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A review by kavyajanani
An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
4.0
3.5/5
I think I wouldn't be able to review this book properly. I loved the flowery prose so much that I could read stories like these forever. However, I also skipped a lot of pages, especially after I crossed 350 pages. The plot dragged unnecessarily. I loved the troubled characterizations, though. Michael and Julia are flawed people that you'd come across in everyday life. At times, I felt Julia irritating. She looked like someone who was intensely confused. Michael and his relationship with his violin were one of the most beautiful aspects of the novel.
What made the novel work for me was the music. The entire story was a piece of music in itself. So many references to classical musicians like Mozart, Bach, Schumann, Beethoven, Chopin, and Schubert. Being a music enthusiast, keyboard player, and singer, I could relate to these musical references.
The ending was abrupt. After all those pages, it would make you wonder 'What was the author's point of writing this story? What did he try to convey?' I felt that the story didn't get a proper closure. Perhaps, that's how literary fiction is.
I think I wouldn't be able to review this book properly. I loved the flowery prose so much that I could read stories like these forever. However, I also skipped a lot of pages, especially after I crossed 350 pages. The plot dragged unnecessarily. I loved the troubled characterizations, though. Michael and Julia are flawed people that you'd come across in everyday life. At times, I felt Julia irritating. She looked like someone who was intensely confused. Michael and his relationship with his violin were one of the most beautiful aspects of the novel.
What made the novel work for me was the music. The entire story was a piece of music in itself. So many references to classical musicians like Mozart, Bach, Schumann, Beethoven, Chopin, and Schubert. Being a music enthusiast, keyboard player, and singer, I could relate to these musical references.
The ending was abrupt. After all those pages, it would make you wonder 'What was the author's point of writing this story? What did he try to convey?' I felt that the story didn't get a proper closure. Perhaps, that's how literary fiction is.