Anamnesis
Active Member
Since I have all my reading for school completed I now have time to read some books for pleasure. One I recently finished was Anne Rice's 1997 novel Violin, about a widow named Trianawho is haunted by the ghost of a Russian musician from the nineteenth century. I had heard many negative remarks about this book and having finished it earlier I'll have to agree with the novel's detractors. Violin contains gorgeous prose and some eerie moments but the story is messy and haphazard. There are too many subplots and side characters that could have been cut from the novel without losing anything important. Also, the reason why Triana is haunted by the ghost is never fully explained.
It's clear that this is one of Rice's most personal stories, the main character bearing many similarities to the author. Both Anne and Triana dealt with the deaths of their young daughters, both had to deal with alcoholic mothers, both were educated in California and were part of the "hippie" scene in the 1960's, and both have a passion for films such as Amadeus and Immortal Beloved. These references read almost like no-so-subtle recommendations, Rice/Triana making it a point to let her readers know of F. Murray Abraham and Gary Oldman's flawless acting skills. We get it, Anne. They're finely talented performers. Anyway, this must have been a difficult book for Anne Rice to complete. I'm sure she must have felt a lot better after having exorcised so many demons. Nevertheless, it was certainly a difficult book to get through.
It's clear that this is one of Rice's most personal stories, the main character bearing many similarities to the author. Both Anne and Triana dealt with the deaths of their young daughters, both had to deal with alcoholic mothers, both were educated in California and were part of the "hippie" scene in the 1960's, and both have a passion for films such as Amadeus and Immortal Beloved. These references read almost like no-so-subtle recommendations, Rice/Triana making it a point to let her readers know of F. Murray Abraham and Gary Oldman's flawless acting skills. We get it, Anne. They're finely talented performers. Anyway, this must have been a difficult book for Anne Rice to complete. I'm sure she must have felt a lot better after having exorcised so many demons. Nevertheless, it was certainly a difficult book to get through.