Nicholas Christopher is the author of six novels, The Soloist, Veronica, A Trip to the Stars, Franklin Flyer, The Bestiary, and Tiger Rag; eight books of poetry, On Tour with Rita, A Short History of the Island of Butterflies, Desperate Characters- A Novella in Verse, In the Year of the Comet, 5 ĚŠ, The Creation of the Night Sky, Atomic Field, and Crossing the Equator- New & Selected Poems, 1972-2004; a nonfiction book, Somewhere in the Night- Film Noir & the American City; and a novel for children, The True Adventures of Nicolo Zen. He lives in New York City.
"An old-fashioned, romantic, and thoroughly enjoyable story about a
self-obsessed concert pianist... great fun."
"There is an imaginative verve in Christopher's storytelling, which
takes the plot on several unexpected turns... The depiction of the
world of a virtuoso performer--the tensions and doubts, the rigor
and intensive self-scrutiny--ultimately provides Christopher with a
potent metaphor for dealing with questions of authenticity and
sincerity, intimacy, love, and eroticism. Through this metaphor,
the novel achieves a depth and poignancy."
"An old-fashioned, romantic, and thoroughly enjoyable story about a
self-obsessed concert pianist... great fun."
"There is an imaginative verve in Christopher's storytelling, which
takes the plot on several unexpected turns... The depiction of the
world of a virtuoso performer--the tensions and doubts, the rigor
and intensive self-scrutiny--ultimately provides Christopher with a
potent metaphor for dealing with questions of authenticity and
sincerity, intimacy, love, and eroticism. Through this metaphor,
the novel achieves a depth and poignancy."
Another novel of midlife crisis. Max Randal, a world-famous concert pianist who hasn't performed in four years, is holed up in Boston, ``a deadbeat city,'' practicing for a comeback tour. Max has problems. He fears his playing has turned mediocre. His current girl friend wants to move in, his illegitimate daughter has been dumped on him for the summer, and his first ex-wife has arrived at a Boston hospital dying from a rare tropical disease. In New York after some steamy sex in a jacuzzi his second ex-wife announces they should remarry. Throughout, Max ponders his capacity for love and the connection between music and the erotic life. At the end, triumphant at Carnegie Hall, he finds himself alone and realizes that in life as in art he is a soloist. A novel that tries hard to be very seriousquoting Byron, Kierkegaard, and even Epicurusbut doesn't succeed. Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
