Endorsements

This man and music asks two central questions: what can literature contribute to the art of composition, and how can music influence the writer? Anthony Burgess, famed novelist, journalist, and composer, answers these questions and many more. As a person uniquely qualified to look at the interconnectivity of music and literature from both sides, Burgess provides fascinating insights, drawing on his deep knowledge of both disciplines. He finds relevant examples in the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins, the prose of James Joyce, the lyrics of Lorenz Hart, and his own compositions. Burgess takes the reader on a journey of discovery through eleven interconnected essays that touch on philosophical conundrums of art and adaptation, questions of meaning, and personal experience. This book is a must-read for fans of Burgess who want to understand how music influenced the author's craft of writing, not only because it contains a musical autobiography of sorts, but because it delves deeply into two of Burgess's most enigmatic novels, MF and Napoleon Symphony. Music lovers will enjoy seeing the creative process laid bare, and Joyce enthusiasts will come to a greater understanding of the musical structures in Ulysses. Those who know Burgess only as a novelist will marvel at his erudition in the realms of music and poetry, and the sharp reader will laugh at Burgess's wry humor and wit. Part autobiography and part literary and musical analysis, This man and music is a unique artefact in the stunning output of a prolific artist.