Infinity - Background, General & Sources (no spoilers)

[Vesna]

This thread is for general comments about Infinity: The Story of a Moment and its author Gabriel Josipovici. Thank you for voting and welcome to everyone who would like to join us. Please feel free to share your initial thoughts, reviews, familiarity with the author and his other works. I'll start with a few reviews and some background information in the followup comment.

Who is interested to join the discussion?

[Hugh]

Thanks Vesna. I read the book on Sunday and I am looking forward to the discussion.

[Abeselom]

Hey Venesa. I started the book this morning. Hope to finish it quicly and join the conversation.

[Paul]

I think this is my favourite of those of his I've read, second only to Cemetery in Barnes.

In terms of background if you'd like to know more about the real-life composer on which the novel is based, https://www.therestisnoise.com/2005/1... is a good take

[Sam]

I'll be along once I catch up, probably within a week.

[Vesna]

Thank you all!

Like Paul, I read The Cemetery in Barnes and instantly fell under Josipovici's spell. A few goodread friends highly recommended Infinity as well and I look forward to our discussion.

A couple of more links to add:
- Deborah Levy reviewed it, though less comprehensively than Vesna Main (our same name is entirely coincidental :-)) on the link that Paul posted under the whole book/spoilers thread. Here is Levy's review:
https://www.carcanet.co.uk/cgi-bin/sc...
- and The Guardian review:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

In his Note, Josipovici discloses that “The protagonist of this novel [Tancredo Pavone] is loosely based on the Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi (1905–1988).” I read the article about his avant-garde music by Alex Ross in The New Yorker and it's brilliant. So good to see that he posted it on his blog therestisnoise.com.

I thought that his life as a recluse and eccentric was also well covered in this online encyclopedia (less emphasis on his music, more on his life):
https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/l...

[Mark]

I'm in. The name Tancredi brings back thoughts of The Leopard, (a very different book, though) and its golden child. Off we go!

[Vesna]

Mark wrote: "I'm in. The name Tancredi brings back thoughts of The Leopard, (a very different book, though) and its golden child. Off we go!"

That's great. Thank you, Mark. (I didn't read Lampedusa's novel but still remember Visconti's film and Delon's Tancredi!)

[Vesna]

If you have finished the book, please join us on the 'whole book' thread. Everyone's thoughts and reactions are welcome!