Violin

Anne Rice

ISBN 0-09-925515-4, copyright 1997, 367 pages paperback

21 May 2000

After being inspired by Vikram Seth's An Equal Music, I was anxious to read another book about music. By chance, I found Violin. I had always wanted to read Anne Rice's work, so this was my opportunity.

Sadly it is not so much about music as it is about death and grieving. The heroine Triana is living in a world of the dead. The author takes a long time to describe Triana's world - until we feel as though we are dead as well. I had to stop after a few chapters, because it was too depressing. Also, the only mention of music was repeated that of the violinist, Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky.

After exhausting all the books I had brought with me on holiday, I turned to finishing this book. The novel does pick up afterwards - and somewhere towards the end we understand why it is entitled VIOLIN. Still, I find the ending somewhat far-fetched.

If it is ever made into a movie, it would certainly not command the heights of THE PIANO by Jane Campion.