What do you think?
Rate this book
Jazz
A heartbreaking portrayal of ambition, treachery, and deception, Jazz tells the story of Chris Sommers, an aspiring writer from New York, who travels to Paris in the hopes of meeting Amber, a mysterious and beautiful woman he has always been irresistibly drawn to.
Chris is soon thrust into a world where everyone seems to be playing a dangerous and corrupt game. Anything is permissible, and even secrets that have been locked away inside the most hidden drawers of the soul will slowly resurface.
Chris is soon thrust into a world where everyone seems to be playing a dangerous and corrupt game. Anything is permissible, and even secrets that have been locked away inside the most hidden drawers of the soul will slowly resurface.
ebook
First published July 23, 2012
2 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Cristian Mihai
28 books62 followersCristian Mihai is a Romanian author, blogger, and entrepreneur known for his sharp prose, thought-provoking narratives, and relentless exploration of the human condition. Born in Constanța, Romania, Cristian grew up surrounded by the timeless stories of European literature, which sparked his passion for writing at a young age.
Cristian's body of work spans fiction, nonfiction, and experimental storytelling, often blending genres to challenge conventional narrative structures. His fiction delves into themes of love, ambition, and existential struggle, while his nonfiction—ranging from self-help to literary analysis—offers raw, unfiltered perspectives on creativity, writing, and life itself.
Cristian's writing has earned him a dedicated following and established him as one of Romania’s most dynamic literary voices, with ambitions that transcend borders and genres.
Cristian's body of work spans fiction, nonfiction, and experimental storytelling, often blending genres to challenge conventional narrative structures. His fiction delves into themes of love, ambition, and existential struggle, while his nonfiction—ranging from self-help to literary analysis—offers raw, unfiltered perspectives on creativity, writing, and life itself.
Cristian's writing has earned him a dedicated following and established him as one of Romania’s most dynamic literary voices, with ambitions that transcend borders and genres.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 4, 2021
Excellent! A moving coming of age tale about unrequited love. And the bitter realization that those we love are not always what we imagined them to be. A well written work of art.
Some favorite quotes:
(Second edition, April 2017, kindle)
"We are the prisoners of our own ideals."
(kindle p. 52).
"We were like turtles trying to keep up with a pack of lions. The world was too fast and too hungry for us."
(kindle p. 57).
Some favorite quotes:
(Second edition, April 2017, kindle)
"We are the prisoners of our own ideals."
(kindle p. 52).
"We were like turtles trying to keep up with a pack of lions. The world was too fast and too hungry for us."
(kindle p. 57).
January 23, 2013
I completely fell in love with Cristian Mihai’s beautiful way of writing. His main character, Chris Sommers, is an embodiment of realism. His persona was much attune to what some of us feel about ambition, love, and the realization of heartbreaking disappointment. I felt a connection to him in a much deeper level than I’ve ever known. Mihai’s writing style just reaches out to you, captures you – without letting go for a moment. It’s also very personal that you just can’t help but love the main protagonist. There were times where it pained me to stop reading because I wanted to note down my favorite quotes from the novel because it was just that amazingly brilliant.
From the very first chapter of the novel, we follow Chris Sommers on his adventure to Paris to find the girl he’s always been drawn to. Everyone loves an unrequited love story, right? When he arrives, he sees Amber, but everything is not as he expected them to be. He is then thrust into the Paris lifestyle where he finds himself and rediscovers events that changed his life, but also Amber’s.
The story itself is thought-provoking with beautiful and lyrical prose on almost every single page. It almost reminded me of F. Scott Fizgerald in that way where there is a story being written but underneath the surface is a message trying to be deciphered. I think it’s the reason why I fell in love with Jazz and am now a fan of his work.
Honestly, I would suggest this book to anyone who purely loves reading and is drawn to contemporary, indie novels. Cristian Mihai has a blog of his own on WordPress so….go forth and stalk him!Goodness. I really hope this doesn’t get me in trouble. If you, Cristian, ever come across this don’t think I’m so psycho. Kay?
Memorable Quotes:
We never perceive the passage of time in the same mechanical manner the ticking of a watch implies. For us time is subjective, a sinuous river, sometimes viscous, almost grinding to a halt as we zigzag our way among pedestrians wearing heavy jackets, and sometimes fast and turbulent, leading our lives with indescribable fury.
Artists never create art for what they might find. Some want to free themselves from nightmares, others want to inspire, or raise questions, or make people understand the world around them. Some want to entertain, others want to get rich, but it seems to me that no matter our reason for choosing to become artists, we all find more happiness in the stories or paintings or songs we create than we find in the real world.
We are all broken beyond repair and neither fame nor money can bring back what’s been taken from us. We all build these wonderful things, we all create art that inspires, that makes people cry or laugh, but, in the end, all we ever want is to be normal. We aspire for greatness because we know we’re never going to find the one person who loves us for who we are.
We are the prisoners of our own ideals. We have to follow a strict pattern, a set of rules and laws, and play the role society designed for us. We are taught that our choices don’t matter, that at best we are insignificant, and at worst we are invisible, shadowy figures wandering around a desolate landscape filled with rigid concrete boxes and bleak lights shivering in the night. I guess that what I’m really trying to say is that our freed is limited only by what we believe to be the perception others have about us.
From the very first chapter of the novel, we follow Chris Sommers on his adventure to Paris to find the girl he’s always been drawn to. Everyone loves an unrequited love story, right? When he arrives, he sees Amber, but everything is not as he expected them to be. He is then thrust into the Paris lifestyle where he finds himself and rediscovers events that changed his life, but also Amber’s.
The story itself is thought-provoking with beautiful and lyrical prose on almost every single page. It almost reminded me of F. Scott Fizgerald in that way where there is a story being written but underneath the surface is a message trying to be deciphered. I think it’s the reason why I fell in love with Jazz and am now a fan of his work.
Honestly, I would suggest this book to anyone who purely loves reading and is drawn to contemporary, indie novels. Cristian Mihai has a blog of his own on WordPress so….go forth and stalk him!
Memorable Quotes:
We never perceive the passage of time in the same mechanical manner the ticking of a watch implies. For us time is subjective, a sinuous river, sometimes viscous, almost grinding to a halt as we zigzag our way among pedestrians wearing heavy jackets, and sometimes fast and turbulent, leading our lives with indescribable fury.
Artists never create art for what they might find. Some want to free themselves from nightmares, others want to inspire, or raise questions, or make people understand the world around them. Some want to entertain, others want to get rich, but it seems to me that no matter our reason for choosing to become artists, we all find more happiness in the stories or paintings or songs we create than we find in the real world.
We are all broken beyond repair and neither fame nor money can bring back what’s been taken from us. We all build these wonderful things, we all create art that inspires, that makes people cry or laugh, but, in the end, all we ever want is to be normal. We aspire for greatness because we know we’re never going to find the one person who loves us for who we are.
We are the prisoners of our own ideals. We have to follow a strict pattern, a set of rules and laws, and play the role society designed for us. We are taught that our choices don’t matter, that at best we are insignificant, and at worst we are invisible, shadowy figures wandering around a desolate landscape filled with rigid concrete boxes and bleak lights shivering in the night. I guess that what I’m really trying to say is that our freed is limited only by what we believe to be the perception others have about us.
December 31, 2018
I was not sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I knew the author through his blog (https://cristianmihai.net/), but this was the first book of his that I have read, and I was in no way disappointed. This book was a joy to read. It was a pleasure to the senses in the use of language, in the descriptions and in the simple, but oh-so-profound plot.
The plot is a slice of life, that of a young writer, Chris Sommers. He is the son of a New York restaurateur who meets and falls in love with his cousin’s girlfriend, Amber. His cousin breaks up with her when he discovers that another man, an artist, has painted a very revealing portrait of her. However, Chris is so taken with her that when she leaves New York and moves to Paris, he is helpless to urge to follow her. He sets up residence in Paris for the summer, finds out where she is working, and that she is now living with a jazz musician, and like any satellite, follows her orbit faithfully and regularly.
In trying to find a way to deal with what he is feeling about her, he starts to write endlessly, producing a novel about a goddess in her milieu. And along the way, he begins to learn the truth about the woman with whom he is so enamoured, and discovers that he is not the only man who is under her thrall, and what men will do when they are so enchanted by a beautiful woman.
It remains a short novel and a simple plot, but it conveys one of the universal truths of our society. And Mr Mihai’s writing is so beautifully crafted that it carries the story beyond the mere step by step adoring drudgery of Chris Sommers’ life to a meditative reflection, a plaintive prayer to that goddess who is so careless with the love of those around her. He manages to encapsulate worlds of meaning in brief descriptions, like:
“But every once in a while, she would rest her head on his shoulder, lock her fingers around his, or kiss him on the lips. And in that moment I felt as if I weren’t part of the story. I was just a minor character in their lives, a simple witness .”
Or
“It just seems easier to make one million strangers love you for your art than it is to make one person love you for who you are .”
Or
“I think that I was telling someone about my mistakes not because I wished to redeem myself, but because I needed to admit them out loud, to utter the words and hope for redemption.”
And with that, he captures the pain and longing of the heart that has set its desire on a particular love and will accept no substitute.
I thoroughly recommend this book and the author’s other works. Cristian Mihai’s blog is a continuous source of encouragement to me in my writing. As I perceive it, he is both seer and encourager. He sees the human condition, the needs of the human heart and looks to encourage people. It is worth following his blog for his daily encouragements, but his novels are well worth reading also.
In addition to this book, he has written “2.22 AM” and “The Writer”, literary novels that deal with the problems that face the creative souls within our society, as well as a collection of essays and couple of collections of short stories.
The plot is a slice of life, that of a young writer, Chris Sommers. He is the son of a New York restaurateur who meets and falls in love with his cousin’s girlfriend, Amber. His cousin breaks up with her when he discovers that another man, an artist, has painted a very revealing portrait of her. However, Chris is so taken with her that when she leaves New York and moves to Paris, he is helpless to urge to follow her. He sets up residence in Paris for the summer, finds out where she is working, and that she is now living with a jazz musician, and like any satellite, follows her orbit faithfully and regularly.
In trying to find a way to deal with what he is feeling about her, he starts to write endlessly, producing a novel about a goddess in her milieu. And along the way, he begins to learn the truth about the woman with whom he is so enamoured, and discovers that he is not the only man who is under her thrall, and what men will do when they are so enchanted by a beautiful woman.
It remains a short novel and a simple plot, but it conveys one of the universal truths of our society. And Mr Mihai’s writing is so beautifully crafted that it carries the story beyond the mere step by step adoring drudgery of Chris Sommers’ life to a meditative reflection, a plaintive prayer to that goddess who is so careless with the love of those around her. He manages to encapsulate worlds of meaning in brief descriptions, like:
“But every once in a while, she would rest her head on his shoulder, lock her fingers around his, or kiss him on the lips. And in that moment I felt as if I weren’t part of the story. I was just a minor character in their lives, a simple witness .”
Or
“It just seems easier to make one million strangers love you for your art than it is to make one person love you for who you are .”
Or
“I think that I was telling someone about my mistakes not because I wished to redeem myself, but because I needed to admit them out loud, to utter the words and hope for redemption.”
And with that, he captures the pain and longing of the heart that has set its desire on a particular love and will accept no substitute.
I thoroughly recommend this book and the author’s other works. Cristian Mihai’s blog is a continuous source of encouragement to me in my writing. As I perceive it, he is both seer and encourager. He sees the human condition, the needs of the human heart and looks to encourage people. It is worth following his blog for his daily encouragements, but his novels are well worth reading also.
In addition to this book, he has written “2.22 AM” and “The Writer”, literary novels that deal with the problems that face the creative souls within our society, as well as a collection of essays and couple of collections of short stories.
August 21, 2012
I'm torn between giving 3 stars and 4 stars, because I think ultimately I want to give about 3.5 to this story.
I enjoyed the style of Jazz; it felt reading an impressionist painting of a Gilded Age dinner party. Gatsby-esque in style but short of Gatsby in substance.
SPOILERS to follow.
The protagonist, Chris Sommers, devolves through the course of this novella. He starts off with the sort of purity and naivety we assign to Romeo, as Chris chases his unrequited love, Amber. Chris slowly cashes in all the amiable capital he's granted as the story's protagonist by showing the less-than-innocent sides of his personality. He's condescending, he's manipulative, he's vindictive, he's selfish, but probably what is must frustrating about Chris is as a protagonist is that he doesn't learn. Amber - by her own admission - has no great charm or talent beyond her superficial beauty, which she exploits by leading along just about every male character in the story. Chris witnesses each and every one of Amber's betrayals firsthand and turns a blind eye to them.
It is disheartening that by the end of Jazz I found myself torn between wanting Chris to prove he's evolved by spurning Amber and wanting them to end up together so Chris might finally learn, through his own betrayal, that Amber is nothing beyond a pretty facade.
END SPOILERS
As I eluded to above, the story is stylistically well-written. Though I found myself feeling displaced in time. The story is set in the present day, or close enough thereabouts, but the overall tone as a much earlier feel to it; Gilded Age as I managed above. There are some plot holes that are minor and tangential to the main story, but still are a bit confusing.
I will say, this is the first piece I've read by Christian Mihai, as well as the first piece of independent fiction that I've read. While there were aspects of Jazz that I wasn't fond of, I ultimately found myself drawn to the story and wanting to find out how it ended. As a first dip into Christian's work, and a first dip into independent fiction, I will say that I now inclined to read more of both.
I enjoyed the style of Jazz; it felt reading an impressionist painting of a Gilded Age dinner party. Gatsby-esque in style but short of Gatsby in substance.
SPOILERS to follow.
The protagonist, Chris Sommers, devolves through the course of this novella. He starts off with the sort of purity and naivety we assign to Romeo, as Chris chases his unrequited love, Amber. Chris slowly cashes in all the amiable capital he's granted as the story's protagonist by showing the less-than-innocent sides of his personality. He's condescending, he's manipulative, he's vindictive, he's selfish, but probably what is must frustrating about Chris is as a protagonist is that he doesn't learn. Amber - by her own admission - has no great charm or talent beyond her superficial beauty, which she exploits by leading along just about every male character in the story. Chris witnesses each and every one of Amber's betrayals firsthand and turns a blind eye to them.
It is disheartening that by the end of Jazz I found myself torn between wanting Chris to prove he's evolved by spurning Amber and wanting them to end up together so Chris might finally learn, through his own betrayal, that Amber is nothing beyond a pretty facade.
END SPOILERS
As I eluded to above, the story is stylistically well-written. Though I found myself feeling displaced in time. The story is set in the present day, or close enough thereabouts, but the overall tone as a much earlier feel to it; Gilded Age as I managed above. There are some plot holes that are minor and tangential to the main story, but still are a bit confusing.
I will say, this is the first piece I've read by Christian Mihai, as well as the first piece of independent fiction that I've read. While there were aspects of Jazz that I wasn't fond of, I ultimately found myself drawn to the story and wanting to find out how it ended. As a first dip into Christian's work, and a first dip into independent fiction, I will say that I now inclined to read more of both.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2012
This is my second time experiencing the beauty of Cristian’s writing, and again, I am so unbelievably impressed! He has this way of enveloping you with his words, coating you with vivid imagery and clever prose that will leave you breathless and engrossed page after page. This beautifully haunted story is truly exceptional, and a must read for any reader who craves a tale centered around pure, human emotion described in such great detail that you feel it down to your very core.
Jazz is the story of an early twenties man from New York City who knows but one thing in this world: he’s in love with a stunning, graceful, beautiful, and unattainable woman. The story wraps around his complicated and stifling emotions for her, his fierce and unshakable love. And as you learn more about her, it becomes clear that no man can shake this siren from their thoughts.
Our young protagonist is no different. He goes halfway across the world to find her, to simply be with her, only to learn that the woman of his dreams is really just a girl, broken and flawed in hideous and awful ways. But will he still love her, despite all of it? Throw in a clever cast of shady characters and he will find himself stuck in the middle of a chaos he never intended to uncover.
Another stunning example of Cristian’s elegant and poignant style of writing, Jazz is a remarkable story that will stay with you long after you read it.
Jazz is the story of an early twenties man from New York City who knows but one thing in this world: he’s in love with a stunning, graceful, beautiful, and unattainable woman. The story wraps around his complicated and stifling emotions for her, his fierce and unshakable love. And as you learn more about her, it becomes clear that no man can shake this siren from their thoughts.
Our young protagonist is no different. He goes halfway across the world to find her, to simply be with her, only to learn that the woman of his dreams is really just a girl, broken and flawed in hideous and awful ways. But will he still love her, despite all of it? Throw in a clever cast of shady characters and he will find himself stuck in the middle of a chaos he never intended to uncover.
Another stunning example of Cristian’s elegant and poignant style of writing, Jazz is a remarkable story that will stay with you long after you read it.
October 30, 2013
A story of unfulfilled love is something we can all relate to, so it's easy to walk around in the shoes of Jazz's main character, Chris Sommers.
It's even easier to wander around the dark streets of Paris, especially one so genuinely described. Often we see Paris as this romanticized city, but I love the way Mihai shows us a deeper side, one which matches the complexities of his characters.
For such a young writer, Cristian Mihai shows amazing promise with Jazz. His writing style has a distinct swagger to it, which really appeals to me. What I also love...Mihai isn't afraid to make the reader feel.
Jazz is a short, seamless read that is worth your time.
Britt Skrabanek
http://brittskrabanek.com
It's even easier to wander around the dark streets of Paris, especially one so genuinely described. Often we see Paris as this romanticized city, but I love the way Mihai shows us a deeper side, one which matches the complexities of his characters.
For such a young writer, Cristian Mihai shows amazing promise with Jazz. His writing style has a distinct swagger to it, which really appeals to me. What I also love...Mihai isn't afraid to make the reader feel.
Jazz is a short, seamless read that is worth your time.
Britt Skrabanek
http://brittskrabanek.com
September 22, 2012
Self-publishing brings many benefits. Writers can work on finding their own voice, unmediated, without gatekeepers. Electronic self-publishing is even more enabling. Risks don’t include the pile of remaindered books sending a dismal message of failure - and even when the e-book doesn’t “go viral”, the authors can comfort themselves with the thought that maybe there is just too much noise out there for their voice to be heard.
But – and there is always a but - there is always a need for an editor. The traditional book-publishing world knows that. The self-publishing world may still be discovering it. Do beta readers fill the same function? I’m not sure.
I’ve just finished reading Cristian Mihai’s “Jazz” - twice. It was a gift – nonetheless to honour it, I do need to look properly into its mouth.
It’s a short novel – perhaps better called a novella at 79 pages – a ‘coming of age’ story with the timeless theme of a young man pursuing his dream girl to Paris, only to find himself (perhaps). Is he as foolish to believe in happy endings as other characters say? Or is it sufficient that in pursuing his infatuation with Amber he finds the place and time to commit himself to writing, with her as ‘deus ex machina’ rather than ‘muse’?
The “I” of the novel, Chris Sommers, is 23, living in New York, a would-be writer. Amber is an extremely beautiful young woman, engaged to his cousin, and waitressing in his father’s restaurant. A falling-out caused by her possible infidelity with another man results in the bankruptcy of the restaurant and her departure to Paris. Chris sells his apartment, gives half the proceeds to his father to assist with the debts, and pursues Amber to Paris, where she continues to have fidelity issues.
Several worthwhile questions wind through the narrative �� about the possibility/plausibility of happy endings, the choices of fighting or waiting, the development of a writer’s voice, and the function of absolute beauty in a woman. The last of those could have had more development. Was Amber’s behaviour an attempt to find a reason for being, other than simply being beautiful? Or perhaps that was legitimately outside the purview of a 23-year-old male narrator.
Now to the need for an editor - or if that sounds too much like the “old” publishing world, a skilled critical friend with permission to employ the “track changes” tool.
Mihai’s writing has moments of delight - phrases like “the faint perfume of hope”, his description of feeling “as if I were an actor who has rehearsed his lines so many times, and then, when he has to utter them in front of an audience, the rest of the cast change their lines”, and his closing page where white paint partially erases a painting, and snow falls outside, erasing everything, where among the passages that I marked with pleasure.
But (that but) there are some real clangers. Whether this comes from the difficulties of some subtleties when writing in English from Romania – or from just trying too hard I cannot tell. Some descriptions, like that describing flowering plants as “gambolling on the walls, or on the terrace, cooking in the sunlight” conjure unintended pictures. “Glared” seems to substitute for “gazed” or “stared” on several occasions. Then there are the simple grammatical mistakes (“me” for “I”, “shined” for “shone”).
Of course, there are writers who create narrators with decidedly idiosyncratic voices, smashed English, and fanciful phrase-construction. However, that needs to be a deliberate and consistent voice. A little tweaking to Chris’s back-story to give him an other-language background might make for less dissonance.
An editor might also have raised questions about the role of Chris Pelham. He appears as a nemesis figure in New York, and creates a necessary plot-lever. He reappears in Paris, but to no effect. Why?
All that said, Jazz is a nicely paced exploration of what it might be like to be an infatuated young writer pursuing his amour and his talent in Paris – as a young man must! I ended up indulgently fond of Chris Sommers, would-be lover, would-be writer, and would-be detective of meaning.
Cristian Mihai has talent as a story-teller. From his blog I know he works consciously and conscientiously at his craft. Talent plus effort… must equal success!
But – and there is always a but - there is always a need for an editor. The traditional book-publishing world knows that. The self-publishing world may still be discovering it. Do beta readers fill the same function? I’m not sure.
I’ve just finished reading Cristian Mihai’s “Jazz” - twice. It was a gift – nonetheless to honour it, I do need to look properly into its mouth.
It’s a short novel – perhaps better called a novella at 79 pages – a ‘coming of age’ story with the timeless theme of a young man pursuing his dream girl to Paris, only to find himself (perhaps). Is he as foolish to believe in happy endings as other characters say? Or is it sufficient that in pursuing his infatuation with Amber he finds the place and time to commit himself to writing, with her as ‘deus ex machina’ rather than ‘muse’?
The “I” of the novel, Chris Sommers, is 23, living in New York, a would-be writer. Amber is an extremely beautiful young woman, engaged to his cousin, and waitressing in his father’s restaurant. A falling-out caused by her possible infidelity with another man results in the bankruptcy of the restaurant and her departure to Paris. Chris sells his apartment, gives half the proceeds to his father to assist with the debts, and pursues Amber to Paris, where she continues to have fidelity issues.
Several worthwhile questions wind through the narrative �� about the possibility/plausibility of happy endings, the choices of fighting or waiting, the development of a writer’s voice, and the function of absolute beauty in a woman. The last of those could have had more development. Was Amber’s behaviour an attempt to find a reason for being, other than simply being beautiful? Or perhaps that was legitimately outside the purview of a 23-year-old male narrator.
Now to the need for an editor - or if that sounds too much like the “old” publishing world, a skilled critical friend with permission to employ the “track changes” tool.
Mihai’s writing has moments of delight - phrases like “the faint perfume of hope”, his description of feeling “as if I were an actor who has rehearsed his lines so many times, and then, when he has to utter them in front of an audience, the rest of the cast change their lines”, and his closing page where white paint partially erases a painting, and snow falls outside, erasing everything, where among the passages that I marked with pleasure.
But (that but) there are some real clangers. Whether this comes from the difficulties of some subtleties when writing in English from Romania – or from just trying too hard I cannot tell. Some descriptions, like that describing flowering plants as “gambolling on the walls, or on the terrace, cooking in the sunlight” conjure unintended pictures. “Glared” seems to substitute for “gazed” or “stared” on several occasions. Then there are the simple grammatical mistakes (“me” for “I”, “shined” for “shone”).
Of course, there are writers who create narrators with decidedly idiosyncratic voices, smashed English, and fanciful phrase-construction. However, that needs to be a deliberate and consistent voice. A little tweaking to Chris’s back-story to give him an other-language background might make for less dissonance.
An editor might also have raised questions about the role of Chris Pelham. He appears as a nemesis figure in New York, and creates a necessary plot-lever. He reappears in Paris, but to no effect. Why?
All that said, Jazz is a nicely paced exploration of what it might be like to be an infatuated young writer pursuing his amour and his talent in Paris – as a young man must! I ended up indulgently fond of Chris Sommers, would-be lover, would-be writer, and would-be detective of meaning.
Cristian Mihai has talent as a story-teller. From his blog I know he works consciously and conscientiously at his craft. Talent plus effort… must equal success!
August 2, 2012
For a short story, this is very, very good. It is nothing like what I usually read, and that’s one of the reasons I requested the author let me read it. The book blurb intrigued the mind and once read, the story within fully satisfied it.
This is a well told tale of a painful unrequited love of Chris for Amber, his cousin’s girlfriend. The story starts of gently, with the relationship between all protagonists slowly flushing out, picking up steam with Chris traveling to Paris to face not just Amber, but his feelings for her.
There’s a lot to like about this psychological thought-provoking short story that is filled with picture painted prose.
I liked Chris because he was so real and in touch with his inner thoughts and feelings. He was one of those very likable characters that we want to smother with hugs.
Amber was another story altogether. I felt sorry for this lost soul and hoped that by the time I reached the end, she would have grown up. In the end, I appreciated the author letting my imagination fly on the ending of this story.
If you’re in a mood for a short story with substance in which the author masterfully crafts his characters with a wonderful prose, I highly recommend you pick this one up. It is a great poolside, beach side or just plain at home read.
Here are some excerpts that impressed me and I hope will give you a glimpse of the writing style of this author:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A blistering wind blew off from every direction, and the quiet light that came from lamps and enclosed the grey skin of the sidewalk couldn’t stop darkness from wrapping itself around glass and concrete and flesh in what resembled a tight and desperate embrace. I could feel the harsh air painfully playing inside my lungs. It hurt to even blink."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We never perceive the passage of time in the same mechanical manner the ticking of a watch implies. For us time is subjective, a sinuous river, sometimes viscous, almost grinding to a halt as we zigzag our way among pedestrians wearing heavy jackets, and sometimes fast and turbulent, leading our lives with indescribable fury.
Fragments of a wild and bizarre beauty would appear and disappear fast, never settling for more than what felt as a second. My mind couldn’t put together all the glints that my past kept throwing at me. But then the incessant moan of the city night faded away into silence, and my mind began to weave an intricate web of memories.
What had started off as a waffling and erratic cocktail of images, condensed to such a degree that I could barely discern Amber’s face, had now grown into a fascinating and yet frightening labyrinth.
I took pleasure in building Amber, piece by piece, until my mind contained a fully fleshed version of a thin and gracious young woman, a white dress sculpted around her body and her black hair falling down to her waist. It was a two year old memory, but it felt as real as the people I was walking around with."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It’s a shame actually that certain depths of the human spirit cannot be explained using conventional words. Those who have dealt with words for some time know it better than anyone else. For them moments of extreme clarity, of powerful inspiration, are rare, and they approach them with fear and respect, the same way you’d approach an ancient relic."
Melanie for b2b
This is a well told tale of a painful unrequited love of Chris for Amber, his cousin’s girlfriend. The story starts of gently, with the relationship between all protagonists slowly flushing out, picking up steam with Chris traveling to Paris to face not just Amber, but his feelings for her.
There’s a lot to like about this psychological thought-provoking short story that is filled with picture painted prose.
I liked Chris because he was so real and in touch with his inner thoughts and feelings. He was one of those very likable characters that we want to smother with hugs.
Amber was another story altogether. I felt sorry for this lost soul and hoped that by the time I reached the end, she would have grown up. In the end, I appreciated the author letting my imagination fly on the ending of this story.
If you’re in a mood for a short story with substance in which the author masterfully crafts his characters with a wonderful prose, I highly recommend you pick this one up. It is a great poolside, beach side or just plain at home read.
Here are some excerpts that impressed me and I hope will give you a glimpse of the writing style of this author:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A blistering wind blew off from every direction, and the quiet light that came from lamps and enclosed the grey skin of the sidewalk couldn’t stop darkness from wrapping itself around glass and concrete and flesh in what resembled a tight and desperate embrace. I could feel the harsh air painfully playing inside my lungs. It hurt to even blink."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We never perceive the passage of time in the same mechanical manner the ticking of a watch implies. For us time is subjective, a sinuous river, sometimes viscous, almost grinding to a halt as we zigzag our way among pedestrians wearing heavy jackets, and sometimes fast and turbulent, leading our lives with indescribable fury.
Fragments of a wild and bizarre beauty would appear and disappear fast, never settling for more than what felt as a second. My mind couldn’t put together all the glints that my past kept throwing at me. But then the incessant moan of the city night faded away into silence, and my mind began to weave an intricate web of memories.
What had started off as a waffling and erratic cocktail of images, condensed to such a degree that I could barely discern Amber’s face, had now grown into a fascinating and yet frightening labyrinth.
I took pleasure in building Amber, piece by piece, until my mind contained a fully fleshed version of a thin and gracious young woman, a white dress sculpted around her body and her black hair falling down to her waist. It was a two year old memory, but it felt as real as the people I was walking around with."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It’s a shame actually that certain depths of the human spirit cannot be explained using conventional words. Those who have dealt with words for some time know it better than anyone else. For them moments of extreme clarity, of powerful inspiration, are rare, and they approach them with fear and respect, the same way you’d approach an ancient relic."
Melanie for b2b
October 28, 2012
3.5. Jazz is a novella length book all about coming of age and unrequited love. Both growing up and unrequited love are definitely powerful topics. Chris is in love with Amber. To him, she's absolutely perfect. He is sure that they're meant for each other. Unfortunately, Amber is very much engaged to Chris' cousin. That doesn't seem to stop Chris though. He follows Amber to Paris, the city of romance, in order to try to get to know her and to forge some sort of friendship come romance. I think many of us will be able to find something of ourselves in Chris. So many of us have fallen for someone that seems completely unattainable. This is sort of a universal story in that way.
The story itself is good. I am most definitely a hopeless romantic so I love stories like this. I wish that there had been more of a description about why Chris falls for Amber. We see that he is stunned by her. We see that he thinks she's amazing. The "why" factor was missing for me. As you all may have figured out, I also like to know the motivations behind why the characters do what the characters do in different situations. I want to get into their heads. I could not really do that with neither Chris nor Amber, which took me out of the book a little bit.
The writing itself is pretty good. There are some really good turns of phrase in the book. In places, the language was a little stilted but not enough so to take away from the story too much. Mihai has a lot of promise.
Bottom line: A universal tale of unrequited love!
The story itself is good. I am most definitely a hopeless romantic so I love stories like this. I wish that there had been more of a description about why Chris falls for Amber. We see that he is stunned by her. We see that he thinks she's amazing. The "why" factor was missing for me. As you all may have figured out, I also like to know the motivations behind why the characters do what the characters do in different situations. I want to get into their heads. I could not really do that with neither Chris nor Amber, which took me out of the book a little bit.
The writing itself is pretty good. There are some really good turns of phrase in the book. In places, the language was a little stilted but not enough so to take away from the story too much. Mihai has a lot of promise.
Bottom line: A universal tale of unrequited love!
December 15, 2012
The Artist – My Review of Jazz by Cristian Mihai
“Bartenders were pouring drinks into glasses, releasing a strong miasma of liquor into the air.” - Jazz (Kindle Locations 48-49). Cristian Mihai.
That’s the first sentence of the novel and after that I was hooked. Well, the cover actually hooked me first. Like a beautiful woman, I looked at the cover and wanted to get to know the book a little better. And then I was treated to that first sentence and I knew that I was going to enjoy the rest of the story. Jazz did not disappoint me.
The story is about Chris Sommers, a writer trying to find his muse while dealing with an unhealthy attraction to his cousin’s fiancée Amber. She’s more than just beautiful to Chris. She’s something of a goddess. Well, he puts her on that pedestal. Amber seems to have no real redeeming qualities other than her beauty and nearly every man that knows her well tries to talk Chris out of his infatuation. Some even feel sorry for him. Nevertheless Chris follows Amber all the way to Paris, where he finds out things about her that he may not have wanted to know.
Cristian Mihai paints a beautiful picture for the reader. He’s a very descriptive writer who not only describes the scenery in such a way that envelops the reader, but he also paints a vivid picture of the players. Readers will feel Chris and Amber’s emotions and perhaps even pity them. Jazz is a well written work and Cristian Mihai is definitely a talented artist. I look forward to reading more of his works.
“Bartenders were pouring drinks into glasses, releasing a strong miasma of liquor into the air.” - Jazz (Kindle Locations 48-49). Cristian Mihai.
That’s the first sentence of the novel and after that I was hooked. Well, the cover actually hooked me first. Like a beautiful woman, I looked at the cover and wanted to get to know the book a little better. And then I was treated to that first sentence and I knew that I was going to enjoy the rest of the story. Jazz did not disappoint me.
The story is about Chris Sommers, a writer trying to find his muse while dealing with an unhealthy attraction to his cousin’s fiancée Amber. She’s more than just beautiful to Chris. She’s something of a goddess. Well, he puts her on that pedestal. Amber seems to have no real redeeming qualities other than her beauty and nearly every man that knows her well tries to talk Chris out of his infatuation. Some even feel sorry for him. Nevertheless Chris follows Amber all the way to Paris, where he finds out things about her that he may not have wanted to know.
Cristian Mihai paints a beautiful picture for the reader. He’s a very descriptive writer who not only describes the scenery in such a way that envelops the reader, but he also paints a vivid picture of the players. Readers will feel Chris and Amber’s emotions and perhaps even pity them. Jazz is a well written work and Cristian Mihai is definitely a talented artist. I look forward to reading more of his works.
November 30, 2012
At its most basic this book tells the story of a man moving from New York to Paris to see a girl. However, as with jazz music, it takes the basic refrain and gives it back in a new order focussing more on the feeling behind events than their actual facts.
Although it is only 52 pages all of the locations are fully developed and have distinct characters. I was especially drawn in by the feelings of insularity and claustrophobia evoked by the descriptions of Paris.
With a plot based on a man's attraction to another man's girlfriend and many scenes set in the brittle world of parties and clubs, this story has invites comparison with the Great Gatsby. However, whereas I found Fitzgerald's characters unengaging and the romance unsatisfying, Mihai has created a protagonist I wished to succeed.
Apart from the protagonist I found most of the characters objectionable. Mihai has possibly been too successful at creating a world of glitter coated rot; had the characters seemed less like base humanity I would probably reread this sooner.
Therefore I feel this is not a story for those who prefer to like most of the characters or to have happy endings. It is however a story for those who enjoy seeing each word build on the last without wasted effort or over ornamentation.
I received a free copy of this book.
Although it is only 52 pages all of the locations are fully developed and have distinct characters. I was especially drawn in by the feelings of insularity and claustrophobia evoked by the descriptions of Paris.
With a plot based on a man's attraction to another man's girlfriend and many scenes set in the brittle world of parties and clubs, this story has invites comparison with the Great Gatsby. However, whereas I found Fitzgerald's characters unengaging and the romance unsatisfying, Mihai has created a protagonist I wished to succeed.
Apart from the protagonist I found most of the characters objectionable. Mihai has possibly been too successful at creating a world of glitter coated rot; had the characters seemed less like base humanity I would probably reread this sooner.
Therefore I feel this is not a story for those who prefer to like most of the characters or to have happy endings. It is however a story for those who enjoy seeing each word build on the last without wasted effort or over ornamentation.
I received a free copy of this book.
February 1, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this coming-of-age/struggling artists in Paris short story. It’s reminiscent of the Fitzgerald-era jazz age authors with dark undertones that highlight the seedier side of life. The problem is: it’s too much imitation and not enough something new. I don’t get the whole thing with William and his family’s bankruptcy. It doesn’t feel developed enough to make me believe it and it never comes of anything after being such a big part of the beginning. The first half of the story jumps around too often and leaves the reader confused about just where they are.
SPOILER:
One of my big musts in a story is character growth. Chris did not grow. He devolved from a self-righteous early-twenties know-everything into a near lush who only "cared" about Amber because he wanted her for his own, not because she needed a helping hand. He gave no inference to actually wanting to help her be happy; he only expected her to change and fall for him so he would be happy. That's not love. The end left me unfulfilled. It didn't end. It just stopped.
There is, however, a lot of potential here and a nice young evolving author voice. I hope Mihai keeps writing and learning his trade.
Also reviewed at Elucidate Publishing: http://elucidatepublishing.blogspot.c...
SPOILER:
One of my big musts in a story is character growth. Chris did not grow. He devolved from a self-righteous early-twenties know-everything into a near lush who only "cared" about Amber because he wanted her for his own, not because she needed a helping hand. He gave no inference to actually wanting to help her be happy; he only expected her to change and fall for him so he would be happy. That's not love. The end left me unfulfilled. It didn't end. It just stopped.
There is, however, a lot of potential here and a nice young evolving author voice. I hope Mihai keeps writing and learning his trade.
Also reviewed at Elucidate Publishing: http://elucidatepublishing.blogspot.c...
January 19, 2015
Read my full review here: http://michaelcristiano.net/2015/01/1....
First impression: Mihai has some serious writing talent. Seriously. His writing style reminded me of Fitzgerald or Hemingway, not only in prowess but also in maturity. I love a piece that is multi-layered, and Jazz is just that. It’s a great story of love, heartbreak, and betrayal, but it’s also riddled with delectable metaphors and motifs.I also loved the characters that Mihai created. Each was wonderfully flawed, and that’s refreshing to me. Among the many highlights of this piece, though, there were a few places for improvement. First and foremost, the literary prowess was a little less impactful in spots because of blatant spelling or grammatical errors. To me, there’s nothing more distracting than tripping over a missing word or noticing that the grammar is wrong. It really breaks the flow.
First impression: Mihai has some serious writing talent. Seriously. His writing style reminded me of Fitzgerald or Hemingway, not only in prowess but also in maturity. I love a piece that is multi-layered, and Jazz is just that. It’s a great story of love, heartbreak, and betrayal, but it’s also riddled with delectable metaphors and motifs.I also loved the characters that Mihai created. Each was wonderfully flawed, and that’s refreshing to me. Among the many highlights of this piece, though, there were a few places for improvement. First and foremost, the literary prowess was a little less impactful in spots because of blatant spelling or grammatical errors. To me, there’s nothing more distracting than tripping over a missing word or noticing that the grammar is wrong. It really breaks the flow.
September 8, 2012
3 1/2 stars...
This book had a very Gastby-esque feel to it. So if you like The Great Gastby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, you'll love this book. I'm not a huge fan of Gatsby, which was why I am giving it 3 1/2 stars. The author did an exceptional job of portraying the way the main character's emotions towards Amber devolved from a pure idealistic love, down towards a physical obsession.
Though the author got pretty close to Fitzgerald's style of writing, he was never really able to get the depth of character that The Great Gatsby has. But, ultimately, this was a good, quick read.
This book had a very Gastby-esque feel to it. So if you like The Great Gastby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, you'll love this book. I'm not a huge fan of Gatsby, which was why I am giving it 3 1/2 stars. The author did an exceptional job of portraying the way the main character's emotions towards Amber devolved from a pure idealistic love, down towards a physical obsession.
Though the author got pretty close to Fitzgerald's style of writing, he was never really able to get the depth of character that The Great Gatsby has. But, ultimately, this was a good, quick read.
October 10, 2012
"The tale of two cousins falling for the same girl is told through the voice of a want-to-be writer as he is on the agonizing journey to find his unique writing style. Mihai writes with amazing details that will place readers directly in the smoky, dark bar rooms or in the bright, packed streets of Paris."
Notes:
The suthor provided a copy of this for me to review.
This portion of my review was originally posted on my website:
http://ariesgrlreview.com
Notes:
The suthor provided a copy of this for me to review.
This portion of my review was originally posted on my website:
http://ariesgrlreview.com
May 11, 2015
Chris loves Amber
That's just about the whole story right there...Chris is obsessed with Amber who seems always to be involved with another man. And then another. And then another. Even though Chris is warned time and again that Amber is not what she seems, he follows her to Paris to find out for himself. Well written, the lack of much plot still keeps the reader engaged til the end.
That's just about the whole story right there...Chris is obsessed with Amber who seems always to be involved with another man. And then another. And then another. Even though Chris is warned time and again that Amber is not what she seems, he follows her to Paris to find out for himself. Well written, the lack of much plot still keeps the reader engaged til the end.
December 27, 2013
I'm a follower of his blog and I found this great story. I love how the story unwrap itself to its reader. And the magical moments that when merged with the reality of human nature and the ever unexplained love and its affairs, would proudly present a great read. I love the first person perspective and the thoughts of the protagonist. A really good read, indeed.
November 28, 2012
C'est beau; c'est tout simplement beau.
A MUST-READ!!!
A MUST-READ!!!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews