The Soul Singer
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Unusually for this Website this is a novel which is being reviewed. "The Soul Singer" is the story of Noah Gladney, a modern day artist who sings in the style of the traditional soul genre. He is portrayed as an anachronism in the era of 'house' and 'gangsta rappers'. The author goes way over the top in attributing to Gladney an excess of high moral values and integrity which he clearly thinks a hero should have. Very unusual for a reformed ghetto boy who had done time in prison! Given the title I was expecting soul music to be a central theme, but in truth it was just a diversion. The story was more about his love affairs with promiscuous women and his reforming of a lesbian to straight sex than any serious commentary on music. The plot is highly implausible, and significantly less interesting than the real lives of genuine soul artists such as Ray Charles or Al Green. Gladney is likened to a modern day Wilson Pickett or Otis Redding, but in truth the lyrics of his songs, which are recited in abundance, bear little resemblance to any soul music I am aware of. In short, the genuine soul content of this book is round about 2%. As for its merits as a novel, it is badly written, superficial and lacks any significant characterisation. The dialogue between the main players read like the conversations of androids. At £23 this was grossly overpriced and I certainly won't be looking for any more work from this author on the bookshelves. |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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