The Musical Illusionist: and Other Tales (Hotel St. George) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Alex Rose, Robert Fludd, Yue Fei

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Filmmaker Rose ranges widely in his fiction debut, drawing in everything from non-Euclidian geometry to dyasnimagnosis (a paranoid condition in which the subject will begin to believe that the world itself is a construction, that her surroundings are false, the buildings and trees merely set pieces—The Matrix, anyone?). Thus proceeds the Borgesian enterprise Rose calls the Library of Tangents, the short tales and mini-theories being what one supposedly finds there, with the title section being one of seven Special Exhibitions. In one piece, the inhabitants of the fifth island of Japan develop a musical language akin to Morse code; other entries feature an architect who designs a city without shadows, bioluminescent bacteria that create multicolored fog, and another rare psychological condition that causes its subjects to become deaf solely to the waltzes of Chopin. Other musical musings find Christian Doppler's studies in the physics of frequency driving kinetic symphonies, in which music arises from hidden and improbable sources. Rose's matter and manner recall Lawrence Weschler's Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder, but Rose has a distinct voice and take on arcana, fictitious and otherwise. (Oct.)
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Product Description

In the tradition of Borges and Calvino, The Musical Illusionist is an interwoven collection of post-modern folk tales--disappearing manuscripts, neurological anamolies, teleporting bacteria, and an unforgettable composer who manipulates sound to bend perception--that masterfully blends scientific curiousity with magical-realist caprice. The collection is organized by a giant underground archive--The Library of Tangents--in which the reader takes an imaginary journey through a series of exhibitions exploring parallel understandings of space, time, language, and all of the senses.

From a mythical underground, Rose introduces a new form of parable--the Hypothetical Reality--in which the reader is never certain if Rose's fiercely intellectual and carefully researched premises are the stuff of historic fact, or are instead an exploration of possibility. The impact of the collection is not measured by its verity, but by the way in which Rose's illusions activate the imagination.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Akashic Books (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978910311
• ISBN-13: 978-0978910310
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #924,784 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Just Being in the Tradition of Borges or Calvino Doesn't Cut It, March 5, 2009

By	D. Goehring (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A gift from a friend for my birthday, I was thrilled as I flipped through the book and read its back cover. It looked like a fascinating romp through Possibility.

In short, the scholarship in the book is not scholarly enough -- as a well-read scientist I felt like the author wasn't reaching at all. He was pulling recently popularized science off the shelf, explaining it poorly and then trying to improvise on it. Only, neither was the creativity in the book creative enough. I felt like the author was constantly impressed with his own cleverness, but with only a couple exceptions there was nothing exceptional about the ideas. They were merely wrong -- not nearly inventive enough to justify the book.

Compare this work to Borges' or Calvino's -- both boldly mentioned on the back -- and its too shoddy to be placed on the same shelf.

The book's construction, layout, and ambitious use of color were all tantalizing, but none of that is sufficient to make up for poor ideas in a book about great ideas.

In brief, the book is pretty -- but also pretty expensive -- and you should read the people mentioned on the the book's back rather the author whose name is emblazoned on its front.
Instead of this, look to:
Borges: Collected Fictions or Cosmicomics. Please.