Lately I've been asked by many potential readers whether they must know or love opera to appreciate THE METROPOLIS CASE. Or, basically they ask: 'ZOMG if I h8 opera, is there any way I can <3 yalls novel?' I'm here to tell you that, yes, it's quite possible to dislike opera and still enjoy the book!
Some explanation: if you're the type of person who dislikes opera because it's not a 'representation of real life,' i.e., you're prone to saying: 'h8 u opera because in real life ppl don't sing to each other or die at the drop of a pin or fall in love with a glance,' chances are you're not going to <3 the book, either, which contains many improbable plot twists and 'melodramz' -- several lifted from actual operas -- as a vehicle to move the story along. That said, if you're the type of person who's comfortable suspending the logical, scientific world in which we all live in order to enjoy a piece of art or literature, i.e., you understand that sometimes art is inherently artificial and a somewhat warped mirror through which to examine our lives from a different angle to get fresh insight, then I think you'll be fine diving in to the novel, at least in terms of the opera. (There are countless reasons to like or dislike a novel, obv, I'm not going to make any promises in that regard.) It can work the other way, too; some ppl who know 'too much' about the opera might not enjoy the book because they feel like it gives 'short shrift' to Wagner (as a historical figure) or they might not enjoy the 'literary part of the book,' i.e., the part where you get into characters' heads and understand what they're thinking, which of course is something you can do very well in a novel but less explicitly in an opera. Ultimately, it's difficult to predict whether you're going to like the book or not, but one thing is certain: there seems to be no correlation between a <3 (or h8) of opera and a <3 (or h8) of the book, which is all to say that you should probably pick up a copy and decide for yourself!
For me, not a case of loving/hating knowing/not knowing opera, but of boning up on '80s pop culture of which I was aware at the time but not necessarily paying much attention, or I knew about but forgot.
And a book that makes me pull out a dictionary once in a while is a gem. "Chthonic..." ? You learn something new every day!
Posted by: Robert le Diable | 01/25/2011 at 10:13 AM
Thanks, Robert!!! Everyone gets so fixated on the opera, that its great to hear that it can also work the other way around.
And yes, chthonic is something I picked up from Jung, whose ideas are obv a motif in the book. Once you finish, I hope youll consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads -- that stuff really helps keep the book alive, so to speak.
Posted by: Matthew Gallaway | 01/25/2011 at 10:23 AM
Halfway through -- don't want to rush -- I love to savor the different stories and characters.
Posted by: Robert le Diable | 01/25/2011 at 10:28 AM
Excellent -- I hope you enjoy the rest!
Posted by: Matthew Gallaway | 01/25/2011 at 10:30 AM