Rough Music

The recent return of Ronnie Biggs to the UK gives the story added piquancy, as the prisoner who escapes thanks to Julian's phone call in the 1960s part of the story is obviously based on Biggs.

I spent many childhood holidays in Cornwall and Gale now lives there: he imbues the place with a sense of liberation reminiscent of EM Forster (several of his earlier novels are also set there).

In my opinion Patrick Gale is among the best young British writers today, and thus I am impatiently waiting for "Rough Music" to be nominated for a major literary prize: it deserves it.


A complex but hugely enjoyable novel   April 29, 2001
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

For most novels, to reveal in a review that the central character is sleeping with his brother-in-law would ruin the story. "Rough Music" is not most novels. The relationship between Will and Sandy is just a tiny part of a text that looks at the childhood and adulthood of one man, and how one influences the other, and Gale does this with incredible skill. The method of switching between two narratives, set 30 years apart, could have so easily been confusing and annoying, let flows brilliantly. The plot is complemented by well drawn characters (with the possible exception of the slightly two-dimensional Roly, and the reader will care about them all. Contrary to what some say, intelligent readers will not feel the need to be spoon-fed the information concerning the identity of Will/Julian - indeed, the novel's major success it that this is gradually revealed to the reader, who can make their own deductions, rather than spelt out in block letters. "Rough Music" is hugely readable, and if you're put off by the "gay literature" tag, don't be; there is so much more to this text than the protganist's sexuality.


Looking back into the mirror   April 20, 2001
Rough Music (a term, according to the book of an archaic form of 'outing') means much to someone whose adolescence was spent in the mid- to late 1960s, but is certainly not confined to then. It is a thoughtful, lyrical work, never mawkish or, as so often with gay literature, gloomy and pessimistic, even though one of the principal characters is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Contrasted with the principal character's readiness to embrace sexuality is the painfully familiar English (heterosexual) attitude to relationships even within marriage. Enjoyment, still less passion, just isn't right, and sex may just be permissible if a child is to be the result. The parents are accepting, but not entirely happy, and hope secretly that Will, the main character, will turn out 'normal' after all. Be prepared to spend time on this work - to rush it will be a loss. However, Patrick Gale could have been more ready to clarify that Will and Julian are the same person. The author may be forgiven this sin. The gradual awareness of sexual difference, with both problems and delights - all so very familiar - and without any meaningful help available - is deftly described. Don't rush this book, but do read it.


Family Life Well Exposed   April 17, 2001
lblackl366@aol.com (England)
ROUGH MUSIC - Patrick Gale.

This is a "can't put it down" story. Extremely well moulded characters, tending to dwell in the area of the well off, but they have flavoursome modern descriptive support within their time and space.

Some echoes from ones own childhood resonate and bring the narrative into sharp focus, and Patrick Gale has a flair, if not to shock, then certainly bring the reader rather smartly up short. There is also no lack of appropriate humour, a necessary ingredient which serves the overall story well.

One point irritating me considerably - so far I have failed to detect the reason why child 'Julian' grows up into adult 'Will' - did I miss any possible explanation - rather confusing initially, and irksome. There is either a curious lapse or a straightforward explanation Any other reader, please enlighten me !!.