Published By: Viking
Pages: 240
Released On: 12/11/2026
The year is 1907 and Maurice Ravel is one of the most admired young composers in France. In Belle Epoque Paris he cuts a charismatic, dandyish figure, whose technically flawless music hides a deep emotional core, and whose unpredictable talent is as hard to pin down as his mysterious personal life.
When Ravel’s devoted acolyte Mylo encourages him to take on a new pupil – a rising British composer called Ralph Vaughan Williams – an unlikely cross-channel friendship starts to blossom. An aristocratic Englishman and collector of folk songs, Vaughan Williams appears to have nothing in common with his teacher except that, somehow, each of them seems to represent an archetype of his own country.
But as the shadow of war approaches, their friendship becomes entwined with Mylo’s own tragic story. The two friends must pursue their vocation through one of the most turbulent but creative periods in history. Will their differing senses of national identity – one ‘typically French’, the other ‘so British’ – liberate or constrain them?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I own other Coe books but this is the first I’m reading.
I found it confusing at first, the format, it made me question whether it was a fictional novel or a factual historical book, but overall I found it an interesting choice.
I know very little about the characters – Maurice Ravel and Ralph Vaughan Williams – other than the bare bones of their compositions. So I don’t know how much of this is true, but it feels very well researched and the story feels grounded in truth.
It’s written in first person which I generally don’t like, unless it’s a thriller, but because it’s written in the form of a manuscript, it wouldn’t feel right if it was in third person when the writer is talking about himself.
It’s predominately character based which I generally like. There’s not huge character development because it’s not a very long book, but I think there is enough to give the reader a clear ideas as to who they are and how they fit into hte story.
The plot is lacking somewhat. What’s there is interesting and it shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that it’s predominately about music, compositions etc. which is fine, but there’s very little else. So I think only the real diehard classical music fans will really get much out of it. I would have liked a bit more about the goings-on around the music.
It was good and I did enjoy it but I wasn’t blown away. I didn’t get the WOW I was expecting from what I’ve seen in other people’s reviews.
