Official Review: Einstein's Fiddle by W.A. Smith

[Lest92]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Einstein's Fiddle" by W.A. Smith.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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W.A. Smith’s literary novel, Einstein’s Fiddle, references the parable of the Prodigal Son. In the novel, we follow the prodigal Davy Calhoun’s flight from his family and his failure as a writer, his fall into despair, and a barely held hope for redemption and ultimately forgiveness.

In 1985, alcohol-fuelled Davy sets off to his hometown Charlottesville, Virginia, after kidnapping his infant son from his estranged wife Molly in Chicago. Before reaching Virginia, Davy leaves the baby on a doorstep in a town he doesn’t know the name of. From Virginia, Davy heads to the West Coast, where he ends up on the streets of San Francisco with his new companion, Sheila, an educated woman he believes to be homeless too. Sheila offers him a chance at redemption as she takes Davy under her wing and encourages him to return to the wife and son he longs for but feels he has no right to be with.

Although a non-linear, stream-of-consciousness narrative with the focus, especially in the first part of the book, on the writing as an art form, Smith created a dynamic story. Davy’s journey across the country becomes reminiscence at the beginning of the book, as his past loops into his present. Smith has the ability to combine lyrical writing with action; despite Davy’s past superimposed on his present, Einstein’s Fiddle does not lose its momentum or suspense. At first, the writing felt as inebriated and confused as Davy; the reader tries their best to make sense of what drives the character with Davy’s glimpses into his recent memory. As the novel progresses, the writing sobers up with the protagonist in the final half. Smith doesn’t tell, but leaves it up to the reader to interpret what happened, just as Davy himself struggles to sort through a swirl of drunken impressions. Reading Einstein’s Fiddle wasn’t a passive experience; I found it engaging because I had to think, not just sit back and wait until the author explained everything. Of course, there is resolution at the end, but I enjoyed piecing the events together long before that.

The writing itself is a masterpiece, wherein Smith shows what the written word can do when the author moves beyond cliché. The imagery leaps into mind fully formed and beautiful, with writing that is witty as well as lyrical; I smiled often while Davy reminisced and partied with his friend Leogi in Charlottesville. The characters are just shy of real and I found them lively company. It’s rare to come across characters that are this vibrant. Davy is especially real, with buckets of charm and intelligence but an inability to solve his problems without imploding.

There are no editing problems to be found in Einstein’s Fiddle, so I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars. I can recommend it to readers who enjoy literary fiction and reworked parables.

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Einstein's Fiddle
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Like Lest92's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

Sounds like you really enjoyed this one. I'm glad. The review was high praise.

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

The writing sounds refreshingly different. I enjoy reworked fables and parables, perhaps I'll look out for this. Thank you for another great review Lest92.

[raizenagallo]

I love reading books that are engaging in a way that it makes you think than just read. The title of the book caught my attention and your review made it a must read. Thanks for the great review.

[Reuben 92]

This was an awesome review - you clearly loved this book. I'm always on the look out for quality literary fiction and style is the most important factor for me. And this is set in my favourite time period. Ticks all the boxes for me, and your review itself was a pleasure to read!

[Lest92]

Thank you Reuben:)

[Reuben 92]

You're welcome - keep posting reviews, they are really enjoyable to read

[Mary WhiteFace]

I saw the cover of this book on my suggestion list and liked it so much I thought I'd pop over to check out the review. I'm really glad I did. You make the book sound so interesting.

I already enjoy Prodigal Son type of stories. It makes me feel good when someone turns their life around. Both in real life and in a story. I also enjoy books that make you think and entertain you at the same time. Don't you just love it when the character development is so interesting that they seem to come alive?

It seems like Einstein’s Fiddle has all the ingredients for a an amazing afternoon read. Thank you for your enjoyable review. I'm heading to Amazon now