THE
DREAMS BEARERS
Part
One : City of Dreams
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| City of Dreams by Mel Cooper |
This week he has published a novel, probably, I guess, based on his own family's journeys to escape from the Russian Pogroms; from 1890, through decades in Vienna and eventually onto Toronto.
It is a vivid, beautifully written story with talented heroes and heroines who would grace the pages of Tolstoy or Dostoevsky.
Mel tutors on and is an authority on theater and opera. Some of his characters are thespians, actors in wonderful European theaters painted and animated by Mel. The style of this book, relying on complex and subtle dialogue must inevitably lead to a stage production and a film.
His deep knowledge of the real history of village and city Jewish life and of the literature and the underlying religious philosophy, gently illuminates the stories; adding a spiritual dimension to the rich dramas, failures and successes of his intriguing and talented characters.
Will they all live happily ever-after? Battling against persistent anti-Semitism, I doubt it; though this author is generous enough to wish them all well.
I am very much enjoying reading it on my Kindle and will be first in the queue when the printed copies hit the shelves at Blackwell's, Oxford - now Mel's home city.
Who will be first to sign up the film-rights? - Noel Hodson - Blogger
*******
WHO IS MEL COOPER?
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| Mel Cooper at his Oxford home. |
Canadian-born Mel Cooper first
came to the UK to study English Literature at Oxford and stayed, captivated by
the culture and history of the welcoming and tolerant society of Britain. After
working in highly illustrated, non-fiction publishing for over a decade, he
founded and edited the magazine Opera Now. Since then he has worked as a
consultant to the Japanese broadcaster NHK, a broadcaster on British Satellite
Broadcasting, a program maker and arts critic for several airlines through the
InFlight company, and as one of the team that started Britain’s first
commercial classical music radio station, Classic FM, on which he was both a
classical music DJ and creator and presenter of shows like Classic America
and Authentic Performance. Throughout this period and beyond, he also
lectured in music and literature in London and Oxford, published short stories
in Canada, and wrote arts journalism for various magazines and web sites. After
working with the Genesis Foundation on helping to fund arts projects, he continues
to write, review and lecture on music and literature. His first novel has just
been published as an e-book. The title is City
of Dreams. It is the first volume of a projected saga called The Dream Bearers. You can find the
Kindle version of the book on Amazon.
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