Body and SoulIn the dim light of a basement apartment, six-year old Claude Rawlings sits at an old white piano, picking out the sounds he has heard on the radio and shutting out the reality of his lonely world. The setting is 1940s New York, a city that is "long gone, replaced by another city of the same name." Against a backdrop that pulses with sound and rhythm, Body & Soul brilliantly evokes the life of a child prodigy whose musical genius pulls him out of squalor and into the drawing rooms of the rich and a gilt-edged marriage. But the same talent that transforms him also hurtles Claude into a lonely world of obsession and relentless ambition. From Carnegie Hall to the smoky jazz clubs of London, Body & Soul burns with a passion and truth--at once a riveting, compulsive read and a breathtaking glimpse into a boy's heart and an artist's soul. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Aaron Copland Anson Roeg Art Tatum Bechstein Beethoven began Bergman blue body BODY & SOUL Catherine chair chords Claude asked Claude felt Claude looked Claude nodded Claude pointed Claude thought Claude's coffee concert dark desk Dewman door dumbwaiter Emma everything eyes face feel fingers Fisk floor FRANK CONROY Fredericks Frescobaldi front gave glanced glass hand happened head hear heard Ivan jazz knew Lady Larkin laughed leaned Levits light listen Lord Lightning mean mother moved Mozart never Okay opened orchestra Pabst Blue Ribbon Peter piano Piano Concerto picked play Popkin pulled Rawlings Reggie Satterthwaite seemed shook silence smile sorry sound stared stood stopped street stuff sure talking Ted Powers tell there's thing took turned violin voice waited walked wall watched Weisfeld What's window