A Simple Habana Melody

Rating:
Summary: A novel to lose yourself in
Review: This is such a finely written and concieved novel. Loosely based on the life of the Cuban composer of the jazz standard "the peanut vendor" , A Simple Habana Melody presents the life and loves of a gifted musician and composer from Havana named Israel Levis who at the moment of his greatest successes both professionally and personally is caught up in the nightmare of the Holocaust. Levis had followed his true love to Europe and was enjoying the bohemian lifestyle of Paris in the 30's when history collides suddenly with his personal story. Much of the story is told as a flashback after the events have transpired. Hijuelos writes beautifully and his characters live and breath. Levis who is despite his great talent a relatively simple and naive man is such a likeable character that I was sorry to reach the end of this story. A very fine work of literature.

Rating:
Summary: Two steps short of sublime
Review: To this point I've found it difficult to separate Hijuelos's novels, all of which burst at the seams with humanity, sublime imagery, raw sensuality, and entrancing prose. HABANA MELODY does all these things too, but for the first time I found elements repetitive and digressive, even poorly edited. So while it still stands as one the best books of the year, I have to rate it a notch below the author's preceding and inseparable classics ... a small bump on Hijuelos's path to the Nobel Prize.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, entertaining & thoughful
Review: What a wonderful find. This is the first book I have read by Oscar Hijuelos, but it certainly won't be the last. The character of Israel Levis is so real and "historical" that I found it almost impossible to believe he wasn't. The mixture of culture, history, and music is writing at its best. The complexity of Israel's character causes one to be revolted by him, feel sorrow for him, but at the same time admire him. His naive and optimistic outlook on life may cause him suffering, but shows an indefatigable core of goodness tempered by reality. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the human character.