A review by gitanita
An Equal Music by Vikram Seth

3.0

Michael Holmes is a violin player living in London and playing in a Quartet made of his friends, but not quite. He is in a sort of, but not quite (again!) relationship with his 16 years younger violin student from France. He is a profoundly unhappy person, who can't get over the one woman that got away (or that he let go). Since the day they said goodbye due to his depression, he unsuccessfully tried to find her, but she didn't want to be found. Then one day she reappears in his life and both will try desperately to have what they had in the past, but will find out that sometimes you just can't go back, no matter how much you try.

I seem to instinctively choose books that are too depressing and end up not enjoying them, because they are too depressing. The story had some interesting parts, but did not wow me. I happen to love music (both classic and modern), but the love the characters felt for music did not get to me. I also wasn't in love with the protagonists, Michael and Julia, or at least I wasn't cheering them on in their second attempt at love. There was too much hurt and resentment between them and also new people who did not deserve to be hurt in the process.