Glissando: A Melodrama

by David Musgrave

When it comes to looking back over his life, Archie Fliess has got some understanding to do. So begins a sprawling reflection on Archie's life during the early twentieth century, starting the day the fortunes of Archie and brother Reggie change when they are taken to be the rightful owners of the property built by their grandfather in country NSW. Along their journey, they are introduced to an odd collection of family and caretakers who don't always have the best interests of the boys at heart. Archie becomes embroiled in the mystery surrounding his grandfather's life, and as the two stories ­ Archie's and his grandfather's ­ unravel, we see familiar themes of disappointment and failed ambition. Glissando is a tale that travels along many threads, told in a playful, philosophical voice reminiscent of Sterne's Tristram Shandy, with shades of Patrick White's Voss. It's an Australian classic, a satirical romp of epic proportions.

Genres: Australia

391 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great romp of a novel, thoughtful and philosophical but a hilarious yarn at the same time. It's a pastiche of other novels and Australian tropes, especially Patrick White's Voss which I've read but years ago so some of the allusions felt half-forgotten. There were other allusions to Australian literature and culture I more or less got and still more I could tell were allusions to something but had no idea what. I wouldn't say that diminished the fun of the novel (though there were a couple of sections that seemed more drawn out than necessary, particularly the recounting of a very long meal, perhaps because I was missing something) but it might be a tough read for someone with no knowledge of Australian cultural history at all. Maybe?

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hurray, the recent crop of first time Aussie writers seem to be offering something new and playfully inventive. Glenda Guest entertains with magic realism in Siddon Rock, and now David Musgrave has come up with Glissando, a wonderfully comic pastiche deliberately drawing on literary traditions both familiar or obscure.
To read my review see http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201... but be warned, it does have spoilers.

[Benito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, funny, absurd Australi-yarna. imagine Voss with a virulent sense of surreal humor...

[Gavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patchy. While some parts were brilliant, there were sections (e.g. the interminably long dinner!) that just dragged on or were longer than necessary for plot/character development (e.g. some of the journal). So while the bones of a great Australian yarn were there, it needed tighter editing to make it more readable.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! What an amazing story! A bit slow in some places and I felt some parts could be taken out all together, but then again I guess that was the whole poetry behind the writing. This author is great for pulling people in at the end of each chapter. The voices of the characters were so distinct, and I loved all of them. A great Australian story, and a great read, even though it took me a while to finish.