Paolo Maurensig's first novel, The Lneberg Variation, was hailed worldwide as an immediate classic. Now Canone Inverso-the classic tale of the doppelgänger reimagined-has confirmed Maurensig's reputation as a modern master.

In an isolated Austrian music school in the 1930s, two boys, each struggling with the burden of talent and the curse of obsession, become locked in a complex friendship. The key to their bond lies in the secret of a beautiful, strangely carved violin. As their lives unfold through the most violent decades of this century, the two become companions, rivals, and, inevitably, lethal enemies. With Canone Inverso, Paolo Maurensig delivers a powerful metaphysical thriller, culminating in a devastating finale.