I am deviating from my usual review of a young adult book this week. This week I must give high praise to Lemony Snicket and his newest story The Composer Is Dead. Not only has Mr. Snicket surprised me with his knowledge of the orchestra and famous composers but the illustrations are fabulously full of character. I have also listened to the included CD and it is marvelous as well. And I am rather surprised that Lemony Snicket has come out of obscurity to narrate the story himself! (It is rather out of character for Mr. Snicket to perform such a public service).
As someone who once was in the orchestra herself, I really appreciate a story that explores the world of classical music. The story explains each section, instrument by instrument in a manner that is informative (and full of funny orchestra jokes and allusions). The story centers around an inspector’s investigation of a murder: the composer’s. In the process the inspector finds alibis for all the usual suspects, except for the conductor.
“Of course,” said the Inspector, “the Conductor! You’ve been murdering composers for years! In fact, wherever there’s a conductor, you’re sure to find a dead composer!”
But to discover who the murder is and how the orchestra deals with the result, you’re going to have to buy the book and find out for yourself!