Symphony

by Jude Morgan

An audacious, brilliant and haunting novel about the composer Hector Belioz, by the author of PASSION.

In 1827 Harriet Smithson, a beautiful and talented young Irish actress joins an English company taking Shakespeare to Paris. With the ferment of revolution in the air, the new generation is longing for a kind of passionate, spontaneous art. To Harriet's astonishment, it is embodied in her - La Belle Irlandaise. She finds herself pursued by an intense young composer named Hector Berlioz. So begins a painful and profound love affair. She is his muse; his id�e fixe; his obsession. And Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, directly inspired by Harriet, will change music forever.
In the course of their marriage, their lives are transfigured and destroyed by genius, inspiration, and ultimately madness. SYMPHONY is set against a background of nineteenth-century theatre, Romantic art and music, revolutionary Europe, inspiration and madness and features Liszt, Delacroix, Dumas, Hugo and Chopin. But at its heart lies the story of a woman who found, almost against her will, that she was a maker of magic.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Music, Historical, Romance, France, 19th Century

467 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2006

About the author

Jude Morgan was born and brought up in Peterborough on the edge of the Fens and was a student on the University of East Anglia MA Course in Creative Writing under Malcolm Bradbury and Angela Carter.

A pseudonym used by Tim Wilson.

Also wrote under the names T.R. Wilson and Hannah March.

Reviews

[Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

...after a time, one finds that the heart is simply not meant to pound all the time. The world couldn't go on. Regular rhythms are best. Look at nature.

Another bringing back to life by Jude Morgan. This time it was nineteenth-century theatre, Romantic art, music, and revolutionary Europe (mostly France). Morgan has a style that allows me to see, touch, hear and smell what he narrates. I feel like I met Harriet, Hector, Liszt, Chopin, Dumas, Hugo, and many others.

Yet, like three other historical fiction by the author I have read so far (The King's Touch, The Secret Life of William Shakespeare, Passion: A Novel of the Romantic Poets) this one also isn't for everyone. Morgan's style "takes no hostages". He used many tools to pull a reader into the era. You have to go with him, otherwise, you will end up bored or annoyed.

As a human study, it was magnificent, like Morgan's other novels. His answer to the question of who had been all those historical characters was fascinating, believable, real. They were a mirror reflection of us, we wear different clothes, listen to different music, etc., but at the core, in our hearts, we are the same as those who lived in the other era.

The clock of my heart and the clock of my body have never shown the same time.
I envy people who are synchronized, who are always their proper age. They have the secret of easy living.

Responsibilty, she discovered, was a sort of drug.

But her chief emotion was pity: for father's embarrassment at having to tell her this, for the staggerings of a man obliged, even for a little time, to throw away the crutches of untruth.

Yes, put it there, fill the table so there's no space left, no room for the guilt.

[4.5 stars]

PS Please, before you start reading keep in mind it isn't a romance. It is a historical fiction with a love story. You will understand (or at least you will have the chance to understand) the two main characters and their love for each other, but you will not get a sparking romance (or a dramatic romance). It was more like two biographies, that met and intertwined (late in the book).

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow...this book was so difficult to endure, and as hard as I tried to truck along to finish it, I had to quit at page 134.

The premise surrounds the lives of infamous composer Hector Berlioz and the love of his life, actress Harriet Smithson. Anyone who takes the team to learn about this doomed couple would be instantly piqued at the historical fiction fabricated around their relationship or love-affair, if you can call it that. The story is extremely intriguing, but the style of the book is not enjoyable at all. The feel of the novel is so detached, and for a current novel published in 2006, it has the feel of a forgotten classic that sometimes you have to read as a college or school project. The language is hard to follow, and it's nearly impossible to stay interested.

The book is a total of 374 pages, and by the time I got to my stopping point at page 134, we still hadn't reached the part where Harriet and Hector know of each other's existence. I don't think the biography portion, 90% about Harriet at this point, is really going to impact the remainder of the book. It's so boring that although I absolutely LOVE the idea of reading about Hector and Harriet, I'm just so against quitting this book and throwing it aside.

I honestly hope future readers get more out of this novel than me, and can enlighten me with a better journal entry. Best of luck to the person that takes this book on next.

[David Dunlap · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I'd give this one SIX stars...if GoodReads would allow me to do so...) A biographical novel about French composer Hector Berlioz -- especially focusing on his romance and marriage with Harriet Smithson. Wonderful insight into the characters and a strong sense of place (as one would expect from this author). Also very moving. A genuine triumph -- and my favorite among the Morgan novels I've read thus far. (I even RE-read it some time after the first reading!)

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harriet Smithson is an Irish actress; she is from a theatrical family, yet she spent her childhood resisting their calling. Hector Berlioz is meant to follow in his father's footsteps as a doctor, yet he cannot resist the music within him. When Harriet comes to Paris with an English company to act Shakespeare, Berlioz sees her as Ophelia and instantly adores her. After years of an obsession which produces Symphonie Fantastique (probably Berlioz's best-known work), they eventually meet and begin a powerful, painful love affair.

I have to say first that I did not care for the book's style. Morgan switches between past tense and present tense, often with different styles of punctuation; he interpolates first-person bits in which it seems Harriet is addressing the author directly, and there are even odder bits in which the author is essentially interviewing other composers (Chopin, Mendelssohn) about Hector and Harriet. I've read books where the author's tense changes seemed to mean something (Jo Walton's Lifelode or Rumer Godden's China Court The Hours of a Country House), but here, I just found them and the other style variations confusing and self-consciously clever. Every time the style changed, I was bounced out of the narrative and had to work to re-immerse myself.

But dislike of the style aside, I always was able to dive back into the book and keep reading with enjoyment. Morgan does beautifully with the period, with the characters, and most of all, with the portrayal of life as an artist (whether actor or composer). The novel does slow in the last hundred pages or so, because once Harriet and Hector are together, the tension of wondering when that would happen is gone and replaced by a drearier anxiety over how long their relationship will actually last. On balance, though, it's an excellent story, and the only thing stopping me from giving the book four stars is the overly elaborate style.

[Christine Steffens · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors! Her stories transport you to a different world in which you never want to leave. Her characters pull on your heartstrings drawing out your emotions for all to see. Myles and Veronica’s story reming me of fairytales with the best of endings. Throw in Mud and the story is pure perfection!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, Jude Morgan is officially now one of my favorite authors. He writes just the kind of books I love best (at least the kind of books I love best right now--I go through different reading moods): lush historical fiction, written in an innovative and modernist style, with poetic language, and focused largely on literary types--artists, bohemians, nonconformists, etc. I did have a couple minor issues with this book. It seemed oddly paced to me; it was leisurely and minutely detailed about the time before the lovers meet (pretty much the first 2/3 of the book), but strangely rushed and truncated about the time that the couple was actually together pre-mistress. Also, I really didn't get a feel for how it was exactly that Harriet served as muse for Hector--which of course is kind of the main point of the book. But I have to give it at least 4 stars for the gorgeous writing style, the heartbreaking tragic romanticism, and the sheer enjoyment of reading it.

[Joana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Jude Morgan's writing but I struggled a little to read this book.
The richness and uniqueness of Morgan's style is still there but the story is very slow paced and I found it a little boring at times. As usual, the characters are marvelously constructed and complex. You don't have to like theatre and music to read this book, but I imagine it makes it a lot more interesting. The sections I most enjoyed were ironically the ones about secondary characters: Dr. Berlioz, Adèle and the quirky interviews the narrator did to random characters.
It is a well-written book but it failed to completely grip me, like Passion or Touch of Sorrow.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book for the way it depicts both our lead characters and the turbulent era they lived in. You don't need to know anything about classical music either - I'd vaguely heard of Berlioz, didn't know anything other than his name, but I still enjoyed the book. It's mainly focused on an actress, Harriet Smithson, who comes from a family of Irish performers and initially doesn't want to be on stage. But as she grows up, she finds herself sucked into acting. In the early 19th century, acting is not seen as a respectable profession - especially not for a woman - but Harriet makes a name for herself and eventually travels to Paris with a company. There, her performances are seen by a young composer who becomes obsessed with her in the way that only early 19th-century Romantics could.

I like that we spend plenty of time with both characters before they meet - we understand their backgrounds and family situations, in both cases having to deal with difficult families - Berlioz's parents wanted him to be a doctor and Harriet's strictly religious sister becomes increasingly jealous and bitter.

At times, chapters are delivered in poetic and dramatic formats - highlighting certain scenes to the point I felt like I should be singing them (or at least reading them out loud in a suitably dramatic voice!). It reflects the world the characters work in as well as highlighting those key moments. There were some archaic/unusual words that I had to make a note of, but in many ways, the language reflects the era as well as the arty, intellectual circles our characters are moving in - and it makes the story seem like it could have actually been written at that time. The use of language echoes the feelings of our characters - their obsessiveness, the turbulence - you really feel like you're in their shoes.

Historical context is not neglected either; the characters feel the impact of events as France lurches from the last days of Napoleon to restoring the monarchy then deciding it doesn't want one. Other times, we focus on the smaller, day-to-day details - you really get a sense that the author knows their subject and is passionate about this story. It certainly fascinated me.

[SKM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh WOW! Myles and Veronica's love story is filled with pain, sorrow, Ashton, adventure, love, and passion. Myles'story absolutely holds up to his father's, uncle's, cousins, and brothers and was truly a standout among all the de Lohr novels. Like all Kathryn le Veque novels, this book is well written, had unique characters (not sure how she keeps doing that with all the books she had written but BRAVO), has a plot that grabs and hold you until the very end, and causes the reader to experience a multitude is emotions.

I'm sure others will summarize but I'm just fine to give facts:
1.) love and loss battle each other in this book
2.). honor can be won and lost
3.). true love is worth not only fighting for and dieing for, but living for

I cannot recommend this book enough. Do yourself a huge favor and read this book.

I just reviewed Lion of Hearts by Kathryn Le Veque. #LionofHearts #NetGalley

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical fiction details the relationship between composer Hector Berlioz and Harriet Smithson in the 1800s. Harriet, an Irish actress, takes a leap of faith by joining a Shakespeare company that is bringing the bard to Paris. There instead of struggling as she had in England, she becomes a sensation. She captivates Berlioz, who is inspired to write his Symphonie Fantastique. Despite her initial reluctance at his obsession, she eventually relents, leading to a tempestuous relationship. We see the strife and worry from each family. Berlioz’s parents want him to be a doctor instead of a man of music and Harriet’s sister is highly critical of any relationship she engages in. The style of the book goes back and forth between characters and in narrative style. While the subject matter was interesting, at times the book got bogged down in stylistic form.

[Texastwang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh I was soooo very excited when I found out one of my most favorite authors was writing a Lyons book. This is like reading 5 novels in one. You must pay attention or you might get confused. This is not a quick read but a detailed description of things happening all at once in 4 people’s lives who are loosely connected. From a 7 Dials street rat, to a brother and sister who found out they were related to their parents. wonderful intertwined and greatly enjoyed!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

[Jolie Dubriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lady of a Lyon had potential. A widow with a past looking for a husband to help her raise up her young son. It's a trope that his been used and reworked on a muplie of novel, with that being said this had potential. I honestly wish we had more of the backstory. We get the two main character history in telling then meet two other character with their own story developing. Maybe the author had a time issue and wanted to get this one out. The story and writitng is fine, just wish there was more.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my!!! If you don't read this book, you will be missing an awesome opportunity. All the Lyon books are created by different authors and each one is gifted, talented and amazing. This story, however has such a unique spin to it that it's beyond ordinary words. There is of course Mrs. Dove-Lyon who is always at her best. Then there are characters aplenty that you are just going to fall in love with. It's like getting multiple love stories in one book. The writing is fantastic, the characters out of this world and the ending awesome. I promise you will love it.

[Lisa James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical fiction story tells the story of the real life composer, Hector Berlioz, and his muse, & eventual wife, a brilliant actress by the name of Henrietta Smithson. It's a tale that's gritty in places, & about overcoming all the odds set against you if you believe enough, and are willing to work hard, & have that spark called luck.

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh gosh, this one was hard work to slog through.

We have a rather convoluted storyline, random characters, sudden realisations, murders ... it caused me a bit of a headache.

The writing is poor, the plotting is uneven and the characters don't jump off the page.

I can't recommend this one I'm afraid.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

NetGalley posted my review of another book on this book. I could not delete the review, so I just edited the wrong review out.

I left the review at a 5 as I have no knowledge of the story and do not want to penalize the author.

This is the only way I know to correct the issue created by NetGalley.

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the characters in the story and the story itself. However, I struggled with the way a lot of the backstory was told through dialogue. It was still interesting enough to keep me reading until the end and I enjoyed the book. I would read more.

[Sharonb · Rating 2 out of 5]

really struggled to finish this.

[Elaine Chapman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow. very introspective.

[Tanath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting dialect... sometimes a little difficult to follow.

[Christine Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere amongst the indulgent writing is a tale of enduring love

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fascinating, steamy, fun, action-packed and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and this author is a "must read" for me.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

About Berlioz

[Alexandra Scarborough · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read by Jude Morgan, and it definitely made me want to examine more of his work. I would actually give this novel 3 1/2 stars if that were possible in the ratings system.

First, I am a fan of good historical fiction, and this novel fit that bill. It was rich in its interpretation of the lives of Hector and Harriet Smithson Berlioz, and was a heartbreaking examination of the conflicting private thoughts we all have about our relationships, our value, our meaning in the world. There were moments the prose that were so affecting, I considered posting snippets of it on social media, because even out of context, it was profound. However, this beautiful language can also be a bit trying at times, as it feels like Morgan becomes lost in his own expression and his reader can end up a bit lost, too, in terms of where he's headed. I can understand his impulse for that, however, because each of our emotions are layered by memory, by doubt, by confusion. We are constantly traveling at multiple speeds in our heads.

As well, Morgan has a deep understanding of the inner life of the artist. Harriet's struggle in her love/hate relationship with the stage is one I have experienced myself as a long-time professional actor and director. His interpretation of composers' personalities through their work was also interesting and effective choice.

For those who are fans of more concise writing, this novel may not be to your liking. However, I found it lovely and was deeply moved by its ending.

[Bowerbird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Hector Berlioz, but also that of his wife Harriet. Born in Ireland of a theatrical family, her unconventional upbringing and her experience as an actress - a career she does not initially want - contrasts sharply with that of Hector's. His father, a doctor, wants his son to follow in his footsteps, but Hector is more and more determined to make music his life. As "entertainment" is not seen as respectable in the Berlioz family, Hector's choice makes him an outcast. His marriage only strengthens the estrangement. Although his genius is not truly recognised during his lifetime, Harriet is shown as an important source of his inspiration. It is therefore appropriate that we learn so much about Harriet's early life.
The early writing style has a musical breathlessness as each character grows, matures and falls in love. Only towards the end of the book when their relationship no longer works properly does it seem to jar. Although this could be deliberate, this slightly marrs the final chapters.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the use of language in this. Jude Morgan mixes the rhythm and musicality of speech with styles based in opera and the theatre. Like Morgan's novel 'Passion' this book is based on real life people. In this case it is that of composer Hector Berlioz and actress Harriet Smithson which makes it all the more interesting. The only slight grumble is that you are left with a few unanswered questions as to the narrator who sometimes pauses to talk directly to Harriet, and the identity of the interviewer of the other composers during the interludes. This does not detract from the story though, just leaves you slightly frustrated when you've finished it!

[Lexi Tatar · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of time spent on the beginning of Harriet's career. This didn't make much sense until the end once I realized how much her character changed and lost everything I came to know in the first half of the book. In general, very fast paced and enjoyable. Morgan writes in a very comfortable writing style where it's just challenging enough that you want to continue to read on. The best way to describe the ending though is anticlimactic. I was hoping for something much more passionate between Hector and Harriet nonetheless, the finality was sweet.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise. I picked it up at Dollar Tree to have a book to read on a long flight. I really liked the novel's structure and using Berlioz' "Symphonie Fantastique" as backdrop and inspiration. I'm familiar with Berlioz' music but I knew nothing about him as a person. I have to assume the story has some basis in fact. I liked that the main characters were flawed. It made the story that much more human.

[Barbara Cackler]

This was a great book - particularly if one is interested in classical music and knows a bit about 19th Century European music. It is a fun bit of historical fiction spun around French composer Hector Berlioz and his romance and subsequent marriage to Irish actress Harriett Smithson. It was a good read.

[Spitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Jude Morgan's best book. It's about the composer Hector Berlioz and the woman he married, the actress Harriet Smithson. Both characters are very interesting and the facts about them seem to be absolutely accurate. Another sad commentary on the price women pay when they get involved with great artists.