In this delightful novel, which won a Whitbread Prize in 1989, James Hamilton-Paterson joins celebrated British composer Edward Elgar on a cruise on the Amazon River and imagines what artists of the time may have pondered. "Oh Edward what a stupid doltish ass you've been to waste your life on the idea that art--in its small way--can make the least difference to things," he imagines Elgar as commenting. The book isn't merely a collection of questioning ruminations; the cruise is filled with a variety of comical and interesting passengers and crew members.
Winner of the Whitbread Prize
"A rich reflection upon the nature of the artist. A novel which is unafraid of ideas and where the writing gives a constant reinforcement of pleasure." -- Weekend Telegraph
"A rich reflection upon the nature of the artist. A novel which is unafraid of ideas and where the writing gives a constant reinforcement of pleasure." -- Weekend Telegraph
