Maestro

Module A – Experience through Language – Distinctively Visual

An Appreciation of Maestro

Peter Goldsworthy has invented a really unique novel, Maestro. This book incorporates all sorts of themes such as maturity, various levels of relationships with other people, opportunities, the inevitable past that we all have to live with.

He conveys these themes and ideas via distinctively visual words, phrases and paragraphs. A combination of graphical and brilliantly manufactured literal techniques assists in presenting a very precise image in the readers mind.

Different chapters in this novel convey different meanings and messages. However all of them add up to create a truly heartfelt journey as we experience the success and hardship faced by Paul with Herr Keller, the Maestro, mentoring him throughout the most of the novel.

At the start, Paul is ungrateful and does not appreciate nor understand the opportunity that he has right in front of him to pursue his dream of becoming a famous concert pianist. Having a 'been there, done that' mentality, Maestros teachings make Paul very frustrated and annoyed. The Maestro tries to instil discipline and encourages Paul to learn "to listen" before he plays practises on the piano.

Maturity is also portrayed through different scenes in different times throughout Paul’s life. From only wanting to play the piano, having a love interest, witnessing people having sex in a library, to getting a girlfriend, then to having sex himself with Rosie and finally thinking about his past and regretting decisions which he has made and missing out on opportunities to become a famous concert pianist. Megan is referred to as being an object of lust which highlights the lack of maturity Paul has at that stage of the book. We can see that Paul gradually matures and throughout the novel he only regrets choices made from his immaturity and stubbornness.

In order for Paul to mature in this novel, he needed to tutelage of the...