The Metropolis Case by Matthew Gallaway

It seems only fitting that Matthew Gallaway's The Metropolis Case, with at its heart Wagner's operatic masterpiece Tristan and Isolde, should be filled with characters whose lives reflect the dissonance of the musical performance.  The legend of Tristan and Isolde is a courtly romance from the German Middle Ages much like the Arthurian tales.  It actually came before and was an influence on Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, and Tristan would eventually become absorbed into the stories of the knights of the round table.  Tristan and Isolde is a love triangle between the hero, his uncle and his uncle's wife, and is a story that has been told over and over in literature.  It was the inspiration for Richard Wagner's famous opera that premiered in Germany in 1865 and is said to have influenced the direction of 20th century classical music.  It's not so much the story the opera tells but the passion of the performance that inspires Gallaway's novel.

To set the scene, the novel opens with an email announcing plans to attend the opening night of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde at Lincoln Center.  Once the stage is set characters will be entering left and right and each thread of the story will seem disparate and unconnected, but eventually they will be woven together to create one large picture.  Part of the dissonance is that each character appears in their own place and time in history.  Martin is a 40-ish lawyer, HIV positive, living in New York City in 2001 and trying to come to terms with his life and how he's ended up there.  Maria, christened Morticia by her humorless classmates is an awkward, gawky teenager.  Growing up in 1970s Pittsburgh she's painfully unhappy thanks to her tall stature and pale skin.  Her ability to sing is both confusing and liberating.  Lucien is the son of a botanist in 1860s paris.  He's bored by school and wishes to study music with the great masters of the day who might be able to sculpt his voice as he dreams of nothing but performing.  And Anna is a celebrated opera singer.  Born in Vienna, through the 1960s she performs in all the major opera houses and will later nurture the talents of younger singers.

Music is the thread that runs through the novel and connects all the characters, though you don't need to be an opera buff to appreciate The Metropolis Case.  Gallaway covers a lot of ground--from teenage angst and burgeoning sexualities to the simple wish to fit in and be happy.  In many ways the characters in the story are quite ordinary, each grappling with ordinary feelings and desires.  Their pursuit of happiness is so often darkened by tragedy, yet their lives will take an extraordinary turn when a few mysteries are revealed at the end.  One character notes that life "was no less and no more than an attempt to create something transcendent and lasting out of the haphazard and random events that defined so much of it."  And the events of the story play out against these random events such as the murderous Paris Commune of 1871 and the mind-numbing terrorist attacks of 9/11.  And through it all, love and death are the overarching themes guiding the characters.  

The Metropolis Case is an ambitious novel, and some elements definitely work better than others.  I admit that initially I was skeptical that such an undertaking could be pulled off.  This is a story that you'll get on better with if you're willing to suspend belief on occasion and simply enjoy the ride, but in the end Gallaway convinced me and I quite enjoyed the reading experience.  There's something larger than life in his telling of the stories of the lives of these characters, and it's fitting that it occurs within the framework of an opera.  The story itself isn't just inspired by Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, but it's operatic in the execution, too.  For the characters the stage isn't only literal but metaphorical, their passions and disappointments are all part of the greater stage of life, and I found myself getting quite caught up in all of it.

Many thanks to TLC Book Tours for sending this one my way and inviting me to participate in The Metropolis Case blog tour.  I'm not sure I would have come across this one otherwise.  Check out the other blog stops here.  And check out Matthew Gallaway's website here.

Comments

[Caroline]

Sounds very special and spellbinding, I would say. Novels on music don't always work but it sounds as if this one did. I am not a big Wagner fan though I used to be when I was younger but find him too dramatic now. I like it better when I read a novel about music that I enjoy but Wagner singers are quite different from the "ususal" opera singers and as such inetersting as well. The way the story of Tristan and Isolde changed through the ages is quite amazing.

[Danielle]

Caroline--The whole time I was reading this I meant to find a CD of the opera. I hate to admit I am completely ignorant when it comes to music. I listen to a lot of contemporary music, but don't know much about anything else. I've only been to one opera as well. It was interesting reading a bit about Wagner--and Tristan and Isolde does sound like it was something special. I will have to see what my library has in terms of CDs so I can get a taste. I bet I could even find something on Youtube as well! Somehow after reading this book I am not at all surprised to hear you say Wagner's music is dramatic!

[Kathy]

Sounds different and interesting. I appreciate more challenging reads on occasion, when I'm not reading cozy mysteries, and this sounds intriguing.

[Caroline]

What put me off is that he was Hitler's favourite composer. He is full of grandeur and heroism. Of course Hitler related to this dramatic aspect and the choice of themes like the Ring des Nibelungen which is taken from German mythology that was important for Nazism as you know. Tristan and Isolde is a bit different, but not much. Wagner singers must be big and srong as the operas are extremely long and take their toll. His ouvertures are lovely but there is no singing. If you rember Apocalypse Now? Also Wagner (plus other music).

[litlove]

Opera seems to be a recently fashionable inclusion in a novel! I read The Maestro's Voice last year that was all set around a famous opera singer. This does sound like an ambitious novel - Aids, 9/11, the Paris Commune and Tristan and Isolde is quite a mix! But I'm delighted if the author pulled it off.

[Stefanie]

Sounds like a fascinating book. Do all the storylines come together somehow, or is it more of story about how certain themes or events repeat themselves through time?

[Lisa Munley]

Great review! I am so glad you enjoyed The Metropolis Case and were able to get caught up in the story and characters. Thanks so much for being on the tour!

[nomadreader]

Most reviews I've read of this one are a bit mixed. I like the idea of this novel, but it doesn't seem to have any sense of urgency for me to read it. I will be on the lookout for his next book though!

[Julia]

Thanks for this detailed review; sounds interesting. I think you said it: "The Metropolis Case is an ambitious novel" indeed!

[Dorothy W.]

I don't know much about opera or about Wagner. This sounds like it would be an interesting way to learn more!

[Danielle]

Kathy--I tend to read lots of cozies and comfort reads, too, so it was good to read outside my comfort zone!
Caroline--I think maybe that is why I've never made much of an effort to listen to Wagner either, though I should still at least get an idea of what his music is like. The book referred to the ability of the singers and that they must be strong and able to endure a long, difficult performance. Interesting!
Litlove--Funny how certain topics will be in vogue when it comes to fiction! He writes about some subjects only peripherally--to give a feeling of atmosphere I think. There is certainly a lot going on in the story, but somehow it all more or less fits together in the end.
Stefanie--Yes, all the storylines do meet up, and this is where suspension of belief comes in handy. If a reader over-analyzes it, too much, I think it won't hold up well. But it's fiction so I'm willing to cut an author slack if he/she tells a good story.
Lisa--Thanks for inviting me. It was an unusual but entertaining read and I think I might have missed it due to the opera angle, otherwise.
Nomadreader--I did read most of the blog tour reviews as well as some Amazon ones, and I know there were some very mixed reactions to the story. Certainly there are aspects that some readers might have been uncomfortable with and I can respect that. We all come to books with varying ideas and expectations and that's okay. He is a good writer and I'll be curious to see where his next book takes him as well.
Julia--It was definitely an interesting read! Somehow the ambitious storyline seemed to work well against the backdrop of an opera.
Dorothy--I don't know much about him or opera either, so this was an interesting look into a foreign world!

[iliana]

Great review Danielle. I was looking forward to your thoughts on this one because it does sound a bit grand in scope so I was curious to see how you'd end up liking it. I think with novels that have different characters, timeframes, etc. it must be a really difficult task for the author to make it all come together. This is one I'll be adding to my list.

[Danielle]

Iliana--I think if you like stories that have more than one storyline and are willing to keep an open mind plot-wise you might like this one. This one is definitely larger than life!