Rating: 
Summary: This is a novel that enraptures you from beginning to end.
Review: A novel that takes you on an unexpected, yet thrilling journey. The adventure leads you through the mind of obsession and the soul of passion. Reggardless of the glorious backdrop of music, it is the story of how passion overtakes ones mind to the brink of insanity and the solitude of knowing the same insanity brings peace. In short, I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling! Chilling! Contemplative!
Review: A one-day read of a magnificently crafted, beautifully translated novel. Woven about the passion of musical giftedness, it is a tale that touches on the glories and the evils of our century of Holocaust, of destructive war, of broken and deteriorated families, and of adolescent instability. Having read it rapidly and deceptively easily, one feels the need to re-read more carefully to search out the missed clues leading to the astonishing denouement.
Rating: 
Summary: At first good, the second time, very well done
Review: Before I read the book I read all the reviews, many of which expressed frustration at what wasn't clear, or perhaps how ambiguous the ending appeared. So I decided to try to read more closely, with the result that I too failed and was frustrated as well. Since this work like the Author's first novel, "The Luneberg Variation", is brief I opened to page one and started again. I cannot say that every detail became clear, every issue resolved, but the story is not as open ended as it appears on the first read.As in his first novel the primary emotion at work is obsession, there are other strong issues, but I believe this to be the strongest. Where other readers feel the Author went off the track of his story, I believe it was meant as a bit of misdirection. The Author mixed the discussion of immortality and music, but I believe he did it primarily to confuse the reader. I was confused enough without that, for the Author plays games with everything from ready made graves that do/did and may yet have an occupant, to Patrimony, and then a mental condition that throws many presumptions to that point out of order. As this last point is revealed on the penultimate page, the Author tests how well you followed the characters, and how high your frustration level is. I have been reading a number of books by the Author Michael Dibdin, and like Mr. Dibdin Mr. Maurensig enjoys telling his stories in a pattern akin to a labyrinth as opposed to an orderly sequence of events. But a good Mystery needs to move in a manner that at times may appear random, but if done well will become clear at the end. This Author leaves more to be interpreted by the reader than other writers. His tales however are intricate and would make for great debate if all the reviewers were to gather and put forth their "answers".
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful psychological novel
Review: Being a beginning violinist, I was intrigued when I found this book. From the first few pages, it did not disappoint me. Although it was somewhat tragic, it develops the characters in a way few books have. It is a must for any who enjoy worthwhile novels.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful novel written from the mind of a musician.
Review: Canone Inverso is an amazing novel that explores the impact music has on the soul. With amazing description and clarity, the author takes many unexpected plot twists that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Stories within stories connect the novel in unimaginable ways. The surprise at the ending makes you wish the book continued instead of ending at page 200. Canone Inverso is a great read for the musically interested person who also enjoys great literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Inconclusive
Review: Don't read this review if you don't want to know what happened. Here are a few of my glaring questions. 1) According to the Priest, Varga died in 1947. But Kuno, on the other hand, didn't die until 1985. Someone, please explain. 2) Who was the violin player who tells 90% of the story? Kuno would have been in the sanitarium. Varga, supposedly, is long dead. So the violen player is a ghost, maybe? The ghost of a schizophrenic's alter ego? Here is what I actually know about the book: 1) Gustav buys the violen at auction. 2) The "messenger" type character comes to see him. He wants the violin. He relates the story of a man he met who says he was Varga. 3) The man who says he was Varga was a) a ghost of Kuno b) Kuno on leave from the sanitarium...which the author never alludes to. This means the story the "messenger" was relating must have taken place before Kuno died in 1985...once again, something that wasn't explained. 4) The end. Someone please tell me if they were able to make any better sense of this. That being said, I enjoyed the writing, setting and characters.
Rating:
Summary: A tragic and surprising book that touches the soul!
Review: From the start I was captivated by this modern classic. The book started out with questions and concluded with questions. Those who have written reviews who questioned the book's ending do so legitimately, but sometimes a complete ending is not necessary and would ruin the book. Leaving us guessing at certain details in the ending was the authors attempt to touch our souls, and he did so mine. We can all imagine what happened to Sophie's father, he probably died in a war camp, or disappeared to America. We can also determine that Jeno probably died soon after loosing the instrument. I think that one who dislikes the way the author ends this book lacks imagination. The book gives enough answers, but we should also analyze it ourselves. This book kept me guessing through most of it. I could not possibly set it down because of my desire to know what was going to happen. The author did wander in the middle, but the end made up for it. A tragic and surprising end should give every creative reader a thrill! It touches the soul, a must read!
Rating:
Summary: The Two Sides of Genius
Review: Here, as in his first book "The Luneburg Variation," Maurensig aims to intrigue, entertain, misdirect, and ultimately give insight to the bright and dark sides of genius. In the first book, chess was the vehicle for exploring genius; in "Canone Inverso," music is the mode. This short, yet complex book, follows the story of a violin and its series of owners. Through the eyes of a modern day music enthusiast, we meet young musicians of Austria who were subjected to prison-like training regimes, and old men who bear the scars of their abilities. Maurensig, himself, displays the two sides of genius in his work. At times, I find myself enthralled with his characters and descriptions; at other times, I'm perplexed and disturbed by the places they take us. This author seems intimately familiar with the seduction of art and its ability to eventually take us captive. Rather than enjoy the art (music, chess, or what have you) for its own sake, we are susceptible to the desire for perfection, for greatness, for immortality. And this struggle is precisely what Maurensig explores in the convoluted tale of Kuno Blau and Jeno Varga. The twisted thinking of genius is in full display here and only in the final pages do we get a clear picture of the truth. But don't expect the author to put all the puzzle pieces together for you. He's too smart for that, and he expects you to be as well. To read his stories is to be taken captive by the same artistic allure of his characters. To reach the end is to resist the temptation and master the beast. "Canone Inverso" refers to a countdown or descent in music. This book, indeed, is a descent into the tortured mind of one who strives for acclaim, fame, family, and self-discovery. What Arturo Perez-Reverte attempts to do in his literary mysteries, such as "The Flanders Panel," Maurensig manages to do in half the space. Although the interaction between his characters is limited and the depiction of mental decay tedious, you will find the themes explored to be strangely unique, yet universal.
Rating:
Summary: The Two Sides of Genius
Review: Here, as in his first book "The Luneburg Variation," Maurensig aims to intrigue, entertain, misdirect, and ultimately give insight to the bright and dark sides of genius. In the first book, chess was the vehicle for exploring genius; in "Canone Inverso," music is the mode. This short, yet complex book, follows the story of a violin and its series of owners. Through the eyes of a modern day music enthusiast, we meet young musicians of Austria who were subjected to prison-like training regimes, and old men who bear the scars of their abilities. Maurensig, himself, displays the two sides of genius in his work. At times, I find myself enthralled with his characters and descriptions; at other times, I'm perplexed and disturbed by the places they take us. This author seems intimately familiar with the seduction of art and its ability to eventually take us captive. Rather than enjoy the art (music, chess, or what have you) for its own sake, we are susceptible to the desire for perfection, for greatness, for immortality. And this struggle is precisely what Maurensig explores in the convoluted tale of Kuno Blau and Jeno Varga. The twisted thinking of genius is in full display here and only in the final pages do we get a clear picture of the truth. But don't expect the author to put all the puzzle pieces together for you. He's too smart for that, and he expects you to be as well. To read his stories is to be taken captive by the same artistic allure of his characters. To reach the end is to resist the temptation and master the beast. "Canone Inverso" refers to a countdown or descent in music. This book, indeed, is a descent into the tortured mind of one who strives for acclaim, fame, family, and self-discovery. What Arturo Perez-Reverte attempts to do in his literary mysteries, such as "The Flanders Panel," Maurensig manages to do in half the space. Although the interaction between his characters is limited and the depiction of mental decay tedious, you will find the themes explored to be strangely unique, yet universal.
Rating:
Summary: The Two Sides of Genius
Review: Here, as in his first book "The Luneburg Variation," Maurensig aims to intrigue, entertain, misdirect, and ultimately give insight to the bright and dark sides of genius. In the first book, chess was the vehicle for exploring genius; in "Canone Inverso," music is the mode. This short, yet complex book, follows the story of a violin and its series of owners. Through the eyes of a modern day music enthusiast, we meet young musicians of Austria who were subjected to prison-like training regimes, and old men who bear the scars of their abilities. Maurensig, himself, displays the two sides of genius in his work. At times, I find myself enthralled with his characters and descriptions; at other times, I'm perplexed and disturbed by the places they take us. This author seems intimately familiar with the seduction of art and its ability to eventually take us captive. Rather than enjoy the art (music, chess, or what have you) for its own sake, we are susceptible to the desire for perfection, for greatness, for immortality. And this struggle is precisely what Maurensig explores in the convoluted tale of Kuno Blau and Jeno Varga. The twisted thinking of genius is in full display here and only in the final pages do we get a clear picture of the truth. But don't expect the author to put all the puzzle pieces together for you. He's too smart for that, and he expects you to be as well. To read his stories is to be taken captive by the same artistic allure of his characters. To reach the end is to resist the temptation and master the beast. "Canone Inverso" refers to a countdown or descent in music. This book, indeed, is a descent into the tortured mind of one who strives for acclaim, fame, family, and self-discovery. What Arturo Perez-Reverte attempts to do in his literary mysteries, such as "The Flanders Panel," Maurensig manages to do in half the space. Although the interaction between his characters is limited and the depiction of mental decay tedious, you will find the themes explored to be strangely unique, yet universal.
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