The Wonder Singer [Hardcover]

George Rabasa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

Mark Lockwood's life is a small one. He s made his living as a freelance writer, producing a series of little books for hire called How to Talk to Your Teen About... But for the past few months he s been at work on a ghostwriting assignment beyond his dreams. To prepare her autobiography, he has been interviewing the internationally renowned diva Merce Casals. When the Senora dies suddenly-floating sizable in her elegant scented bath-she is suddenly a hot property, and a celebrity biographer arrives to take over the writing of her book. But Lockwood realizes this is his one chance at greatness, and so he runs off with the interview tapes. Abetted by the beautiful but scrupulous Perla, the Senora s nurse, and by a female impersonator, who considers himself the diva s greatest fan, Lockwood locks himself into his study, endlessly plays the tapes, and begins to craft his greatest book. Once the three conspirators rescue the Senora s husband from the home she put him in, Lockwood s sense of his own heart begins to expand beyond his considerable imagination. Moving by turns through the diva s lyrical account of her life and the frantic pace of Lockwood s notes from underground, The Wonder Singer portrays for us just what it can mean to live a beautiful life to its fullest.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Journeyman freelance writer Mark Lockwood has become a man obsessed. He has spent six months with legendary soprano Merce Casals, immersing himself in her life and magnificent voice to prepare for ghostwriting her autobiography. Then she dies unexpectedly in her bath, after which her agent wants famous author Alonzo Baylor to take over the project. Even a generous kill fee can’t persuade Lockwood to turn over his tapes and notes, so he risks his livelihood and marriage to write the diva’s definitive memoir before Baylor can churn out a similar book. His involvement with Merce’s nurse, Perla (to whom he is mightily attracted), and with the singer’s number-one fan, drag queen Orson LaPrima, adds to the interpersonal drama. Rabasa (The Cleansing, 2006) includes vivid scenes from the Spanish civil war (a significant event in Merce’s young life), but his novel is at heart an engaging exploration of the power of art, as seen through Merce’s famed career and Lockwood’s desire to act as her voice. --Michele Leber

Review

A gem....Sophisticated structurally and thematically, The Wonder Singer is also somehow humble, a quick read that, with its clear prose and impeccable pacing, seduces us into plot... like a great aria, it stays with you. --The Cleveland Plain-Dealer

...the Wonder Singer holds her fans, and readers, in thrall with a tale that incorporates all of life s notes, the high and the low. --Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Rabasa ...utilizes the story-within-a-story technique, effectively giving a historical feel to a contemporary novel. Readers not only learn about the Spanish civil war and the training regimen of the operatic voice but are also offered a glimpse into the soul of a writer honing his craft. --Library Journal --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Unbridled Books; Hardcover edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932961569
• ISBN-13: 978-1932961560
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,526,014 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't get distracted by the plot, July 16, 2009

By 

Susan Tunis (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wonder Singer (Paperback)

Mark Lockwood is a hack. He's a writer without pretension, happy to make a living. But now he's somehow landed the writing job of all time--ghostwriter of the autobiography of legendary opera diva Merce Casals. Suddenly he has a real investment in his work.

The story of Senora Casals life and career is a major thread throughout the novel. As she relays the triumphs and tragedies of her life, Mark develops a genuine affection for the sometimes difficult lady. And, bored in his marriage, he holds an affection of a different sort for her attractive nurse, Perla. All is going well with the project until La Casals up and dies on them.

Suddenly, her biography is a hot property. Lockwood's manager wants to reassign the book to a more high profile biographer, and he wants Lockwood to surrender the recordings he and Casals made together. It is at this point that the novel veers off into what might be considered farcical territory, with an oversized drag queen added to the troupe of biographers on the run.

The story is interesting on multiple levels--first, simply for the grand operatic background. And George Rabasa has created a memorable tribe of characters that stick with the reader for some time. However, it was here that Rabasa and I ran into trouble. I continually got caught up in the action of The Wonder Singer, and time and time again it became obvious to me that the author was writing a novel about character, not plot. He hammered it home: character, not plot. And if you read the novel with that in mind, you'll be satisfied. Silly thing that I am, I kept getting distracted by the plot, which led to a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Aria of Triumph, May 20, 2009

By 

S. Agusto-Cox "Savvy Verse & Wit" (Germantown, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wonder Singer (Paperback)

George Rabasa's The Wonder Singer easily captures the imagination through deftly orchestrated prose and detailed description. The Wonder Singer is the story of famed opera singer Merce Casals, and her story as told to her ghostwriter Mark Lockwood. Through alternating chapters between the biography of Merce Casals and Mark Lockwood's musings and reviews of his interview tapes with Casals, her tragic and dramatic story unfolds like Aida or many of the other great operas she sang.

"There are moments when the order of life collapses in midbreath, when a missed heartbeat brings on an earthquake. At such a moment, this story takes an unexpected turn." (Page 1 of hardcover)

How can readers ignore the first, foreboding line of this novel? The Wonder Singer is more than a story of a famed opera singer, but the story of a ghostwriter who blossoms into his own when faced with giving up his dream job or plunging into the unknown. Lockwood teams up with the Casals' former caretaker Perla, who Lockwood fantasizes about having a torrid affair with, and Casals' self-proclaimed number one fan Orson La Prima, who dresses in drag to impersonate his favorite opera star. They are going to write Casals' story and celebrate her life against the wishes of her agent, Hollywood Hank.

Rabasa's prose is lyrical, enchanting, and absorbing, drawing readers into the vivid scenes full of emotion. The Wonder Singer is a character-driven novel examining the impact of early abandonment by a father on a gifted, young singer, her triumph as an opera star, and the drive and fear writers feel when they are faced with a project they would do almost anything to complete even if they feel outmatched and inexperienced.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Story of a true star, May 8, 2009

By 

Valorie T. "Morbid Romantic" (VA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wonder Singer (Paperback)

Mark Lockwood, an author popularly known for his writings on how to talk to teens about a number of real life issues, has been assigned the task of acting as ghostwriter to pen and publish the biography of opera diva Mercè Casals. Hours are spent listening to her talk of her life, which is daunting in and of itself, until one day Senorita Casals dies in the bathtub with the project unfinished. With a high profile book in the works, Mark's agent Hollywood Hank now wants to assign the book to a more well-known author. Only Mark is committed to the project and not willing to give up his hours of tapes despite their harassment and snooping. As Mark sees it, the book is his to write, the words entrusted to him by Senorita Casals and no one else. At the risk of his health, his sanity, and his marriage, Mark must write this book. It is a race against time to finish his book before Hollywood Hank and his new star author finish theirs.

With the help of Senorita Casals' former nurse Perla, drag Queen and Casals' number one fan Orson, and Senorita Casals' husband Nolan, Mark protects his tapes and writes his book, becoming increasingly invested in not only the book but the life of the diva herself. The connection he has with Senorita Casals and her words is an intimate one. It almost seemed to me as if he were falling in a sort of platonic love with Mercè, or becoming obsessed with her life and her words. Maybe the obsession was in the book and his love for her made him love her story, but he definitely connected with the book on a very personal level.

The book weaves two stories in one: Mark's journey through his book writing and Senorita Casals personal story. Injected here and there are `snippets' from the autobiographical work by Mark. We learn of Mercè's childhood, her abandonment by her father, her life as a rising star, her marriage, her marriage troubles, and all of her career difficulties. Through these snippets, we are better able to understand Mercè and her complicated life. She becomes less a diva and more a real person who experiences pain and conflict. It is often times hard to see `privileged' people as anything but glitz and glamour, but such is far from the truth in the case of Mercè. The strength that Mercè displays throughout her life is truly impressive and inspiring.

Of course, I wish that Mark had developed more as a character-- rather, grew in his own maturity, not developed in a writing sense. He never really seems to take responsibility for what he is doing wrong to other people, namely his wife. It was sad to me to see that though he wishes to resolve this, he never really expresses regret until the end. Throughout the book, as he apologizes to his wife and says he loves her, he is still lusting after the nurse without the slightest hint of shame. I have to say, I quite disliked him for this, but his character was human enough in every regard that I found myself also sympathizing with him. I think this is a testament to Rabasa's writing style and talent that he can make a character that anyone can sympathize with and understand even when he does things that are upsetting.

My favorite parts were the parts of Mercè Casals life. I wish that there really was a biography about her out! She told a lot of very interesting and emotional stories. Mr. Rabasa created a fascinating character when he created her. I found myself enamored with her and excusing everything she did wrong, which I guess makes me a lot like Mark.

The entire story is told in a smooth, sophisticated tone. Rabasa is an impeccable writer with a talent for making characters that are believable and complicated. The all too human experiences endured by the characters give the story a sublime and impossible to escape from charm. Arias rise and fall, suffused with a catalog of emotions, which capture the heart. This is, of course, the life of Mercè Casals-- a grand aria told in spoken language.