Whale Music [Paperback]

Paul Quarrington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1994

Des Howell is a former rock 'n' roll star who never leaves his secluded oceanfront mansion. Naked, rich and fabulously deranged, he subsists on a steady diet of whiskey, pharmaceuticals and jelly doughnuts and occasionally works on his masterpiece, "Whale Music." One day, upon awakening from his usual drunken stupor, Des discovers on his sofa a young alien from the faraway universe of Toronto. This girl has made the trek to Des' hideaway because she believes in the "Whale Music" and she's crazy enough to think that Des can make a comeback hit with his mad magnum opus--


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This nimble portrait of a rock 'n' roll legend turned Beverly Hills eccentric will amuse anyone who's followed the misfortunes of real-life ex-superstars. Ludicrously obese, plagued by tinnitus and suffering from apparent short-term memory loss, Desmond Howell (of the famed '60s Howl Brothers) is unlikely to make a comeback anytime soon. In semi-permanent mourning over the death of his brother Danny, he contents himself with puttering around his mansion, locking the doors (except when he forgets) against pushy psychologists, fans, ex-bandmates and relatives. Stephen Leacock award-winning humorist Quarrington's ( King Leary ) prose is fleet throughout, tracing the Howl Brothers from their origins as a Southern California teenage garage band through their glory days (where Elvis, the Beatles and Bill Haley make cameo appearances) to Desmond's current state of proud dissipation. The result is a tasty brew of rumors and modern myths from the rock era, with a flavor all its own.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Fast-paced, zany and knowledgeable — bursting with humour and wit."
—The Toronto Star

"Quarrington has the reader straining to hear the chords, anticipating the concert, cheering for Des to complete his lonely suite."
—Maclean's

"A poignant portrait... Quarrington is a wild, original, thoroughly Canadian, surprisingly mature national treasure."
—Edmonton Journal

"Exceptionally inventive...Entertainingly written...Quarrington has a ribald, animated prose style all his own."
—The New York Times Book Review

"The best novel written about rock 'n 'roll."
—Penthouse


From the Trade Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Canada (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385254857
• ISBN-13: 978-0385254854
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,772,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quarrington knows us better than we know ourselves., June 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: WHALE MUSIC (Hardcover)

There are a rare few writers in our society that can capture the paradox between the fragility and strength of the human spirit like Paul Quarrington. The alcoholic, drug-addicted main character spends his time talking to ghosts of his past, dunking his naked, corpulent body in the pool, and working on a composition for the whales below his cliff-side house. An uninvited visitor from another universe turns his life upside-down and he is forced to face the ghosts of his past, present, and future. In the process he lays bare those things that we most hide about our own selves, that make up the very essence of those things which make us human. If you like books which forever change the way you look at life, "Whale Music" is for you

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy is Reality, November 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: WHALE MUSIC (Hardcover)

Anyone who has been semi conscious on Earth over the last 40 years knows that "Whale Music" draws it's inspiration from The Beach Boy's creative genius; Brian Wilson. As I recollect, Mr. Quarrington's book hit the shelves at about the same time as Mr. Wilson's autobiography. Having read both, I would choose to re-read 'Whale Music'. At it's worst, it's fictionalized take off on the man's life is extremely entertaining. At it's best, it's a great satire of the media's reporting of Mr. Wilson's every ingested cheeseburger. I love this book and, I especially love Brian Wilson's contribution to the world.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic 1st Person Narrative!, June 26, 1999

By 

RMJ ([e-mail]) (Fairbanks, Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: WHALE MUSIC (Hardcover)

Quarrington's Whale Music is as decadent and sincere as its main character. A touching story doused in an absurd fondue of drug abuse, money, rock and roll, and agoraphobia. Track this one down!