Oscar

by Mauricio Segura, Donald Winkler (Translator)

A magical realist take on the life of legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, the immigrant experience, and the alchemy of music in 1950s.

Each time Brad, Oscar P.’s big brother, starts playing the piano, the rain stops, summer returns, and the sun refuses to set. A fter Brad succumbs to the white plague, Oscar wonders how he can be expected to take his place, until he makes a deal with the devil. Inspired by the life of legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, Mauricio Segura’s Oscar evokes the cabarets of the 1950s in this swinging novel, while offering a re- flection on the bonds between an artist and the Caribbean diaspora from which he comes. But above all, it’s a poignant homage to a music giant.

172 pages, Paperback

Published June 12, 2018

About the author

Né à Temuco, au Chili, Mauricio Segura est arrivé au Canada à l’âge de cinq ans. Romancier et journaliste, il fait paraître, au Boréal, Côte-des-Nègres (1998), Bouche-à-bouche (2003), Eucalyptus (2010), Oscar (2016) et Viral (2020). Il œuvre dans le milieu de la télévision à titre de scénariste et collabore au magazine L’Inconvénient.

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often a translation fails to capture the nuances of an author’s words. Such is not the case with “Oscar” which is translated from French.
A captivating imagining of the life of a musical genius. Oscar Peterson’s growing up in Montreal, his family life with parents of West Indian origins, his mother Davina’s premonitions, Peterson’s demons, not least of which his obsession with Art Tatum are all laid bare.
Of special interest is the descriptions of an area in Montreal called Little Burgundy which is long gone.
A fascinating read about a fascinating Canadian born musician.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, but lacks depth of a real biography.

[Guylaine Brisson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Enid Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggle with rating this. This is not a novel. It is a (dramatised/fictionalised) biography. Most problematically there is no plot. I'd argue that it's also missing other essential elements of a novel.
If you are an Oscar Peterson fan, and are interesting in understanding where he came from and the motivations (perhaps) that drove him, then go ahead, read this.

[Audrey Martel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une lecture intéressante et présentée de façon originale. J'ai eu un peu de difficulté à embarquer dans l'histoire, c'est pourquoi je donne seulement trois étoiles.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This probably would have been better if I knew the musician better, but there was a lot packed into a small book.