Two-Part Inventions

by Lynne Sharon Schwartz

Two-Part Inventions begins when Suzanne, a concert pianist, dies suddenly of a stroke in the New York City apartment she shares with her producer husband Philip. Rather than mourn in peace, Philip becomes deeply paranoid: their life is based on a fraud and the acclaimed music the couple created is about to be exposed. Philip had built a career for his wife by altering her recordings, taking a portion of a song here and there, from recordings of other pianists. Syncing the alterations seamlessly, he created a piece of flawless music with Suzanne getting sole credit.

In this urban, psychological novel, author Lynne Sharon Schwartz brilliantly guides the reader through a flawed marriage and calculated career. Beginning with Suzanne’s death and moving backwards in time, Schwartz examines their life together, and her remarkable career, while contemplating the nature of truth, marriage and the pursuit of perfection.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Music

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Lynne Sharon Schwartz (b. 1939) is a celebrated author of novels, poems, short fiction, and criticism. Schwartz began her career with a series of short stories before publishing her first novel, the National Book Award–nominated Rough Strife (1980). She went on to publish works of memoir, poetry, and translation. Her other novels have included the award-nominated Leaving Brooklyn (1989) and Disturbances in the Field (1983). Her short fiction has appeared in theBest American Short Stories annual anthology series several times. In addition, her reviews and criticism have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers. Schwartz lives in New York City, and is currently a faculty member of the Bennington Writing Seminars.

Reviews

[Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

well, i picked it up at the local library because of the jacket cover and the title. obviously, this is a book for classical musician to pick up. that's good and all but of course, the problem is the story itself. while it's a bit fantastical yet totally believable (i won't spoil it), the author's writing can be a bit disorienting as she switches voices every chapter. i can understand that you do this to switch views but it's kinda of understood as a reader?! so in that way, i felt she was a bit condescending as the writer. other than that....the usual, music stuff. i'm not truly sure how interesting this would be to a non-classical musician. seem a bit...redundant. if you're a classically trained music-person, maybe give it a go. otherwise, eh.

[Adri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book

The more I read Schwartz' books the more impressed I am. She is an excellent creator of internal dialogue, of painting pictures with words. And in this book she beautifully evoked music.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of talent and ambition, set in the world of classical music. While the main characters are somewhat prickly and standoffish (in a way very typical to professional performers), there are some interesting questions asked about the ethics of the choices they make. The alternating timelines of the immediate aftermath of Suzanne’s death versus the life she led paints a fairly complete picture: however, it made her death feel almost like a cop-out—especially where the story ended when it did.

3/5 stars

[Joann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will expose you to the endless efforts of those talented people who wish also to be concert performers. The angst is endless, at least for the main character. The first half of the book was crisp and intriguing. The second half sagged a little and became repetitive.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Philip was a self centered narcissistic ass, Suzanne deserved better, and everything about this book was awful ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Sadie 🔥 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Thank u to my dad for picking this book off street! This was a fun little classical piano novel. Pretty crazy, #fuckphillip. Wasn’t obsessed with the writing but still enjoyed 👍🏻

[Robert Blumenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a huge fan of Lynne Sharon Schwartz for many years now and remain amazed how few people know about her. And this novel is as good as it gets from her. Good story telling, extensive knowledge of her subject, wonderfully-drawn characters, lucid and thoughtful prose. It is the complete package, IMHO. I do confess that my extensive knowledge of classical music and performance helped greatly in my appreciation of this novel--it may not be as rich an experience for those who have not listened to a lot of classical music or who haven't had to play before juries at the end of each quarter of a music program at a university. I was able to deeply relate to the main character's utter fear of performing for others, which formed an essential part of the overall story here. Suzanne is a piano prodigy, destined to be a renowned performer as she develops. However, her inner demons make it much harder for her to reach that goal. The author tells this story well, along with revealing her relationship with her musically ignorant somewhat exploitative father, her ridiculously ambitious husband, and her relationship with an older neighbor/mentor across the street from her and a flamboyant Russian pianist. The story is told in flashback, and culminates in the scandal where her husband splices in parts of other pianist's performances to improve his wife's good but defective recordings. It is based on a real life incident that happened in England, but Lynne Sharon Schwartz makes it totally her own.

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very intriguing mostly because of how effectively it took me inside the world of music making, both performing and recording. and of the making of a musician. The main characters are a couple one of whom is a concert pianist with a severe case of stage fright and her husband, a recording engineer and owner/operator of a recording label. The novel's frequent references to individual classical music works make this a book that will not appeal to everyone, but for those who are curious about this world, I think it is very effective. It's also a study of ambition and what one is willing to do (or allow to be done) in order to succeed.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent novel from one of my favorite writers. I've read all of Lynne Sharon Schwartz's prior books and always found them engaging, thoughtful, and well-written, and this newest one is no exception. It should be especially interesting to readers who care about classical music and those intrigued by the ethical questions that new editing technology raises. As always, the characters themselves are well developed and the reader cares about them.

[Michèle Demoete]

a page-turner, I loved Suzanne's character , her aloofness and fears. I enjoy the way Lynne Sharon Schwartz describes marriage relationships, the way you're being caught up in fraud and the influence of social and family backgrounds.

[Elliot Chalom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully told story - I recommend it if you care more about introspection than mystery, character development over plot development.

Read my full review at http://2bitmonkey.wordpress.com/2013/...

[Pj Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A talented pianist struggles to continue her career through releasing classical recordings produced by her husband, who "edits" them. The more a reader listens to classical piano music, the interesting the novel will be.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helps if you are interested in classical music, but still a good story of a marriage and of an ambitious, talented woman's maturation.

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

These characters a unlikeable. Why would anyone care? I certainly did not. Don't waste your time.
4 stars??? Really.

[Crubano410comcast.comnone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. I learned alot about the world of classical music and also the character of men!!!

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Disturbances in the Field but a good read nonetheless.

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