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What are readers saying about An Equal Music: A Novel?
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-04-23 02:29:53.
(Language: English)
 
Vikram Seth has been able to build a wonderful story around some very complex personalities with uncanny accuracy and clarity. This story made a special connection with me, in part because I have also had the chance to listen to the rather rare recording made by the Czechoslovakian string quintet that the main character spent so much effort to obtain. If you don't know what I am talking about... just read this book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-11 03:09:52.
(Language: English)
what a lovely (though sometimes too "wordy") read!
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Mayeesha posted a review at 2008-02-10 08:29:13.
(Language: English)
A poetic and beaytifully lyrical (or lyrically neautiful) elegy to lost love. And how it can help you look at life from a newer perspective and realize exactly how amazingit is.and how even when you htought you had nothing more to live for you can find that one inviolate beauty that makes life worth livivng. In order to really enjoy this book, however you must love music. It also helps to have a better knowledge of chamber music than most poeple do.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-06-09 09:41:07.
(Language: English)
After being initially pleased by the author's memorable and well developed characters who find themselves in an interesting situation, I found myself suddenly and irrevocably unable to finish the book. I am a violinist myself and I found this book to be fairly pretentious in it's usage of musical jargon; both it's references to musical terminology and pieces of music were more than familiar to me but tiresome in the overwhelming amount. I haven't taken the trouble to discover whether or not the author is a musician or just tediously meticulous when it comes to research. Maybe someday I'll pick it up again to see what happens to these characters but after 50 pages I just couldn't handle the music overload that was swamping the actual story.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-03 07:49:18.
(Language: English)
...there is a rhythm in the tapestry of the language used...the story unfolds slowly...an unhurried pace...Seth is at his best...story of a musician who falls in love with a pianist...looses her...finds her and again looses her...the story of a violist who when by himself now plays only a particular theme...gifted by his love...the incomplete...unending...Art of Fugue...the rhythm in writing is remarkable...
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ru posted a review at 2010-06-13 11:56:38.
(Language: English)
Reading this book was like watching well directed movie where story is less important than the direction itself. The slow pace of movie interspersed with musical escapades was tiring some time as my knowledge about Bach, violin or art of fugue is as limited as the pure air these days. However, author succeeds in transporting reader to the life of struggling musician unable to come out of past love, finally succumbing to the mysteries of life.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-19 08:06:03.
(Language: English)
Poetic, deeply felt, melancholy, subtle...Ambitious, beautiful writing. I liked reading all the detailed descriptions of listening to and playing classical music, even though I don't know much about it. The handful of important characters are well-sketched in and believable. Basically this book is about music and star-crossed lovers. It wish it had broadened out a bit in its subject matter. Both of the main characters are moody, intense, maybe a bit crazy. I wish they had examined themselves more so we could have understood why they behaved so strangely and ruined their relationship.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-03 01:01:16.
(Language: English)
I really tried very hard to read this but it's such a load of bollocks I had to surrender. Vikram Seth labours under the delusion that classical musicians must be really interesting people and therefore make fascinating characters. If he'd done even a fraction of the research for this book as he obviously did for A Suitable Boy, he'd realise that musicians do not belong to a bohemian intellectual subclass. They are boring, egotistical, T-shirts tucked-in uber geeks (apart from Slava). One day Douglas Coupland or Nick Hornby will do a fictional expose of these losers from hell. An Equal Music is not it.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-02-22 12:22:39.
(Language: English)
a great read ! definitely on my list of one of my favourite love stories !
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A Reader posted a review at 2012-01-20 12:05:20.
(Language: English)
Not fussed on 'Two Lives' but this was incredible. Must read some of his poetry.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-05-11 07:25:30.
(Language: English)
IT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY ANd My TEARS,TOO- AND SOMEONE ELSE'S,TOO.A GREAT-GREAT READING!!!A BOOK WRITTEN OF MUSIC. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!RECOMMEND TO EVERYBODY..
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-01-14 08:52:17.
(Language: English)
a wonderful read. I love the way Seth brings the instruments to life, brings the passion and curse of music to life, and the characters are real - faults and all. Perhaps I loved the book because I love music; however, it was Seth's writing that kept me reading. This is one of those books where you find yourself skimming to see what is going to happen but because the words are put together so beautifully you stop yourself - go back - and savour the way Seth has put them on paper.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-02-22 02:33:59.
(Language: English)
***SPOILER ALERT*** "An Equal Music" is a novel centred upon the life of Michael, a classical violinist living in London and a member of a highly acclaimed string quartet. The novel describes a little over a year in his life in which he reunites with Julia, a former love and accompianist he left behind a decade before in Vienna. This reunion is very troubling but also triumphant for both of them. Michael is living in a flat in London, teaching and sleeping with a young Frenchwoman, swimming on Saturdays year round in the sometimes very cold Serpentine. His musical career has been quite successful in that he has played second violin in the Maggiore String Quartet for 6 years. A decade before he fled Vienna after having a breakdown while part of trio with a very overbearing fellow violin player and his lover, Julia who played piano in the group. Michael found himself unable to continue and abandonned both his career and his lover. After several months he realized leaving her in such a way was the biggest mistake of his life and has never let go of this thought. One day on a bus in heavy traffic he sees her in an adjacent bus and attempts to make contact but fails. A short time later she comes up to him after a concert and they fall into a spiral that leads to sex and music making. Julia is now married to an American banker and has a 6 year old son. She is drawn to Michael and unable to refuse a liaison with him but unwilling to give up her home life. To add to the situation she is ...
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Karen posted a review at 2011-06-27 01:13:33.
(Language: English)
I very much enjoyed this book. I don't think you do need to enjoy classical music to enjoy it, the storyline is strong to stand alone. It's all about coming to terms with a lost love, be that a person or, especially for a musician, loss of hearing. Occasionally Michael goes off on flights of manic thoughts which I found annoying, even though they were probably designed to mimic particular pieces of music. But apart from that, the book flew by.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-05-29 10:56:43.
(Language: English)
The first book I read by an Indian author settled abroad, where the characters are not Indian, "dealing" with their origin. The characters are not Indians of any manner. There was a lot of music in the book, and one can tell a lot of esearch went into it . But it made parts of the book inaccessible to me, not being so very well versed in western classical myself, and not wanting to turn to Google every third sentence. The story, pleasant, in itself. But once you take all the music out, it's just another "unfulfilled love" story. Can be read, but not a must
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-06-04 11:21:15.
(Language: English)
Lyrical, like any Seth book is. More so perhaps, since music is the love that binds Michael and Julia together. A bit too sentimental for my liking, even by Seth standards. Avoid it if you are trying to get over a relationship that did not work - this will push you further into the abyss! For me, the best part about the book is the poem at the beginning (a dedication to Seth's partner Philippe Honore').
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-04-27 08:51:50.
(Language: English)
A flawed and failed romance, with music as the background..My ideal mix for a perfect story.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-13 04:58:34.
(Language: English)
good one
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-22 12:12:20.
(Language: English)
This book is poetry in prose format...don't get me wrong, I know Seth has written at least one book in poetic verse, but his use of language in this novel can only be described as sweet music for your eyes. The tale is that of forbidden love for many a reason...one day the past catches up on the two main charaters and they find themselves transported back to their old lives and feelings only to have to suffer the hurt of separation all over again. Treasure every word and every sentence as it is well worth the time and effort to work your way through.
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Martin posted a review at 2008-07-23 01:13:10.
(Language: English)
A beautifuly written book about music, art and love. Maybe, the last part is a little too long. However, this might just due to my inadeguate appreciation of the delicacy of Seth's writing. Very recommendable to everyone who enjoys classical music. I have reheard Schubert's Trout quintet and Bach's Art of the Fugue over and over this summer after having read the book.
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Diane posted a review at 2010-04-24 06:32:41.
(Language: English)
Great story about music and how it binds. Learning a lot about composition and performance.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-11-11 05:15:35.
(Language: English)
What captivated me in this book, was the music, how beautifully it was all written, and how music mingled with the forbidden love story. Had to be patient to read it, for the plots flows quite slowly, but was worth it :)
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Tara posted a review at 2010-01-11 02:54:53.
(Language: English)
first of 2010
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-27 12:33:31.
(Language: English)
Beautifully written...but can lose you in between if you donot know much or anything at all about calssical music{like myself}...where entire paragraphs and converstaions donot make sense per se,other than to give you a feel of the interaction between certain characters...somewhat like watching a movie in a foreign language and guessing whats going on from the actors' expressions:)....definitely worht a read
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