The Death of David Debrizzi

by Paul Micou

Pierre Marie La Valoise is incensed. He has just read with disbelief what he considers to be a criminally unfair biography of David Debrizzi, the renowned French concert pianist.

Resting comfortably on the terrace of a Swiss sanatorium, La Valoise takes a pen in hand to rebut Sir Geoffrey's Life. He weeds through its distortions and omissions, its exaggerations and personal attacks, and supplies the version of the truth that he intended to incorporate into his own biography, The Death of David Debrizzi. 'Never have I begrudged you your Life,' writes La Valoise, 'any more than you would deny me my Death... Given the state of my health, and the treachery of my bastard of a British publisher - who loathes me merely because I am French - I feel it is safe to say that your Life will stand alone on the shelves for posterity, while my Death will remain untold.'

Paul Micou's third novel at last gives La Valoise his say.

Genres: Music, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Paul Micou (born 1959) is an American novelist. Born in San Francisco, he grew up in Turkey, Iran, Washington D.C. and Connecticut. After graduating from Harvard in 1981 he moved to Paris, then London. He now lives in France with his wife and two sons.

Reviews

[Raeden Zen]

A Realistic, Moving, Gripping Tale of Perseverance

Paul Micou’s third novel, “The Death of David Debrizzi,” is a story told in the second and first person, a delivery so uniquely and brilliantly executed it grabbed me from the first line, and didn't let go. The story is told as a long letter from Pierre Marie La Valoise, of Paris, France, to Sir Geoffrey Flynch, of London, England. Pierre is pissed. Geoffrey has just published a memoir entitled “The Life of David Debrizzi,” which doesn’t place Pierre in a favorable light. Pierre is David Debrizzi’s piano instructor, and Geoffrey is his professional mentor; David is a music phenomenon of incredible talent.

Pierre is resting on the terrace of a Swiss sanatorium, and has plenty of time to set the record straight in his “Death,” which repudiates everything in Geoffrey’s “Life,” in a series of 35-45 minute vignettes that all end with either laughter, sadness, or shock at the climactic events. The story events unfold in an imaginative way that led me to, on several occasions, look up Chanat, the Death Spiral, Pierre Marie La Valoise, and David Debrizzi, for I was absolutely convinced these were all real people who experienced these incredible events in Europe and America.

The bottom line: I’ve never read a work of fiction that made me feel like I was reading something so real. The story’s arc is anything but predictable. And the two protagonists, David and Pierre, do come full circle by the end in a way that’s wildly imaginative, unexpected, and fulfilling.

[Mary Seddon]

I first read this book in 1997. I've just re-read it, and almost 30 years later I'm as utterly charmed by Paul Micou's genius as I was on that first reading. I could comment on his superbly crafted characters and intertwined themes, but it's all been said by other reviewers, and anyway, I want to say this. The re-read was aloud, to my sister, and we experienced Micou's genius together. There are many writers of comedy and tragedy and everything in between, but Micou is one of those novelists who has the ability to bring his reader to acute grief and hysterical/out-loud laughter, at the same time. My sister and I were choking with tears of sadness and mirth. What a wonderful thing to share. We love Pierre, David, Sir Geoffrey and Chanat. Long may they live and die together! And if you need another such Micou 'blub and roar' experience, read The Cover Artist.

[Kris]

Beautifully woven nested narration with marvelous layers and texture. Our primary narrator, La Valoise, writes a letter to his former co-mentor, Sir Geoffrey, about Sir Geoffrey's forthcoming book on the career of their pupil, piano prodigy David Debrizzi. Through book excerpts framed by La Valoise's sharp-tongued commentary, we follow parallel paths on either side of some kind of truth. A fictional battleground of culture set amidst real historical events, it captures the charms and pitfalls, the pressures and elations, of being among the world's top talents.

[B]

A true joy to read. Unforgettable characters, especially the ever spiteful narrator. Very witty and wry. I wouldn't be surprised if the TV show "Mozart in the Jungle" was inspired by this book.

[Katrina]

The Death of David Debrizzi is an entertaining novel. It's written as a series of counterpoint letters, with Pierre La Valoise quibbling with Sir Geoffrey's biography of their shared precocious piano student (David Debrizzi). The two have been competing over Debrizzi for years.

La Valoise is an over-the-top character; his voice is both fun and funny to read. It is his character that comes through most strongly. Sir Geoffrey is also well-drawn, though very minimal extracts from the biography he is supposed to have written. However, the other characters are largely forgettable; there are no decent or even interesting female characters; and (I concede it's possibly intentional) Debrizzi remains a cipher. Intentional or not, this made it hard for me to care very much, and I got a bit tired of the book towards the end.

There are some very effective sections on the relationship between teacher and pupil, and about how the teacher's experiences shape their advice and guidance.

[Jill]

This book made me laugh out-loud more than once! It's witty, clever, and engaging. The book is told through one very long letter written by Pierre Marie La Valoise to Sir Geoffrey Flynch in response to his attempt to "steal" La Valoise's star pianist pupil, David Debrizzi. Flynch had written a biography, and La Valoise is setting the record straight. The book has great characters, surprising plot twists, and lots of humor!

[Evie Woolmore]

This is one of my favourite books of all time. Hugely underrated, it is funny, clever, knowing, and has a tidy ending. I read this as a student, more than twenty years ago, and being fond of music I became convinced that Chanat and his Death Spiral were real. I could not understand why they didn't turn up in any dictionary of music. As a writer it has been a salutary lesson in invention - write convincingly enough about the subject of passion and your reader will believe anything.

[Silvia]

Loved this. A truly captivating read, and an interesting one, too. I was surprised by the twist of events, I must say. I mostly loved the way the characters were portrayed - they all had a voice of their own, even Chanat, whom I also googled as any other person who read this & does not know that much about music. It also surprised me that this book was particularly funny at times; a true breath of fresh air.

[Danny Mulheron]

Really enjoyable read, a great antidote to the sacchrine fictions of most real biographies. I engulfed it in one sitting. I loved the deconstruction of his rival biographer just for the sarcasm and invective from possibly the most flawed human in the book.

[Stuart]

A really enjoyable book. A good plot, some nice humour, some outrageous characters - it kept things rolling along very nicely.