Music in novels - please recommend

[barbara0207]

Hi everyone,
I was wondering if any of you could recommend a novel in which music/a musician plays a big part. So far I have read two German novels in that line (Schlafes Bruder and Der Kontrabass). Can you think of a novel in English? Thank you for your help.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Well, there's Dr Faustus by Thomas Mann in which the main character, I believe, was modelled after Arnold Schoenberg

[barbara0207]

OOps, forgot that one. But it's German, too, and I'd like something in English. But thank you all the same, Prince. You reminded me to reread it. :D

[Scharphedin2]

Hi everyone,
I was wondering if any of you could recommend a novel in which music/a musician plays a big part. So far I have read two German novels in that line (Schlafes Bruder and Der Kontrabass). Can you think of a novel in English? Thank you for your help.


Two other great German (German language) novels centered around musicians come immediately to mind - Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus and Hermann Hesse's Gertrude.

I am sure there must be many novels in the English language on and about music and musicians, but the only American novel that I can readily think of at this late hour is Great Jones Street by Don DeLillo. Contrary to the two German novels, both of which are concerned with classical music/musicians, Delillo's novel is contemporary of the '70s, and is all about the mythology of rock and roll, and has a Jim Morrison type rock star for its hero.

[barbara0207]

I'll certainly have a look at DeLillo. I've never read anything by him. Thanks.

[Charles Darnay]

There's always Phantom of the Opera.

[BunnySummers]

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett is a riveting read. I couldn't put the thing down.

[Mark F.]

High Fidelity by what's his name? Nick Hornby. His only good novel. Nothing to do with Mann or Hesse but good stuff with as many references to pop music as you're likely to see.

[nps_marina]

An Equal Music by Vikram Seth. It's the love story between a violinist and a pianist, and there's LOADS of music in there.
I myself didn't really like the book, but I also know of people who loved it...
Just make sure you have Schubert's 'Trout' at your house before you start reading it- it's all over the book and naturally you'll itch for listening to it.

[Whifflingpin]

Napoleon Symphony - Anthony Burgess.

"Anthony Burgess believes that in the fusion of musical and literary form lies a possible future for the novel. His 'Napoleon Symphony' attempts to impose the shape of Beethoven's 'Eroica' on the career of the Corsican conqueror."

[barbara0207]

Sorry I didn't reply before; I had some difficulty with my internet access.
There are very interesting suggestions, thank you very much. (I was quite surprised how many of these books I had already read! :blush: :D ) I think I'll go to Amazon right away for the other books.

By the way, I didn't specify what I was really after. Music shouldn't justn be in there, but should play an important part. Example: What fascinated me about "Schlafes Bruder" was the description of the main character playing the organ.
He is able to tell a real story with his music, making the audience feel whatever he wants them to feel. I thought I could hear the organ playing. I never really felt like that before. Perhaps your suggested books can bring a similar fascination, so thanks again.

But I still want more... :D

[Mark F.]

Maybe Julien Gracq's short story "King Cophetua". It's very well written. The story is about a young pianist who's invited to a friend's house (also a pianist) during the fist world war. When he gets there his friend hasn't arrived, he's manning an aircraft and because of storms probably couldn't get back from the front. Music serves as a link between thses two men.

[Derringer]

A love story from Habana by Oscar Hijeulos. I may have the title wrong, haven't read it in a while.

[JBI]

Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice. Don't particularly care for this author, but the books is about castrates in the Italian opera.

[frozenlight]

jack kerouak's "on the road" features some of the most vivid passages focusing on jazz performances i've ever read. one of the main reasons why i liked the book.

[barbara0207]

Thanks all of you. It seems I'll have a very busy summer. :D

[BroadwayBaby]

Actually I went to a used bookstore and was just browsing when I found a young adult novel called "The Mozart Season" I read about it and it sounded interesting, so I bought it for like $2... it turned out to be one of my favorite books I have ever read :D , I think it's really just written for musicians, because I think a lot of others would find it dull... it's amazing... about an aspiring violinist who ends up a finalist in a prestigeous contest, and how she spends the summer preparing for the concert... it was just awesome, and the feelings are portrayed so well, I read it in one day, and when the pressure started building during the concert I just would get really worked up, have to stop reading for a few minutes and start again every little while because I understood it all too well... what was really neat is every time she mentions having trouble on a part of the piece, they'd show a couple measures of the piece to show what she's talking about... I highly suggest it to musicians because it's just so real, but others I also suggest it to because it's awesome, but it may be more boring because you may not understand the surge of feelings going along with playing as well as musicians do... (btw. it's by Virginia Euwer Wolff)

[barbara0207]

That sounds very good to me, BB. I don't play the violin, only the guitar (not too well, too) but I love Mozart, so I think I'll have a go at it. Thanks.

[katie9trent]

The movie "Phantom of the Opera" is a short novel. By Gaston Leroux. But in the movie the music makes the movie come alive and touch your soul. Sorry thats all I can think of.

[BroadwayBaby]

I play Clarinet, piano and flute, but alas no violin (I wish I could afford a violin but as it is I need a new keyboard) but the emotions, I felt were kind of universally a musician thing (don't know about nonmusicians)

[Skipping Record]

Gertrude by Herman Hesse. I'm in the middle of it now.

[barbara0207]

Gertrude by Herman Hesse. I'm in the middle of it now.

Generally, I don't like Hesse too much. But I don't know Gertrude. What is it about? What do you like about it?

[Slangalang18ca]

"Sarah" by Margaret Harmon Bro is a coming of age story of a concert pianist who lives during the time period of WWI.