'Musical' Novels

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 02:57 PM

Funny this thread should pop up today. A friend dropped in this morning and told us about Sharyn McCrumb's "ballad novels." She mentioned Songcatcher, Rosewood Casket, Ballad of Frankie Silver, and She Walks These Hills, and something about "Peggy-O." Any others?
Anybody have a favorite McCrumb novel they can recommend to me?
Hey, there's another coincidence - see my note above.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 01:46 PM

My mother Dahlov Ipcar wrote two novels that seem to fit in here. THE QUEEN OF SPELLS is largely based on the old Scottish Ballad "Tam Lin" and A DARK HORN BLOWING is based on elements in the Child ballads "The Queen of Elfan's Nourice" and "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight." Both are now out of print but can usually be purchased from the used books websites.

More about Dahlov Ipcar and her work can be accessed from her website:Click Here!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 12 Jan 04 - 09:42 PM

Saw this thread pop up on one of my occasional wanders through...

I just read Sharon McCrumb's "Songcatcher" (no relation to the movie, I believe). The search for a long-lost ballad (which McCrumb actually wrote for the book) is central to the story.

Another story I have looking around (and this one's difficult to find) is Poul Anderson's novella "World Without Stars". There's a song called "Mary O'Meara" whose lyrics crop up verse by verse as the story unfolds. For those of you in FSGW-land, it's one of the songs I sang when I hosted the "Songs From Literary Sources" Open Sing last year.

I could probably find more SF with musical bits if I went and trolled my bookshelves...

-- Gary

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Burke
Date: 12 Jan 04 - 06:19 PM

There's link to help with finding the next book in a series in one of the old messages that no longer works.

Here's the current link: What's next

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Burke
Date: 12 Jan 04 - 06:10 PM

I picked up R.A. MacAvoy's Damiano trilogy at a book sale last fall. Damiano is a lute player/witch being taught by the angel Raphael during the time of the plague. I'm beginning the third book & was wondering about other books with music as a central theme. I knew it had to be an old topic!

I've read a lot of these, but see several I'm going to try to get.

Any more?

The Damiano trilogy is: Damiano -- Damiano's lute -- Raphael. It has also been reissued as: A Trio for Lute.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Alice
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 12:18 AM

Ely, you would like "Under the Greenwood Tree", another by Thomas Hardy. If you go back earlier on this thread, you will find a message I posted describing it.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Ely
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 08:49 PM

If you can handle Victorian stuff, Thomas Hardy used a lot of old songs in his stuff (the two novels in particular that come to mind are _Tess of the d'Urbervilles_ and _Far From the Madding Crowd_). Personally, I'm a bigger fan of _Madding Crowd_. There is a great 1967 movie version of it starring Alan Bates and Julie Christie, which includes "Bushes and Briars", "One Morning in May"/"Bold Grenadier" (some version of that song), "Harvest Home", "Soldier's Joy", and a lovely tune that I've only found as an untitled "Dorset Four-Hand Reel". Not all of the tunes are mentioned in the novel, but there is enough talk of music in it that it's certainly no stretch to put them in the movie.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: GUEST,Marion
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 07:19 PM

Those who enjoy Cape Breton music might like the book "No Great Mischief" by Alistair McLeod.

And here's another vote for Michener's "Drifters"; some 60's music references, and quite a lot on Child ballads.

Marion

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 12 Nov 00 - 12:31 AM

I just found "The Phantom Banjo" the first in Elisabeth Scarborough's Songkiller Series in a used book store today. I read the back cover and just had to have it! It is almost too prophetic, given the attacks on Mudcat and the oral tradition in general by ASCAP, Harry Fox and the music industry overall.

From the Cover:

"The Mankind Project was going pretty well, thought the devils. Raila strife: up. Poverty and homelessness: up. Moreal decay: way up. Mistrust of government: off the scale. But despite their best efforts, those ornery humans still managed to avoid destroying themselves. The devils had been waiting for the Big One for years, but every time it seem to be just round the corner, phht: nothing.

Ehsy in Hell was the problem? After much research, it became clear that only one thing was keeping mankind's fingers clinging to the precipice - music ! And not just any music - the devils quite liked some of the popular stuff= but FOLK MUSIC: the songs people sang when they were stranded in dust bowls, chained in slavery, working in dank and dangerous mines; the songs that gave oeople the strength to carry on.

The answer was clear: Folk music had to go. The devils didn't think it would be too hard. A few bureaucrates, a few licensing laws, a few well-timed accidents, and folk music would be musical history. One by one the performers, and worse, the songs would disappear. But the devils hadn't counted on the power of the music, the strength of the human spirit- or the magic that lay inside one enchanted banjo..."

Just my type of book!!!!

JAB

p.s. Kat: thanks for the reviews above!

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: wysiwyg
Date: 16 Jun 00 - 07:57 AM

What about our own Mudcat Tavern Enterprise?????

Somebuddy clicky that pleeze!!

~S~

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: GUEST,Nikki
Date: 15 Jun 00 - 10:25 AM

I heartily second many of the recommendations made here. Also want to mention Lee Smith's "The Devil's Dream." It's available in paperback and from libraries. Tells the story (family saga type) of a country-western/bluegrass singing family with perhaps some similarities to the Carter family, but it is not a roman a clef. All her books are good and as I recall probably have music in them somewhere as they are mostly set in the Southern mountains.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 03:57 PM

I really enjoyed De Lint's 'Trader' where the central characters are a Luthier and Singer/Songwriter. Some really neat musical references.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 03:32 PM

Both Niven and Brin (sci-fi authors with dashes of anthropology/psycholinguistics/societal follow-through, I recommend everything they've written, pretty much) have folksinging characters, and people who sing to themselves out among the stars and aliens, and so on. Also Spider Robinson. Niven and Robinson also have lots of stories set in bars (I especially like Niven's bar where there are little sparkling electrical discharge things for the aliens who get drunk on electricity), and a lot of people singing in the bars. Between drinks. And jokes.

But I don't know yet if there is a real connection between phoakies and scifis, as someone earlier asked...

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Hollowfox
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 03:24 PM

Midnight Hour Encores is by Bruce Brooks (Harper & Row, 1986). Enjoy.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 07:20 AM

Salman Rushdie's 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet'

Toni Morrison's 'Jazz'

Personally I found E. Annie Proulx's 'Accordian Crimes' really funny, each death got progressively more unlikely or more tragic - it's a fine line between tragedy and comedy. There again perhaps it was just me!

On balance, I think 'Bound For Glory' is more fiction than fact, but probably tells you more about Woody because of this.

Brian

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 06:47 PM

Frank Conroy, who I believe is a pianist himself, wrote a novel "Body and Soul," about a classical piano-playing prodigy. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it. I never finished it, finding most of the characters bland and uninteresting-with the exception of the hero's mother, who is an agoraphobic former cab driver.

John B. Keane's "The Bodhran Makers" sounds intriguing. I have the book, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I just now found this blurb on Barnes & Noble's website, bn.com, and it has piqued my interest:

"Synopsis: This novel is set in rural Ireland in the 1950s. Canon Tett, the parish priest, mounts a campaign against the ancient holiday of Wren Day, celebrated by Wrenboys marching over the countryside playing music led by the bodhran (a drum), and collecting donations to finance the wrendance. A party involving music, dancing, and drinking, the wrendance is the only entertainment all year for most Dirrabeg residents, but to Canon Tett it is wicked and sinful."

Keane also wrote "The Field" which was made into a movie.

Roddy Doyle's "The Commitments" was a novel before it was a movie. I haven't read the book, but I loved the movie.

Ciaran Carson's "Last Night's Fun" isn't a novel-it's actually a book of essays all centered around Irish music-but it contains some fine writing. I highly recommend it.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Jeri
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 06:33 PM

Kira, I'm not sure darkriver is still around, but I believe the threads he said the songs were in are:
Naughty kids'greatest hits Naughty kids' greatest hits II Hope this helps. If you need more info, ask and we'll give it our best shot.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Wesley S
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 05:53 PM

I'm glad that Millring mentioned "Cold Mountain". Tim O'Brien released a CD with the songs mentioned in the book. There is some great fiddle and clawhammer banjo on it.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: GUEST,Millring
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 07:32 AM

A folk music discussion about books that doesn't yet include Cold Mountain. One of the main characters is redeemed by his fiddle music. Beautiful story to get lost in, easy read!

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Gervase
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 05:23 AM

James Joyce was no mean tenor, and music fills his work, from his early Chamber Music, through The Dead and Ulysses to Finnegans Wake. I know people regard Joyce as daunting, but when read aloud there's no mistaking the musical influence. For a darned good essay on music in Joyce's work, take a look at this

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Wavestar
Date: 12 Jun 00 - 11:44 PM

I think it's so marvelous that every single book I thought of to mention when I read the first posting on this thread had already been mentioned by the time I got to the bottom, and now I have lots more lovely recommendations to read!

I was going to mention Charles de Lint (who may be getting darker, but at least he's got good causes he fights for), Orson Scott Card's Songmaster, R.A. McAvoy, who also wrote the Damiano series, about a young musician who is taught by an angel, and even Anne McCaffery's Dragonsinger series... which actually, I find to be her least irritatingly formula and sweet books. The Crystal Line books, and the Ship Who books were good for the first couple. I don't remember the author either, but Midnight Hour Encores I remember from when I was in elementary school... I do recommend it. I've thought of others, but they've slipped from my mind as I ponder what I read... perhaps I'll think of them again later.

I'm delighted to hear that Emma Bull has written a book... I'm a great fan of the Flash Girls, which I'd like to hope that many of you are familiar with... If you aren't, you should be!

A wonderful thread, thanks.

-Jessica

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Callie
Date: 12 Jun 00 - 06:53 PM

Brian McLaverty's "Grace Notes" Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity" Carson McCullers' "Wunderkind" (short story) Josef Skvorecki's "The Bass Saxophone" Venero Armanno's "Strange Rain"

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: SDShad
Date: 12 Jun 00 - 02:23 PM

Then there's R. A. MacAvoy's two books featuring a Zen Buddhist Irish-American fiddler who has a romance with a Chinese dragon in human form--who joins her band on keyboards!--"Tea With the Black Dragon," and "Twisting the Rope (Casadh an T'Sugain)," which takes its title from one of my favorite Bothy Band tunes....

Just the thing who like a little eastern mysticism with their folk.

Chris

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From:
Date: 12 Jun 00 - 10:44 AM

Where did you say you found the music for Borstal Boy? I'm working on a production and stymied on some of these tunes.... ANY help is welcome.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Frank Hamilton
Date: 02 Oct 99 - 01:46 PM

Finnegan's Wake.

"Quiet Flows the Don" my Michail Sholokov which contain the lyrics that Pete Seeger used to fashion "Where Have All the Flowers Gone".

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Rosebrook
Date: 02 Oct 99 - 10:57 AM

With all the mention of series in this thread, I am reminded that the question may come up, "What order are the books in such-and-such series?" and I wanted to share this site:

http://www.kentlibrary.lib.mi.us/whats_next.htm

If you enter the author's last name, it will produce a list of all that author's series works in the order it was meant to be read. You can also search by book title or series title.

I have found it to be a helpful tool, although it is very fussy (my best success is in searching by author, last name only, all capital letters), and the databank has some glaring ommissions.

Though not all of her work is focused on music, I want to mention Gael Baudino as a fantasy author to check out. The author herself is a harp player, and her books are definately fantasy genre with a leaning towards wiccan magic and female empowerment. Her book Gossamer Axe is about a 500 year old Celtic harper who is displaced in the 1980's and becomes a heavy metal guitar player, blending elements of music from ancient Ireland. Either you love it or you hate it. I think she's great for a fast, fun read.

Rose

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: sophocleese
Date: 01 Oct 99 - 02:40 PM

For more teenaged readers there is a trio of books by K.M. Peyton about a young man, Patrick Pennington, with a gift for the piano. I read them years ago.

Patricia McKillip writes beautifully and uses stories and themes from ballads. I've been a fan of hers for years.

I would like to add my voice to lamarca's in recommending Tanya Huff. I just finished her latest, The Quartered Sea, I didn't do anything else until I had read it cover to cover.

I'm sure there's more that I could think of over the next couple of days but those are the ones off the top of my head.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: T in Oklahoma (a.k.a. Okiemockbird)
Date: 01 Oct 99 - 01:53 PM

Nice thread.

Besides some of the books already mentioned, I have enjoyed Modesitt's The Soprano Sorceress and The Spellsong War. A sequel, Darksong Rising is theoretically in the works.

Teen fiction with a musical backdrop that I have enjoyed: a novel called Midnight Hour Encores. I have forgotten the author. The protagonist is a cello player.

Okiemockbird (a.k.a. T in Oklahoma)

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: lamarca
Date: 01 Oct 99 - 01:07 PM

Before she started writing the Brother Cadfael novels, the late Ellis Peters (Dame Edith Pargeter) wrote a slew of mysteries about CID Inspector George Felse and his family. My favorite was "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Heart", which takes place at an English folk festival,in which the mystery's plot is that of a Child ballad (I won't spoil it by saying which one). She was a music scholar, so several of her earlier mysteries are from the world of classical music - "Funeral of Figaro" is about the murder of a loathsome tenor; the heroine is a young woman getting her start in opera by playing all the famous transvestite roles, starting with Cherubino..."The Horn of Roland" is another. All fine books.

Madeleine L'Engle wrote two fine adult novels about a concert pianist at different points in her life, "The Small Rain" and "A Severed Wasp", both of which deal strongly with faith and music.

For fantasies, another fine Canadian author is Tanya Huff, who has several novels about bards who can "sing" the powers in the elemental quarters, earth, air, fire, water and spirit.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Terry Dawson
Date: 01 Oct 99 - 12:57 PM

My favorite Charles DeLint is "The Little Country", where the protagonist are a piper and a concertina player. Contains wonderful original tunes. I also agree that Wellman's "Silver John" books are a delight.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 01 Oct 99 - 08:46 AM

I read some James Lee Burke on holiday (I'd only known his Dave Robichaux detective novels before), frequent evocations of Woody, Leadbelly etc, his heroes all love slide guitar.
Also Scott Lee, a new name for me, even wove the death of Blind Blake into a very Blake Morrison-ish plot.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 07 Sep 99 - 12:44 AM

I really loved some of DeLint's descriptions of the magic of music in Into the Green, Moonheart, and his other novels and short stories. It seems his more recent writings have become darker. It's a pity.

Ellen Guon collaborated with Mercedes Lackey to write "Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" and "Summoned to Tourney". She published a prequel called Bedlam Boyz on the same subject.

Mercedes Lackey also wrote the Bardic Voices and Bardic Choices books. Great stuff which includes The Lark and the Wren, Teh Robin and The Kestrel, A Cast of Corbies, and at least one more.

L.E. Modesitt is in the middle of putting out a new series about an opera singer who gets transferred to another universe where music is Magic. There are two so far, the Soprano Sorceress, and the Spellsong War. The first one was great, the second started to become more formulaic towards the end.

If you like puns there is the SpellSinger series by Alan Dean Foster.

Not in Sci Fi and Fantasy I really liked the Devil's Dream by Lee Smith. It seems to be loosely modelled after the Carter Family. She is a good "southern writer"

JAB

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Jen
Date: 06 Sep 99 - 09:05 PM

Oh, yes, DeLint is good. (Moonheart wasn't his first book, btw, at least I don't think it was. He wrote under another name also, like Dean Koontz.)

The Songkiller books are out of print, but you can probably find them online somewhere. I read the first one and half the second, and never did get to find out what happened.

Another suggestion, and only a suggestion, would be Knight of Ghosts and Shadows by Mercedes Lackey and someone else (can't remember the other person's name right offhand.) There is a series, and they were cute.

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (magic and music there, I read mostly fantasy, good book!)

And Manly Wade Wellman--well, I have all but one of the Silver John books, and reread them at least twice a year. I love those books. Still find duplicate copies occasionally, too.

I'm sure I'll think of more, so I'll post them when I think of them.

Just got back from the RenFaire and I'm tiiiirrrrrreeeedddddddd

Jen

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Frank Hamilton
Date: 06 Sep 99 - 08:14 PM

That is Berney and Richardson, Jose Quintero and witch craft although it was done with craft, too. Sorry about the typos.

Frank

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Frank Hamilton
Date: 06 Sep 99 - 10:32 AM

Do plays count? "Dark of The Moon" by Rerney and Richardson was the first off-Broadway production at Circle-In-The-Square directed by Jowe Quintero. It's about withcraft, Appalachian folklore and features some of the traditional ballads and folksongs in the show.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Sep 99 - 11:07 PM

Not a novel; but Fiona MacLeod's collection of short stories "Under the Dark Star" is certainly worth looking at: especially "The Dan-Nan-Ron" (Dance of the Seals).

Subject: RE: 'Musical' literature and film
From: Philippa
Date: 05 Sep 99 - 01:47 PM

What about novels, plays and films that are based directly on songs - and vice versa. I heard that Woody Guthrie composed "Tom Joad" after seeing the film based on the Steinbeck novel "Grapes of Wrath". And that the melodramatic ballad "Gill Morice", which is in the DT database, was staged as a play (I'd like more details).

I have more knowledge of songs in Irish and Scottish Gaelic: Ailein Duinn (in the DT) was the basis of a radio play and I think it was on the live stage also. A' Bhean Eudach (one women drowns another woman because of jealousy) and Caoinneadh Art Uí Laoghaire (widow's lament) inspired short films. An Mhaighdean Mhara was retold as a novelette by Cliodhna Cussen and is the subject of a play and arts exhibition to be staged this month by school children in Conamara.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Philippa
Date: 05 Aug 99 - 02:56 AM

aye, Kat, I've heard it that way also.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Aug 99 - 11:53 PM

Phillipa, that Flowing Bowl reminds me of a slightly different version we used to sing, that went like:

Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Until it doth run over
REPEAT
For tonight we'll merry be
DITTO
DITTO
Tomorrow we'll be sober/single.

Stevet: which deLint do you not like? I haven't read all of them, but really enjoyed all that I have.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: steve t
Date: 04 Aug 99 - 10:26 AM

I loved "Songmaster" by Orson Scott Card. It's sci-fantasy. The last part, about the former "songbird" as an old man will live forever in mind.

Kim Stanley Robinson wrote The Memory of Whiteness. Science-fiction. Mathematical music is the theme. Not as fun, but quite interesting.

A note for people interested in DeLint. He had nine? unpublished novels when he got Moonheart published. Most of the unpublished novels then got published. Some are crap. Choose carefully.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels -AUTOCORRECTION
From: Philippa
Date: 04 Aug 99 - 10:05 AM

I meant McCOURT; Frank McGuinness is a playwright

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Philippa
Date: 04 Aug 99 - 08:21 AM

I just finished reading a novel set in Rathlin Island (off the north coast of Ireland), "Truth in the Night" by Michael McLaverty. Like the McGuinness and Behan books mentioned in this thread, the McLaverty novel isn't ABOUT music, but songs and tunes and dances and instruments are frequently mentioned as a feature in island life. (McLaverty mentions a couple of poems and books and a Shakespeare play as well) There were a few verses quoted in the novel. Here's two I'm not familiar with:
Come, my love, and let us roam
Through the towns and across the foam.
East and west we'll travel together,
Bracelets and silver and fine new leather -
Oh - roh - oh roh -oh - roo
I'm the man to buckle your shoe.

The Flowing Bowl

No nor anyone it may control
Keep me from the flowing bowl.
When I'm single, single I'm free
Love, love, love will never conquer me

also a couple of titles: "The Prodigal's Return" ( a version of the Wild Rover?); I have a notion he mentions a song called "Raheny Pilgrim" or something like that, but I can't find the reference now and I mistrust my memory.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Susan of DT
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 09:08 PM

Michener had several ballads in The Drifters. A lot of fantasy novels include bards. Besides Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey has a series on Free Bards (I prefer her other books), Morgan Llewellyn has a book titled Bard, and Tom Dietz often has music plying a role in some of his VERY strange books.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: marion
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 03:53 PM

sorry, I'll try that link again:

Music in literature

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: marion
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 03:52 PM

Here's a thread I started awhile back, asking what literary works/scenes people have found to be inspiring musically:

Music in literature

I'll refresh it as well.

Love, Marion

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 10:01 AM

Reminds me of Bruce Chatwin's Songlines which is a good read, but is completely inaccurate about songlines. Might get you interested in the real story, however.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Philippa
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 09:49 AM

Quoted from http://www.folkworld.de/10/e/murray.html :
In 1993, Neil Murray wrote a novel called 'Sing for me Countryman'. This semi-autobiographical story follows a young white man as he heads for the outback, searching for himself and a sense of connection with his country. He feels that the key to his puzzle can be unlocked by the Aboriginal people. Through the formation of a musical group he explores black and white relationships, and finally achieves a remarkable bonding which transcends all racial divides. Cathy Bell reports.: in Folkworld, mostly on Neil Murray's band Warumpi

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 08:50 PM

Chet mentioned: "These also are not exactly about music, but I think Woody Guthrie's two novels, Bound for Glory and Seeds of Man, are two of the best works of fiction I've read. Read them."

While I agree that both are great books worth reading, "Bound for Glory," is an autobiography, not a novel.

Of course, fact and fiction often mix in autobiography (not that I'm saying that's the case here).

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: darkriver
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 08:43 PM

What the hey? I could swear I put in that end-italic tag after 'Ashes'!

Oh well. Sorry.

doug

Subject: RE: 'Musical' Novels
From: darkriver
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 08:42 PM

I too found Angela's Ashes, while grim in places, to be musical. And I thought that Accordion Crimes and Corelli's Mandolin were as spellbinding as a good song. --Not to mention beautifully written.

I thought that Brendan Behan's prison memoir, Borstal Boy, was very musical. Many of the songs mentioned in the Naughty Kids' Songs threads appear in the book. The use of many dialects of the British Isles makes for music as well.

Anthony Burgess (may he rest in peace) wrote Napoleon Symphony, a longish novel in which he tried (as much as possible in a long prose work) to apply the structure Beethoven's Eroica symphony to the Napoleon story--down to repeated phrases as motifs. Sounds dry, but it works as a novel. Very funny too.

I also thought that Burgess' A Clockwork Orange was very musical--again because of the sounds and rhythms of his invented teen slang, Nadsat.

doug