Nothing is better than curling up with a good book, except curling up with a good book and a great piece of music on the stereo (and maybe a glass of wine). A good book can not only paint vivid pictures in your head but can fill your ears with song. The following is a selection of novels in which music is as important as the main character. Be sure to enjoy them with your favourite tunes.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett: In an unnamed South American country, a collection of international diplomats and businessmen are taken hostage by a revolutionary group. Amongst the hostages is a opera singer who mesmerizes everyone on both sides of the conflict with her exquisite arias and unflappable beauty. Next to her is the translator, a humble man who is suddenly the most important person in the room. Although some may find the plot a bit unfeasible, I found it to mirror the extremes of opera perfectly. Ultimately, this is an ode to love and music that transcend other more mundane forms of communication. If you aren't an opera fan already, this book will surely entice you to give it a try. Suggested soundtrack: Kiri Te Kanawa, Maria Callas any Verdi or Puccini opera.
Whale Music by Paul Quarrington: One of those "I've always meant to read that" books, which was a Governor General's award winner that I finally picked up on a recent holiday. Des Howl is a former 1950s and '60s rock star who the reader finds fat, drug-addled and housebound. He has little awareness of the days and months passing him by, or of the people wandering in and out of his house. He does have his memories, however, and through a series of flashbacks, we learn his both funny and tragic life story. The details of the recording industry of the era are spot on but really this is a story of a family in grief and the ultimate redemption of the gift of music. Soundtrack: Elvis, Beatles, Beach Boys, Rheostatics.
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby: Appealing to the geek in all of us, High Fidelity concerns a laughable record store owner in London who defines himself by his belief in his superior pop music tastes and his obsession with vinyl. But the music that teaches him to fall in love doesn't help him have any relationship success. The 2000 film adaptation starring John Cusack has a killer version of "Baby, I Love Your Way" sung by Lisa Bonet, unfortunately left off the official soundtrack, which does include the Velvet Underground, Elvis Costello and others. More suggestions: The Clash, The Smiths, anything 1980s and artfully morose.
Hornby also recently wrote Juliet, Naked, a twisted tale about a man obsessed with message boards about a reclusive aging pop star who has gone underground, and his under-appreciated girlfriend, who starts having a real connection with the icon. This one is less humourous than Hornby's other books and lost me about halfway through but it did prompt me to enjoy a little Dylan on the iPod.
Find all these great titles plus the accompanying CDs and more at your local library.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published every Wednesday. Anthea Goffe is community librarian at Terry Fox Library.
