The Rose Variations

by Marisha Chamberlain

In 1975, twenty-five-year-old Rose MacGregor moves to St. Paul, Minnesota, with nothing but a few books, her cello, and a temporary professorship at a Midwestern college. The only woman in the music department, the other professors refer to her derisively as “the Girl Composer,” but she believes that a brilliant career writing music lies ahead.

Passionately focused on her art, she also longs to find love, but her fierce independence always seems to get in the way of romantic relationships. Struggling with loneliness and ambition, she gets tangled up with a gay colleague, a self-made stonemason, a lesbian cellist, and the troubles of her wayward younger sister, before finally finding happiness.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club

352 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Marisha Chamberlain is a novelist, playwright, poet and librettist. Her debut novel, The Rose Variations, was published by Soho Press.Her plays have been staged all over the world: in South Africa, Germany, Australia, Turkey, Britain and Canada as well as in the United States. Scheherazade, a stage play, won the Dramatists Guild/CBS Regional and National Awards and in its teleplay version was broadcast across the United States and screened at the British Film Institute Festival. Her stage adaptation of Little Women was premiered by the Children’s Theater Company of Minneapolis and subsequently produced by the Stratford Ontario Festival Theater, Stage One of Louisville and Kansas City Repertory Theater.Her ballet, The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes, was toured nationally by the Children’s Theater Company.She began a significant collaboration with composer Carol Barnett in 1997 with the premiere of their chamber opera,Meeting at Seneca Falls by the Minnesota Orchestra.
The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass with text by Chamberlain and music by Barnett was commissioned by VocalEssence under the direction of Phillip Brunelle and premiered as a joint performance by the VocalEssence chorus and the celebrated Bluegrass ensemble, Monroe Crossing. The World Beloved was published by Boosey & Hawkes and released on CD on the Clarion label in 2007 and is performed widely. A second Bluegrass/choral work, Mortals & Angels: a Bluegrass Te Deum, with composer Carol Barnett, was commissioned by Distinguished Concerts International and will premiere at Carnegie Hall on January 25, 2016.

Reviews

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started out disliking this book and ended up not being able to put it down. Stick with it. Yes, it appears that everything that could possibly happen to Rose happens in the first 68 pages, but not true. There's more. And mixed in with all the 70's/80's 'stuff' Chamberlain throws at her characters, is an enchanting portrait of a woman's search for herself; we see variations of Rose. I also found the look at a composer's life interesting; I was fascinated by her process in writing the symphony. Believable characters in believable situations, albeit romantic.

[Jill]

An interesting read. Follows the story of a female composer from her first university appointment as professor, through her adventures in love and work. A all-female hippie farm commune with an eccentric, gifted cellist is a stop on the way, as is relationships with alot of the wrong people. It's interesting to follow the arc of how a creative person shapes their life and how their life shapes their music. Worth a read.

[Karla Mcmaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written...fascinating characters

[Melina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what I was thinking when I bought this novel at a used bookstore at the end of my senior year in high school. I had never been to a used bookstore, so maybe that was why, but... there was the striking cover, I guess. It was a black and white photograph of a lady walking with her bicycle, on which she carried a cello. Being quite negligent of books outside of the fantasy and paranormal romance genres, I was curious.

Curious and daring, to be honest.

But there was something familiar as I read into the cover jacket's description. The photograph was aptly chosen. This novel surrounds the character and her cello, her music. It is character driven, and the plot seems so... I don't know, it makes a statement stand on firm ground - we become who we are by what happens to us and how we respond to it. Only ever reading the cover flap, did I feel connected to the main character. I can relate to an artist who longs to find love.

I did not expect the few graphic scenes of Rose's failed loves, and I didn't expect much from the first time I tried to read this novel. It was three years ago, what can you expect? I was impatient, and I think I still am, but maybe it has to do with the books I've read. *is still dipping her mind into classics and contemporary novels these days* So, it was confusing at first, but that's how rereading is good for you. You can look into things you didn't notice before.

For one, I understood what was going on with Rose, and... I do admit that I named her a stupid character along the mess of life that's going on around her. All these characters are odd, and the time period is different, and... I liked the oldness there. 1975 - interesting year... and I think it goes into the 1980's (electronic controlled music is mentioned). But yeah, the plot is character motivated. *shrugs*

But the story gets better with Rose's connections to all these characters that bring love to her through a series of events that seem... almost normal, but still rather odd. I must admit that I liked the odd, and I love Graham, and I loved the ending.

Love is not forced upon, it is not conventional... it comes uninhibited, unexpected. The situations in this novel will assure you that not everyone's life is perfect. We all have insecurities, we all have issues going on at home, and... love is something special when it's truly there. The same can be said for the love of friends and the love of family.

I'm not sure if I should say that I disliked the first half of the novel, or that I adored the ending, but I guess I liked it.

The prose is fast paced, the dialogue is different, and the places feel familiar. After reading this, I also realized that this book wasn't really outside of my comfort zone. It rings almost like Madeleine L'Engle's novels in the time period and the feeling of the ordinary being quite extraordinary depending on your perspective. And... yeah, I'm not sure how others will take it, but, yeah, I love Graham, I love how Ms. Chamberlain finished the novel in terms of Rose's love life... and Rose is just too real (stupid, loving, talented, and smart). I wouldn't call her a heroine, though. I'd call her the perfect damsel who fights her own distress :)

[Belynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Rose Variations” came to me as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the very awesome folks over at Soho Presst. My sincere thanks to Soho for turning me on to this great first novel, and my congratulations to Marisha Chamberlain for a beautiful and consuming story. I read almost non-stop over three days, unable to part with it for long.

“The Rose Variations” follows the story of Rose MacGregor, the “Girl Composer” in residence at a St. Paul university in the 1970’s, fresh from her emancipation from a strained life back home in New Hampshire. During her years in St. Paul, we experience the highs and lows of Rose’s life, and the relationships that fill the new chapter of her life out in the world; We meet her co-workers Alan and Frances, her wild sister Natalie, addled best friend Ursula, and a host of friends and acquaintances who will have a profound effect on Rose, and on the reader. “The Rose Variations” is an intimate tale, filled with rich and complex characters, people that for all their faults you would want the chance to know in your own life.

Chamberlain acknowledges not just the instances of deep loneliness and new passion that fill our lives, but also the little storms, the near misses and might-have-beens, the triumphs and disappointments that steer our course. It is the intimate exploration of these small lives that makes this story and its characters so inviting, and makes the journey we take with Rose so compelling.

Chamberlain’s style has an earthy, tranquil appeal. She observes the world with a grounded insight, and describes it in delicious prose. The change of seasons serves to underscore the story, in the “boiling green springtime” of Rose’s arrival in Minnesota, the “flower-thickened sounds” of the summer countryside up north. Chamberlain marks the passage of time beautifully throughout the novel, immersing us in transient external and internal landscapes. Even more alluring than her eye for season and setting, Chamberlain possesses a talent for bringing fullness to her offbeat cast of characters. She has sympathy and affection for them, but even in this sympathy, the novel is not a collection of neatly packaged happy endings. Her aim is never truer than in the moments where she reminds us how crushingly unfair real life can be.

“The Rose Variations” is a beautiful first novel, one that will earn much praise and attention from critics and new fans. This fan for one is very much looking forward to Marisha Chamberlain’s future work.

[Philip Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impressive first novel that captures the zeitgeist of the mid-70s very well. Rose MacGregor is a composer and new college professor. The novel tells of her efforts to succeed as a composer, to experiment in love and sex, to gain tenure as a music professor and to process her complicated familial relationships. Rose is a well-developed, multi-dimensional character and at least for me, as someone who lived through this time in my early twenties, she comes across as very real. The situations she faces, and how she deals with them, should prove easily recognizable to those of us who were there. In general, the female characters are better articulated than the male characters who are somewhat two-dimensional, but that honestly did not detract from the pleasure the novel offers.

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this novel, all women are backstabbers and all relationships are compromises women make so that they don't become "spinsters." Rose is not really an active participant in her life, except when it comes to music. In all other matters, things just seems to happen TO her. Not really the story of a woman "in search of herself", but merely a woman to whom things happen, whose friends and family members annoy her, and who doesn't appear to learn any life lessons from what happens to her. I honestly couldn't understand why anyone would want to be friends with her, let alone get romantically involved with her. I rushed to finish this so that I could get on to reading something more enjoyable.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book over the weekend, so -- needless to say -- it kept my attention. My one criticism is that while the author does a great job of telling the reader what Rose feels, she fails to describe in great detail what Rose has learned from each experience. Because of this "hole" in the storytelling, I finished the book with little hope that Rose won't break up with Graham 20 minutes after they leave the Atkinsons' house.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

About being a woman in the 70s and 80s, having a career in academia, balancing with love affairs. Very well-written, some nice observations and language in it. Some of the plot turns and characters frustrated me -- not fully thought-out. For instance, the ex-boyfriend's decision to stay with the heroine's selfish sister and help raise her child... This seemed like the author's revenge on him for cheating on the heroine -- would any real person be that stupid?

[Bruce Pavalon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent read. Marisha Chamberlain’s writing effortlessly moves from past to present, painting a vivid and well-formed portrait of a woman caught between her family, personal life and career. Each chapter left me wanting to read the next, wanting to peek ahead. The characters are all well formed and fun to follow. The story took me through all the joys and horrors of self-discovery. It was not my usual read but well worth my time.

[Tuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

this had quite a buzz about it pre-pub. and it is good in many ways. but as mentioned by others on goodreads, its supposed to be about a cellist/composer and not a whole lot of music going on in it.
that said, its a GREAT first novel and character Rose is a dear. so many mistakes, heartache, and love and friendship. the the 1970's to boot.

[Marjanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I liked this story. The main character was interesting and very human. She wasn't too perfect or too weird. She gets into some interesting situations and interacts with some unusual people. I like to think that she found love in the end. I think this character is good at showing how people can chronically create their own problems.

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this mainly for the St. Paul, MN setting. I enjoyed reading about the exploits of a young woman composer starting her first temporary professorship at a small college. She explores her music as well as many relationships during the late 70s. Quite a good representation of Minnesota from the author who lives in Hastings, MN. I learned about the academic and performance side of music.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Rose Variations -- set in Minnesota -- follows the ups and downs in the life of a new woman professor at a samll private college in St. Paul. Rose has lots of challenges, both personal and professional on her road to securing tenure at the college.

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it helped break me of a my string of trash novels! The language was almost too clever at times, taking me out of the story, but a joy for the most part. Oh oh oh, humans.

[Michele Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wild ride! Rose MacGregor struggles to find balance between her musical career and her personal life. Didn't like the first third or so, but then it reeled me in... Great, complex dynamics between various characters.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it but did not love it. Rose is an interesting although not alwas lovable Kept me reading and wanting to read more.

[Ellen]

I'm a sucker for any fiction involving chamber music -- AN EQUAL MUSIC for example, or YA title THE MOZART SEASON. Can you recommend other novels about classical musicians?

[Sue Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A first novel that's clumsy in many ways but also diverting. The music and gay/les content add to the interest.

[Andrea]

An interesting, if not complex, plot. The main character of Rose evolves through relationships with both men and women in this book as she aspires to compose symphonies at a small college.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love that it takes place in St. Paul.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, full of everyday tragedy, its own small symphony.