Canone Inverso

Paolo Maurensig

Hmm, I was very impressed with his debut novel, but a bit disappointed about this one. Not that the story isn't interesting or catching, that it certainly is. But I had some troubles with Maurensig's writing. If someone else had written this book it would be like forgery but with a slightly different subject. The way the story is told and the way it develops is imo a complete copy of The Luneburg Variation. Man obsessed, tragic family story, tragic ending etc. and really in a very similar way.

One of Maurensig's strengths must be his capability in setting a great atmosphere, you are drawn into the scene even when nothing really is happening, he has a lot of moments of "silence" in both his books that is very clever writing. Maybe this being his trademark and strength it can also, when he keeps using it, be his weakness, it is very easily getting bored.

The story itself is about a writer who meets a peculiar violin player during a Bach festival in Vienna. He is enchanted by the way the man plays his extraordinary violin. He gets very interested in the man and tries to find him again. They find each other and the man starts to tell his life story filled with tragedy, friendship, loss, loneliness and grief. But music has the main lead in his story (as chess had in the Lunenburg Variation). The final plot is a bit far fetched and doesn't really fit the rest of the story.

Still a nice book to read but for me the last Maurensig for the time being. I rate it ***