Official Review: Einstein's Fiddle by W.A. Smith
Posted: 24 Aug 2017, 07:43
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Einstein's Fiddle" by W.A. Smith.]
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.
******
Einstein's Fiddle
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
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.
******
Einstein's Fiddle
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Lest92's review? Post a comment saying so!
