"The Maestro", by Peter Goldsworthy.

The Maestro, by Peter Goldsworthy

The novel Maestro, by Peter Goldsworthy is a beautifully crafted novel dealing with the tragic gulf between talent and genius, between the real and the spurious. Good literature, however, is often judged not only by what is written, but also the way it is written. Reflecting this criteria, Maestro is well written, perfectly contrasted and thus an excellent example of a good piece of literature. Goldsworthy has achieved this thorough his character development, utilization of the settings and use of language.

The novel begins in Darwin in 1967 and traces Paul's life through his childhood to 1977. During this time he travels to Adelaide, through Europe and ends up settling in Melbourne. The central concern of the novel "Maestro" is definitely the growth to maturity of Paul. The issues which arise in the novel, such as music, relationships, love, and betrayal, all contribute to lead to his developement to understanding.

Paul Stang

Maestro (novel)

Deutsch: Der Dichter Paul Keller

These issues portrayed in the commencement of the novel is what entices and sustains the reader to continue.

The different settings in Maestro play a significant role in the structure of the plot and the development of its characters. The novel is mostly set in Darwin, a place described as 'wet', 'moist' and 'humid'. The piano practice room is described as dark, with bright sunlight outside. This can be seen as to symbolize the repressed feelings of Keller. These settings allow music to be an on-going and interweaving motif throughout the novel, which is also the most important one.

Maestro is a novel which primarily focuses on the study of human relationships. Considering such, characters within the text are very unique and differ in personalities. On the surface, it is a study of two people, Paul and Keller - a complex...