Homage to Czerny: Studies in Virtuoso Technique by Jonke, Gert

Gert Jonke's prose ripples along like a piano tude, transcending its meticulously constructed sequences to transport the reader into an imaginary world. With a delightful combination of the ridiculous and the sublime, Jonke explores surreal dimensions of space and sound, always anchoring his flights of fancy in accessible imagery. More than any other author, Jonke, a pianist turned writer, avails himself of compositional techniques from classical music. Different characters sound their own themes in cleverly orchestrated conversations. Opening observations are restated at the end by another character instead of in another key. Not surprisingly, the first-person narrator is a composer, a young man who is all the more likeable for his difficulties: his missing girlfriend and his withdrawal symptoms. The title is taken from a collection of studies by Carl Czerny; the content is a literary tour de force.

Author: Gert Jonke
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
Published: 10/17/2008
Pages: 149
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.50w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781564785015

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/18/2008 pg. 39