Infinity

Overview

In the course of a single extensive interview, this novel recounts the colorful life of a wealthy, eccentric Italian composer through multiple layers of unreality. As Massimo recalls what his master, Tancredo Pavone, told him about his life, he often repeats Pavone’s outrageous opinions on everything from the current state of the world to the inner life of each musical note. Eventually, it becomes comically clear that not only does Pavone not always distinguish between memory and imagination, but also that Massimo does not always understand what it is he is repeating. A moving portrait of a close bond between two people from utterly different social spheres, this narrative is an insightful look into the world of a composer and the process of artistic creation.

Reviews

“The story he tells is unexpectedly compelling. . . . Mr. Josipovici has a gift for sweeping the reader along.”  —Eric Ormsby, Wall Street Journal

“I am a constant admirer of his talent and intellect.”  —Muriel Spark, novelist, The Finishing School

 “Simply put, there is no working writer in the English language better than Gabriel Josipovici.”  —Jeff Waxman, Review of Contemporary Fiction

Author Biography

Gabriel Josipovici is the author of 16 novels—including his critically acclaimed novel Whatever Happened to Modernism?—three volumes of short stories, eight critical works, a memoir, and numerous stage and radio plays. He is also a regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement.