Night Falls on the City: The Lost Masterpiece of Wartime Vienna by Sarah Gainham Abacus, 2012, 632 pages, $17.99                                                             Emblazoned on the cover is the quote, “A rare novel of beauty, scope and ambition”. Hmm, my first thought was, a novel, decorated stories. About such a topic? Sniffy me. Second thought came hot upon: where would we be without the novel? Of course there is history—records, recollections, experiences—all essential bones of the past—but what puts the flesh on those bones and makes them again a living body? Narrative: song and story. Characters that speak and weep. From Homer to David…