Alex's review
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
by Oliver W. Sacks
Alex's review
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver W. Sacks
Alex's review
rating:
Musicophelia is an enchanting read, though one is struck more by the phenomena depicted—amusias, musical hallucinations, comatose patients suddenly "awakened" by nothing more than a familiar melody—than the manner of their depiction. Sacks has always been lauded for his fluid, personable style, and for good reason, but in the wake of classics such as The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Uncle Tungsten, his writing seems excessively florid and repetitive—neither tight enough nor substantial enough to match the subject he loves so well.
My other criticism is that for all it's heartstopping wonder, Musicophelia rarely buckles down to the core of things. Only at specific points does Sacks truly explore the philosophical or psychological implications of his subjects. I confess I've encountered many of these "clinical tales" in his earlier books and articles, and hence, the net result feels to me more like a compendium or "greatest hits" album ...more
My other criticism is that for all it's heartstopping wonder, Musicophelia rarely buckles down to the core of things. Only at specific points does Sacks truly explore the philosophical or psychological implications of his subjects. I confess I've encountered many of these "clinical tales" in his earlier books and articles, and hence, the net result feels to me more like a compendium or "greatest hits" album ...more
