published under the names John A. Scott and John Scott) is an English-Australian poet, novelist and academic.
Scott was born in Littlehampton in Sussex, England, migrating to Australia during his childhood. Over several books of poetry his work developed in an 'experimental' direction unusual in Australian poetry, owing partly to his interest in translation. Indeed he has translated a volume, Elegies, of the contemporary French poet Emmanuel Hocquard. However since the 1990s he has concentrated on producing novels.
His work has won him the Victorian Premier's Award twice, in 1986 and again in 1994. The collection of novellas What I Have Written has been filmed from his own screenplay and he has been translated into French, German and Slovenian. He has taught in the Faculty of Creative Arts at Wollongong University but now writes full-time.
Scott was born in Littlehampton in Sussex, England, migrating to Australia during his childhood. Over several books of poetry his work developed in an 'experimental' direction unusual in Australian poetry, owing partly to his interest in translation. Indeed he has translated a volume, Elegies, of the contemporary French poet Emmanuel Hocquard. However since the 1990s he has concentrated on producing novels.
His work has won him the Victorian Premier's Award twice, in 1986 and again in 1994. The collection of novellas What I Have Written has been filmed from his own screenplay and he has been translated into French, German and Slovenian. He has taught in the Faculty of Creative Arts at Wollongong University but now writes full-time.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 18, 2011
Andrew Martin is a feted young Australian architect who jumps when given the chance to spend time in Berlin with his idol, the elderly Johannes Von Ruhland. Martin’s idolatry turns to love almost as soon as he lays eyes on Von Ruhland. As the pair’s relationship grows more intimate, Von Ruhland reveals a dark secret and presents Martin with a proposition that requires the younger man’s absolute trust.
The Architect has an interesting central idea that is defeated, before one even arrives at it, by a poorly realised plot. We are meant to believe that Martin, an accomplished architect in his own right, has long been convinced of Von Ruhland’s genius – even though Martin has never seen one of the man’s designs. What is more, Martin is a happily married heterosexual thirty-something, but when he first meets Von Ruhland, a man in his mid-seventies, Martin has to fight the urge to kiss the man passionately. There are more such preposterous leaps. Together they rob the novel of any suspense it might have had.
Scott’s spare, cold style lends itself to the taut, disturbing atmosphere he is aiming for, but his efforts are undermined by the aforementioned narrative failures, by some awkward dialogue, and by moments of bad diction (“windows drenched in elaborate dressings”; “Ryo’s cellular phone clarioned”; “slow-moving like an exotic caravan, came a trail of prostitutes, their bodies swaying as if with some arcane affliction brought on by an excess of portrayed desire”). Given the above examples, one wonders whether Scott’s lean style is simply the corollary of his weak descriptive powers.
The Architect is not without merit, and rewritten it could make an engrossing film – but not in Scott’s hands. It’s hard to believe that this novel was shortlisted for Australia’s most prestigious literary prize.
The Architect has an interesting central idea that is defeated, before one even arrives at it, by a poorly realised plot. We are meant to believe that Martin, an accomplished architect in his own right, has long been convinced of Von Ruhland’s genius – even though Martin has never seen one of the man’s designs. What is more, Martin is a happily married heterosexual thirty-something, but when he first meets Von Ruhland, a man in his mid-seventies, Martin has to fight the urge to kiss the man passionately. There are more such preposterous leaps. Together they rob the novel of any suspense it might have had.
Scott’s spare, cold style lends itself to the taut, disturbing atmosphere he is aiming for, but his efforts are undermined by the aforementioned narrative failures, by some awkward dialogue, and by moments of bad diction (“windows drenched in elaborate dressings”; “Ryo’s cellular phone clarioned”; “slow-moving like an exotic caravan, came a trail of prostitutes, their bodies swaying as if with some arcane affliction brought on by an excess of portrayed desire”). Given the above examples, one wonders whether Scott’s lean style is simply the corollary of his weak descriptive powers.
The Architect is not without merit, and rewritten it could make an engrossing film – but not in Scott’s hands. It’s hard to believe that this novel was shortlisted for Australia’s most prestigious literary prize.
January 15, 2019
Profound. What does it mean to really love God? What does it mean to really love? What is he cost? is it worth it? with the book of job as the stated backdrop, this book still took me by surprise.
June 26, 2020
The story started out well but ended up depressing me with the bitterness than ensued.
August 12, 2007
Holy crap, this book was intense. It's about a young architect who meets his idol, an older, German architect, and what happens because of their relationship. It's a very short novel, and well-written in that no word is wasted, and it's tone... well, it reminded me of The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dracula. I thought it was gothic and dark, and I don't think I understood it completely, but happily, the author is coming to class on Tuesday to discuss.
November 25, 2017
Speechless at the ending of this book. This is one I am going to have to sit on for a while to give a final rating. I both hated and loved it and the twist, well you'll have to read it/ listen to it as I did and tell me what you think.
March 29, 2021
The Biblical quotation prefacing the novel gave a sense of literary clout the author's own writing could not support. Although at times, there is a pleasing level of detail, the majority of the book seems to skim the surface of its landscape and characters. Plot points, which hinge upon character interaction, happen without any of the character development required to make them believable or poignant, and the dialogue veers from unsubstantiated to comic.
October 29, 2019
This unassuming book by an unknown (to me) author was a delightful surprise. It was a well written story about relationships and betrayals and the nature of love. The only thing that spoiled it for me was the ending which I didn't like or understand.
April 10, 2020
It could have been so much more, loved idea but not executed to my taste.
March 25, 2016
Disturbing.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews