Trio 2: A Novel About the Schumanns and Brahms [Paperback]

Boman Desai (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2006

Trio 2 continues the story of Trio, Book One. Johannes Brahms was twenty when he fell deeply in love with Clara Schumann, wife of Robert, mother of eight, and the greatest woman pianist of the age. He was just as deeply indebted to Robert who got his work published within weeks of their meeting. Robert was then within months of committing himself to an insane asylum where he was to die two and a half years later. Clara was forbidden to see him during this time because the doctors imagined she would excite him too much for his own good. Brahms became a go-between for the couple, ferrying messages to and fro. His love blossomed to its fullest and Clara welcomed his affection, but both loved Robert too well to abuse his trust. Brahms compared himself with the protagonist of the hopeless lover of Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther and learned instead to associate love with renunciation - and, coupling this experience with early experiences of playing dance music for sailors and prostitutes in Hamburg's dockside bars, he fell victim to the Freudian conundrum: Where he loves he feels no passion, and where he feels passion he cannot love. Trio 2 takes the story from 1857 (the year after the death of Robert) to 1897 (the year of Brahms's death). Clara died the year before. Germany grows in the hinterland of the story, from 400+ principalities to one nation under Bismarck. Like Trio, its predecessor, it is firmly grounded in fact, but unfolds like a novel, not a biography, a great read for the beach, the summer, the winter, a holiday - a holiday in itself, a book in which to live for a while, a narrative of love, insanity, suicide, revolution, politics, war - and, of course, music.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Boman Desai grew up in Bombay, but has lived his adult life mostly in Chicago. After studying Architecture and Philosophy, and getting degrees in Psychology and English, he was set to become a market analyst when a chance encounter with Sir Edmund Hillary, his earliest hero, who had an office two floors above his own, brought him back to his vocation: writing novels. He took a number of part-time jobs ranging from bartending to teaching to find time to write. He has published short stories and articles in the US, UK, and India. He won an Illinois Arts Council Award and the Stand Magazine Prize for fiction (an international competition). He has also published four other novels: The Memory of Elephants; Asylum, USA; A Woman Madly in Love; and Servant, Master, Mistress. His website, bomandesai.com, will tell you more about the novels. He may be reached at [e-mail] and is available for readings and attendances at Book Clubs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (October 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425935923
• ISBN-13: 978-1425935924
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,133,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a superior work, November 13, 2006

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La BugZ (Berkeley, California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Trio 2: A Novel About the Schumanns and Brahms (Paperback)

I had read Trio 1 some time ago and thought it so well-done, articulate, accurate and fascinating that I couldn't wait for Trio 2 to be finished by Mr. Desai. The wait was worth it. He has taken on a difficult task--not merely the lives of composers which can be difficult enough, but through his ability to create sound with words has enabled us to hear the music as well. And no accompanying CD to help us along! There were time I was in the thrall of the book and with irritation I had to put it down to get on with other things but went back to reading it at the first opportunity. It did not disappoint. I think one must bring some revisioning of the principle people in the novel,, Johannes Brahms, in particular as , speaking for myself, there is a penchant for wanting to be presented with a man who was as exquisite in his person and the music he composed, somewhat like Felix Mendelssohn. That was/is not so and in the big picture, I'm not sure it matters. I doubt that one listens to Brahms' music often bearing his personality and overall ambiance is mind when they do.

Mr. Desai has written an excellent novel. And to tell the truth I wish there would be a Trio 3. Exceedingly well done!!!