Re: GG: Timothy Findley

[Arin Murphy <la_murph@alcor.concordia.ca>]

On Mon, 14 Apr 1997, Mary Jo Watts wrote:

> Has anyone on the list read Tim Findley's _The Piano Man's Daughter_
> which I read is the companion novel to _The Wars_ (the film of which GG
> scored with Strauss and Brahms)?  Any opinions on Findley or the film
> (or for that matter GG's work on _The Slaughterhouse Five_)?
> 
> -MJ
> 

Good little Canadian English graduate student that I am (and unabashed
Findley fan), yes, I've read _The PIano Man's Daughter_. Wonderful book -
possibly my favourite (but I say that about every Findley I finish, so
don't take that as gospel). Yes, it's sort of a companion to _The Wars_,
but only sort of. _The Wars_ was a historical fiction that traced
Findley's father's ancestry; _The Piano Man's Daughter_ is an historical
fiction that traces his mother's side. When I say `fiction' I mean
fiction, really fiction; don't take it as fact. Inspired by historical
fact, perhaps. No more.

A confession: I didn't read _The Wars_. I looked into it when I wanted to
read _The Piano Man's Daughter_, but it's so completely different, and
war stories aren't my cup of fish, so I passed. Since there's no
correlation between the books it really didn't matter.

Speaking of war stories, Findley's last novella _You Went Away_ is due out
in paperback in a month or so. I attended his reading in MOntreal last
November - a nice heartbreaking story set in WW... oops. Well, it as a WW.
He reads quite matter of factly, with a beautiful tone and a speed I
thought was a bit slow but soon settled right into the words perfectly.
Findley has a terrific style that explores humanity in all aspects very
well. He never bashes you over the head with a belief. You discover every
step of the way.

And just so this will have some connexion to GG, in a secondhand bookshop
I found a signed hardcover copy of Findley's _Inside Memory: Pages From a
Writer's Notebook_, which is part journal part work record of several
years. Can't wait to pick it up after my final papers and tear through it
to find out what he says about GG and the film of _The Wars_. 

Loving every bit of my `new' Odyssey collection of Beethoven's earliest
piano sonatas, especially #13. And with my tax refund I think I'm going to
splurge at the music shop, and that splurge will definitely include Images
and the new one with the Italian Concerto on it!

Slainte!



Arin Murphy
Student, Savoyard,
Bookseller, Cellist-By-Night

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"It really isn't difficult if you give your whole mind to it."
				-Lady Angela, Act 1
				   Gilbert & Sullivan's `Patience'