The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht

The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht

Two boys are growing up in wartime London. Martin is an only child, imprisoned in swottish loneliness. Then Dovidl enters his home, a refugee violinist from Warsaw. 'I am genius,' says Dovidl. 'You have information. Together we make good team.' His arrival brings merriment and love, mischief and menace. Blood-brothers, they roam the ruined city, finding tragedy and triumph, sex and crime. It is the time of their lives, their finest hour. Then Dovidl disappears, on the afternoon of his international debut. Martin is broken-hearted, his father near-bankrupted, the police dumbfounded. Where has he gone? How can a genius escape his date with destiny? How could he betray a brother? Martin is condemned to forty years of humdrum half-life until, one wintry night, an unexpected musical clue sets him on the trail to an astonishing act of self-discovery, and renewal.

This is an interesting tale, Lebrecht recreates the atmosphere of war-time London through a child's eyes with vigour - The Scotsman

Any critic, especially one as ferocious as Norman Lebrecht, who risks putting his own head above the creative parapet needs barrel-loads of chutzpahThe temptation to aim a few slings and arrows at the thunderer just for the hell of it is almost irresistible. Sadly, his first novel, The Song of Names spoils the fun. It is too good to trash....It has a compelling humanity. The cynical symbiosis of the relationship between artist and agent is deliciously caught. The atmosphere of wartime and the aftermath is conjured with exceptional vividness. Musical influences and imagery run like a watermark through the prose. Having rounded the whole thing off with elan, Lebrecht leaves room for a final flourish, his concert encore - Evening Standard

Much to enjoy in the author's sensitive understanding of music and musicians - Literary Review

Consistently intriguing crucial and moving - Sunday Times

This complex and often tragic story reads entertainingly...an unusually impressive first novel - The Spectator

Born in London in 1948, Norman Lebrecht studied sociology and psychology at university and worked as a television news producer before applying his specialist skills to writing about the arts. He is the author of the international bestsellers The Maestro Myth and When the Music Stops as well as critical studies on Mahler and 20th century music. This is his first novel.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780755300945
ISBN 10	0755300947
Title	The Song of Names
Author	Norman Lebrecht
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Headline Publishing Group
Year published	2002-08-26
Number of pages	320
Prizes	Winner of Whitbread Book Awards: First Novel Category 2002, Winner of Whitbread Prize (First Novel) 2002
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable