I sit at the keyboard this morning,
having just completed reading Balls on the D train on my way down
to West 4th Street,
and I imagine the keys of a piano in front of me. Melancholy might be the first word that comes to mind when I think
about this novel, but also well crafted,
like a song its protagonist Henry Schiller is always trying to create. That
perfect New York
song… the one that will define him.
What else defines him in this novel?
Well, the women he dates, or sleeps
with more accurately, as even though there is one flame in his heart, there are
many women in his life both past and present that he talks about in great
detail. Constantly falling in and out of relationships, most tragically as it
often happens, love is something he struggles with, especially with his young
and talented girlfriend, Paula.
Manhattan is another large piece of his
identity. Although Henry lives in Tudor
City, near the UN, and
plays piano in a bar nearby, he travels around the picturesque city via cab and
on foot, wandering, looking for himself in bars, nightclubs, the bottom of a
glass, or more specifically at the piano. He is always seeking out therapy
through manipulating the keys and loosing himself trying to write a song.
Lastly, there is the cancer. He is
told he has testicular cancer and struggles dealing with the reality of this
serious diagnosis. His life takes sudden twists and turns all encompassed by
this threat to his very existence. Can he find the love, the support, or the perfect
song to guide him through, to make everything alright?
It is a strange trip, but one worth
going on. Take this trip if you’re looking for a New York story, or the story of a young man
struggling to find his way or if you’re looking simply enjoy the lyrical craft
of Tepper’s writing. I saw this talented writer read aloud a sample of this
novel at the Brooklyn Book Festival last month, and it was well worth tracking
down.
All of it… well played.
