Writing about music is like…
There’s some quote (I can’t remember who said it) that goes something like writing about music is like dancing about architecture. It’s a good point, but this hasn’t stopped fiction writers though.
I recently finished the novel, Half-Blood Blues, by Canadian writer Esi Edugyan. It won the Giller and was shortlisted for the Booker. It tells the story of a group of jazz musicians in Berlin and Paris during the Second World War, complete with a cameo from Louis Armstrong.
As a music snob, I can say Edugyan knows her stuff. The novel is far from alone when it comes to delving into the musical world. Here’s a sampling of some of the fiction books I’ve read over the years, so if you’re looking for something to read this summer, maybe crack one or two of them open:
Great Jones Street – Don DeLillo might have been one of the first writers to seriously tackle rock and roll. His third novel centres on jaded rocker Bucky Wunderlick, a character with a passing resemblance to Bob Dylan that’s hauled up in a New York apartment. Much of the plot centres around drug experiments, communes and the status of the protagonist’s unreleased Mountain Tapes.
Hard Core Logo – Michael Turner’s novel follows the exploits of the punk rock band that gives the book its name, as it threatens to burn itself out at both ends. It was later turned into a film by director Bruce McDonald, though the book ended on a more ambiguous note than the movie.
A Visit from the Goon Squad – There’s some debate as to whether Jennifer Egan’s Pulitzer winner is a novel of loosely linked chapters, each from a different character’s point of view, or a book of connected short stories. No matter, it’s a worthwhile read. As it jumps around in time as well as a place, it tells us the stories of an aging music industry executive, his assistant, musicians and others in their spheres. There’s even one section that lists off the greatest pauses in rock songs. I listened to an interview with Egan in which she confessed that she wasn’t a music geek. She could’ve fooled me. Apparently, HBO has the rights to turn it into a series. Looking forward to it.
The Commitments – Oddly enough, I’ve never seen the movie but have read Roddy Doyle’s dialogue-heavy tale of two friends that put together a band with the goal of bring soul to Dublin. The story follows the usual tensions among members, all while trying to get a record out. Nothing unexpected here, but an entertaining read.
Whale Music – The late Paul Quarrington wrote this tale of reclusive rocker Desmond Howl, who bears more than a passing resemblance to Brian Wilson. Howl has tuned the world out since the death of his brother and spends his days composing music for whales. When a mysterious woman shows up at his house though, he just may face redemption. The Rheostatics named their masterpiece after the book, and when it was adapted for the screen, they performed the soundtrack.
High Fidelity – No list would be complete without a nod to the music obsessives in the retail trenches. First, there’s Dead Rock Stars by my pal Wes Funk, and Michael Chabon’s latest, Telegraph Avenue, which I haven’t read yet but sounds interesting. Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity though is the most obvious example of a book about a person that perhaps loves music a little too much. It chronicles the story of an aging man-boy whose life could best be measured in mixed tapes and break-ups with girlfriends. The movie version was pretty close to the book, though with the obvious change of Chicago standing in for London.