Glenn Gould

November 7, 2016
As a classic example of the eccentric genius, pianist Glenn Gould is an irresistible subject for biographers. Intense, fussy, and difficult, yet oddly charismatic, and cloaked in a protective cloud of quirks, he was hailed as perhaps the greatest musician of his era before retiring into Salinger-like seclusion. This appropriately refined graphic novel, awash in cool watercolors, skips through time from Gould’s strict childhood as the prodigy of demanding parents to the 1982 stroke that ushered in his death. In between, the genius aggravates his agent, quests for the perfect piano, and submerges himself in music. Prolific French cartoonist Revel plays with form and narrative convention, filling some pages with documentary realism, others with surreal fantasies. It’s hard to avoid comparisons to the cult-classic Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, which takes a similarly fragmented approach to evoking Gould’s life and work. But Revel’s stunning artwork makes this book, timed to commemorate what would have been Gould’s 85th birthday, a worthy new biography.

February 1, 2017

Pianist Glenn Gould (1932-82) is known for his precise, energetic interpretations of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, whose counterpoint--interplay of multiple melodies--teases ears and minds. In homage, Revel (La Lesbienne Invisible) paces this Artemisia Award-winning biography in counterpoint. The main theme leads us off: Gould's death from a stroke. From there other motifs appear, recede, and interact. Gould's cousin, his manager, and many others reminisce about this enigmatic, brilliant man. And as they recall his accomplishments and quirks, vignettes from his life come into view: learning piano from his mother, two paradigm-shifting performances of Bach's Goldberg Variations, a radio documentary about "The Idea of North," his requirements for overheated surroundings, his decision to make recordings instead of play concerts, and bittersweet romances. Gould loved overcast skies, and Revel's realistic yet minimalistic art vibrates with smoky grays, browns, and blues overlain by subtle mottling, picturing Gould's state of mind and bearing witness to his extensive keyboard work. VERDICT Gould combined the tedium of obsession with consummate musical skill and intriguingly maddening eccentricities, all of which Revel conveys in nontedious, contrapuntal fashion. Classical music junkies will greatly enjoy.--MC

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2016
Canadian concert pianist Gould (193282) remains so famous for his eccentricitieshis humming while playing; his custom-made (by his father), low-slung, squeaky, collapsible bench; his virtual marriage to a Steinway that he carted with him on tour until its traumatizing accidental destruction; his renunciation of public performance at 31; his insistence on suffocatingly overheating home, car, and recording studio; his bundling up for winter regardless of the actual season; his hypochondria and pill-popping; and morethat when we think classical pianist, he is often the first person who comes to mind. Counting on readers knowing enough already to not be confused by her procedure, Revel structures this graphic biography as a series of flashbacks bumpered by dreamlike sequences of Gould performing, strolling through northern landscapes under overcast skies, and lying in a coma from the stroke that killed him. The biographical parts are drawn realistically enough, but they're softened by a muted color palette and the underlying texture of Revel's medium, watercolor paper. Concluding with lists of recommended listening and reading, this is striking work, indeed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)