The Music of Women

"REEDSY

 Loved it!   

The characters in this heavy yet consistently intriguing read come to life. Plot and prose are equally fascinating!

Synopsis

Success does not usually equate with death. Unless you happen to be novelist Charlie Forte.

When Charlie receives the largest book advance of his career, he comes to two conclusions: He is a shit, and he is going to kill himself.

But, a stone garden wall and twenty-four women thwart his plans.

The women in the life of Charlie Forte:

His mother, Rose; sisters Maureen, Patti, and Clare; his aunts Justine, Lila, and Evelyn; and Jessica, Marta, Sierra, Helen, Annie, Stephanie, Alex, Lauren, Leah, Hilda, Magdalena, Aurora, Lacy, Becky, Marissa, Nedda, and Divine Light.

Beginning with his prepubescent awareness that being breastfed made him special, to being cradled in the arms of Sierra, his one and only love (despite being married to someone else), Charlie experiences the women in his life through the music he attaches to them.

From “My Funny Valentine,” the tune he hears whenever Sierra appears, to “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” when Sicilian prostitute Magdalena holds him in thrall – the parade of women thrills and angers, entertains and causes regret.

The Music of Women is a cautionary tale for all men who would be seduced by the ageless siren song of women.

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Without spoiling anything, the book is a heavy read yet intriguing throughout and I absolutely love the concept of a man whose life appears to be influenced and revolving around women... but not always in the way that you think (such as by his mother and aunts).

Above all, I was compelled by the deep and often thought-provoking narrative. Kudos to the author for his immense talent in storytelling. This book is packed with strong character plots combined with sensual, erotic aspects that add to the reader experience and draws them in even further. The genuine wow factor about this book for me certainly derives from the character development and vivid descriptions. For me, the imagery was so vivid and authentic that the characters appeared to jump out of the pages and really come to life which is exactly the sort of experience you want to get out of a book you want to be invested in. I could not possibly praise highly enough how the narrative style flows perfectly, supplemented with fantastic descriptions and colourful imaginings. Vincent Panettiere, the author, flexes an impressive capability to suddenly (though never out of place or arbitrarily) throw in sentences so deep that Adele is rolling in it. In terms of our protagonist, Charlie, I eventually found him to be very likeable despite initially fearing he would turn out to be the stereotypical depressed novelist that saturates plentiful literature. He has some quirks that I just adore, such as the songs he relates his feelings or experiences with the women in his life to which was especially enjoyable to read and how amusing his odd spout of profanity occurred to me in his monologues. 

I would definitely recommend this to anybody who wants to get stuck into an intelligent, deep and vivid read.

Reviewed by

Niamh Banner 

INDIESTODAY.COM

The Music of Women by Vincent Panettiere

★★★★★ / By Jennifer Jackson / November 13, 2020

 A surprisingly touching, and at times tender, tale of a man haunted by his choices.

A successful novelist by any account, Charlie Forte is putting the finishing touches on his magnum opus. Only this story will transcend the written word. This is the story Charlie. His conquests, his insecurities, his missed opportunities, his successes. “No matter how glorious the circumstance, Charlie was never satisfied—be it a house, or a wife, or other female companionship.” The pages detail this ideology in great detail and with no small amount of cynicism and wit. As in all his endeavors, Charlie’s plans to finish his novel and finish himself take a shambolic turn. The story turns into a surprisingly coherent cluster of memories, some consequential, others jejune, culminating in an ending that even Charlie couldn’t have penned.

The Music of Women by Vincent Panettiere diverges from any expected clichés and features a story about an insecure man coming to terms with his inadequacies. Garrulous and slick, contemptuous and self-loathing, Charlie’s character is the amalgamation of so many boyhood fantasies muddled with a healthy dose of narcissism and arrogance. The vulnerability Panettiere paints Charlie with makes the character someone to simultaneously love and hate. The book drifts into a metaphysical realm, but isn’t bogged down with such abstract ideas so as to spoil the arc of the story. Personally, I felt like the ending was a bit soft, but it tempers the book and makes it approachable to a broader audience.

The Music of Women is a surprisingly touching, and at times tender, tale of a man haunted by his choices, chased by his demons and obsessed with the breast. Both unexpected and humorous in a self-effacing manner, Vincent Panettiere has crafted a novel that is satisfyingly piquant.

AMAZON REVIEW

The Music of Women by Vincent Panettiere

5.0 out of 5 stars Offbeat and Unique

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2020

The Music of Women by Vincent Panettiere is an unique amalgamation of sensuality, abstraction and emotional upheaval. It follows the journey of the protagonist Charlie and develops through his pov. The narrative is deep and consuming. It wanders yet roots you to something concrete. It instigates your mind and provokes your thoughts. The characters were detailed and distinct from each other. Each had an arc of their own that made them stand out. That combined with vivid descriptions definitely stole the show. It was definitely a refreshing, off beat and compelling read.

 ***

GOODREADS REVIEW

 Sep 25, 2020 Dave rated it 3 Stars

Shelves: edelweiss-books, book-sirens, literary, read-have, x-2020-edel-reviewed

What would go through your mind as you lay in a coma in your hospital bed? Some might have their whole life flash before their eyes. Some might try to only remember the good times. Some might focus only on what went wrong and what can't be fixed. For Charlie Forte, a novelist who achieved blistering success, it's the women that he remembers in quite intimate detail, both sexually and emotionally. He even goes back to his teenage fantasyland and episodes with older coworkers and even an aunt. Sort of a more modern Portnoy's complaint but told from a far more mature point of view. 

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