Music in a Foreign Language [Paperback]

Andrew Crumey (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Picador USA (1996)
• ASIN: B000OT1H0E
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely not for lightweights, December 6, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Music, in a Foreign Language (Paperback)

A beautiful piece of craftsmanship, this book will satisfy both brain hemispheres of the intellectual reading public. The technique is amusing and resonates harmonically throughout the book. I found myself playing the game of guessing how the next chapter would begin BEFORE I turned the page. The philosophical premises are thoroughly stimulating and if you have what it takes to stay out there in the ethersphere for the duration, you will be surprised at the conclusion. Crumey is the kind of intellectual provocateur that will keep your synapses humming happily for weeks after you close the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Music in a nested storyline, May 31, 2003

By 

J. Jeude "JJNJ" (NJ (USA)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Music, in a Foreign Language (Paperback)

I ran across this book while desperately seeking something to read at my favorite lunchcounter-used book store (Easton, Pennsylvania). Having just finished singing in Latin in a choir, the title caught my attention.

The story kept my attention sharply focused with its plot device of nesting layer upon layer, character upon character, yet ultimately resolving the plot threads. I confess to having used a numbering scheme to note whether the story was a character's line, or the storyline of a character in a book the character was reading, and so on. I'm delighted to see Crumey has continued to write, and will certainly be seeking these out as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Master of Language, August 10, 2001

By 

Joseph Formaggio (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music, in a Foreign Language (Paperback)

Andrew Crumey's book, Music in a Foreign Language, is by far one of my favorite books of all time. His manipulation of language and plot draws the reader into his intricate fictional world. The structure of his novel is wonderfully complex; each story nested within the other, forming a non-linear narrative that is a pleasure to read. If you are a fan of intricate, complex works of genius, do not let this work go unread. Crumey's other works are also excellent, but they do not compare with this masterpiece.