The Black Violin: A Novel

The Black Violin: A Novel

Wounded while fighting with Napoleon's army in the Italian campaign, violin prodigy Johannes Karelsky arrives in Venice, where he is rescued by a mysterious woman and boards with Erasmus, an aged violin maker who has created the legendary "Black Violin," an instrument with which Johannes becomes obsessed as he searches for his enigmatic rescuer. French writer Fermine writes elegant little fairy tales based on the obsessive aspect of creative pursuits. In Snow [BKL D 15 02], he went all out in terms of dramatic settings, poetic imagery, and quixotic quests. His second attempt at fashioning a concise and magical tale isn't as successful, although it has its charms, including its operatic and somewhat gothic portrayal of unrequited love and its brevity. The year is 1797, and, at age 31, French virtuoso violinist Johannes Karlesky has become a recluse after living the heightened life of a famous child prodigy. Abruptly evicted from his quiet life when he's drafted into Napoleon's army, he nearly dies on the battlefield but for the ministrations of a mysterious woman singing in an enchanting voice. After his recovery, Johannes is billeted in Venice with, of all people, an elderly violin maker who has a rather extraordinary story to tell. Pleasantly atmospheric, pleasingly paradoxical, Fermine's little fantasy about music's transcendental powers is a diverting bit of escapism. Donna Seaman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Romantic Times Book Club Magazine [SNOW] will entrance the reader with its beauty and light. And the love story within this novel is reminiscent of many an ethereal fairy tale -- Review Maxence Fermine was born in 1968 in Savoy, France, where he resides today. He has also lived in Paris and North Africa. In addition to Snow and The Black Violin, he is the author of the novels L'Apiculteur ("The Beekeeper") and Opium, both published by Albin Michel in France. Chapter One Johannes Karelsky was a violinist. But in truth, he was far more than that. For Johannes Karelsky was a genius. And his secret wish was to write the most beautiful opera ever written. Copyright © 2000 by Arléa Used Book in Good Condition