The Soloist

The Soloist
Mark Salzman
paperback, 285 pages

As anyone can gather by now, I am into nonfiction. But from time to time, I get to pick up novels like this one called The Soloist and I was surprised that I loved how the author engaged me in the journey of self-examination by a child-wonder cellist who suddenly lost his luster without rhyme or reason, and now transitioning himself into becoming a mentor of an awkward child-wonder.

I thought I'll get only a story on mentoring but actually, it is about resignation to the passage of time, of talent, of people in our lives and embracing the new possibilities, meeting new faces and mentoring. It is almost an absorbing soliloquy for me despite there are other characters molded in the story such as in the courtroom trial when Renne did his jury duty and when his tutorial started.

When Renne finally said his piece towards the end, I was also ready to hear him. This is one quietly convincing and powerfully though-provoking novel on self-discovery and self-acceptance and self-growth. Maybe because I am turning 40 soon and this one timely came to me so that I appreciated it.

Author Salzman must be an artist to be able to sense beauty and fragility in the little things such as the texture of the mushroom when poured out of the can, the sound of the blender, the feel of the cat's fur and the smell of the wood of his cello.  He must also be a philosopher to be able to put into perspective how his mother and father led their beliefs differently. He is one writer I definitely want to meet again through his novels.

No tears shed, just some thoughts let out. Cheers to fine reads.