An Equal Music
Vikram Seth
A book about a musician living in London who re-kindles an old
relationship with a woman he knew many years before when he was
studying music on the continent. The woman has a secret and a
family, and the end is rather predictable from quite early on.
The book attempts to get the reader inside a musician's mind,
but it doesn't really succeed - very much a case of standing
outside looking in and imagining what it's like to be inside
looking out. Or so it seemed.
The main character is not particularly likeable or credible,
and one of fiction's most improbable coincidences returns a lost
recording of a long-lost quintet to him. His obsession with the
woman and his handling of it does him little credit, and is not
especially believable. The most attractive thing about him is his
love for his borrowed violin, and the most poignant parts of the
book are those dealing with musicians looking for, losing or
gaining their instruments.
The book was a disappointment after A Suitable Boy. It reads
as if Vikram Seth cast around for a non-Indian subject to write
about, and chose western classical music as a deliberate
contrast. Whereas A Suitable Boy left the reader saddened, almost
bereaved, by its ending the end of An Equal Music was really a
bit of a relief.
Not a bad book but very far from being a great book.
Seán 13/6/99
Doreen liked this book and said that it marked a real contrast to
her other choice, Tulip Fever. The writing was very delicate and
dealt very well with its subjects of adultery and music. The main
character of the book is a violinist in a string quartet who has
lost the love of his life. The story deals well with his regrets.
Doreen recommended ‘An Equal Music’ as a
worthwhile read.
Doreen 13/2/00
Gill enjoyed this a lot and found it really compelling. She
thought it very emotional and felt for the main character.
Gill 20/04/00
Andrew quite enjoyed this and conceded that it might be an
accurate portrayal of the lives of classical musicians. However,
he found all of the characters (bar one) very unlikeable,
especially the pompous leading man and this was an obstacle to
his full appreciation of the book.
Andrew 20/04/00
This was spectacularly bad (Doreen and Gill strongly disagreed).
The narrator was unpleasant and pompous. The deaf pianist was a
complete cliché.
Bob 14/9/03
The frames have
gone all funny - click to make it good.