'Crossroads' by Jonathan Franzen
26 November 2021
Jonathan Franzen is a fascinating and impressive writer but his incredibly lengthy novels can sometimes feel like hard work. His masterpiece was ‘The Corrections’ (2001), which cleverly made the reader sympathise simultaneously with people who held completely opposing points of view – turning apparently unlikeable characters into sympathetic people. But his subsequent novels ‘Freedom’ (reviewed here in April 2012) and ‘Purity’ (reviewed here in February 2016) felt like increasingly diminishing returns - a trend continued by his new book ‘Crossroads’, which I have just finished reading as an unabridged audio book, narrated by David Pittu. ‘Crossroads’ is another doorstop of a novel (592 pages) which focuses like ‘The Corrections’ on the members of a family, in this case Russ Hildebrandt - a pastor in New Prospect, Illinois, his wife and four children. Set initially in 1971, we see the Hildebrandts’ domestic life, and their involvement in the church youth group (Crossroads), through the eyes of each of the family members in turn (apart from the youngest child Judson whose perspective we sadly never get). As in his other novels, Jonathan Franzen very cleverly shows us the same events from different points of view, constantly upending the assumptions and sympathies we have formed. It’s a very impressive technique, brilliantly used in the first half of the novel which revolves around the events of a single day, painstakingly sketching in the details and backstories as we alternate between the five viewpoints. The second half of the book stretches the same approach over a longer timeframe. Although it’s wonderfully written, and often very funny, it felt too slow and too long, and all five protagonists - despite having vast archives of mitigating reasons for their behaviour, which are gradually revealed to explain their actions - ultimately all remained quite annoying and unlikeable. Jonathan Franzen always seems to be trying to write the great American novel - saying something about the state of the country through the minutiae of family life - and ‘Crossroads’ reminded me of another book with similar ambitions, Philip Roth’s ‘American Pastoral’, which I also found very impressive but quite hard work to read. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, there is a lot of sex, drugs and religion in ‘Crossroads’ but it could have done with a bit more light relief.
Labels: Books
Market Harborough Orchestra play-through
17 November 2021
I first encountered the 'Sonatina no. 2 for 16 Winds' by Richard Strauss ('From the Happy Workshop') in 2016 when I performed the piece in Northampton with the Heliotrope Chamber Ensemble (reviewed here in April 2016). The Sonatina was one of the last works Strauss wrote and was intended as a tribute to the wind music of Mozart. It’s incredibly difficult but huge fun to play. It was lovely last Saturday to have another chance to get to grips with this wonderful piece of music in a play-through with members of the Market Harborough Orchestra. Like many amateur music groups, the Market Harborough Orchestra has not yet restarted regular weekly rehearsals after the break imposed by lockdown. Wary of committing to a programme of concerts during this ongoing period of uncertainty, the orchestra is instead organising an occasional series of one-off Saturday sessions for its members to play through a range of repertoire. It was very enjoyable to spend a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon working on the intricacies of the Strauss Sonatina with conductor Stephen Bell, before ‘performing’ the work to ourselves.
Labels: Concerts, Music
Tom Robinson
12 November 2021
Drapers’ Hall is one of the few Regency buildings in Coventry. It was built in 1831-2 as the headquarters of the Coventry Drapers’ Guild but was last used as a youth magistrates’ court over 30 years ago. Working with The Princes’ Foundation, Historic Coventry Trust has restored the building as a home for Coventry Music Service and a music and events venue. On Thursday evening we were at Drapers’ Hall for the first public event there for more than 30 years, a concert by Tom Robinson. The building, right in the centre of Coventry next to the Cathedral and opposite the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, is in Greek Revival style and consists of a series of grand ceremonial spaces lit by rooflights. It reminded me of the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh and Bath. Regular readers will know I am a big fan of Tom Robinson who we saw perform many times across the country in the 1990s. He spent many years away from touring when he became a regular presenter on BBC 6 Music so it’s been great rediscovering him since he started performing live again (reviewed here in August 2014, November 2015 and October 2017). Thursday’s concert at Drapers’ Hall was a solo performance drawing on Tom’s extensive back catalogue of songs and anecdotes. Now 71 years old he has lost none of his energy, wit, musicality and political passion - adding additional verses to many of his older songs to reference climate change, Brexit and the current UK government. Tom Robinson has always generously supported emerging young artists and it was lovely to see him introducing local singer/songwriter Dolly Mavies, who he had featured recently on his BBC Introducing Mixtape programme, to open the evening at the beautifully refurbished Drapers’ Hall.
Labels: Concerts, Heritage, Music
'The Midnight Library' by Matt Haig
5 November 2021
Matt Haig’s novel ‘How to Stop Time’ (reviewed here in February 2018) had a great premise and was very enjoyable but felt like a short story expanded into a novel. Reading his 2020 novel ‘The Midnight Library’ I was reminded what an engaging writer he is but I also thought this was another missed opportunity for what could have been a more substantial story. In ‘The Midnight Library’ Norah Seed is frustrated by her life, weighed down by regrets and what-ifs, and considering ending it all. Suddenly she is transported to a magical library filled with books outlining all the lives she could have led if she had made different choices. Opening each book plunges her into an alternate version of herself - and leaves her having to quickly work out what and who she is supposed to know. This reminded me of the sudden-death role-play experienced by the narrator of Stuart Turton’s ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ (reviewed here in April 2019) and of 'The Time Traveller's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger (reviewed here in August 2006). ‘The Midnight Library’ is another take on Frank Capra’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’: the alternatives naturally make Norah begin to appreciate what she had in her original life and help her to find a way through her despair. You can imagine ‘The Midnight Library’ as a Richard Curtis film. The alternate realities are very entertaining and initially it’s a gripping read but I felt the narrative needed a few more twists to really take advantage of this inventive structure.
Labels: Books
