Oscar - (Biblioasis International Translation) by Mauricio Segura (Paperback)

About the Book

A magical realist take on the life of legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, the immigrant experience, and the alchemy of music in 1950s.

Book Synopsis

Brad succumbs to the white plague, Oscar too spends his days fighting disease, confined to a hospital. Playing the organ at night for a mysterious sickly girl, he discovers his own talent, although years after recovery, he finds himself desperate, poor, and depressed--until the devil, otherwise known to the world as impresario Norman G, happens on him in a moment of crisis.

Inspired by the life of legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, Mauricio Segura's Oscar evokes periods across time, from the Depression-era Montreal neighbourhood of Little Burgundy to the swinging cabarets of the 1950s, while offering a reflection on the bonds between an artist and the Caribbean diaspora from which he comes. But above all, Oscar is a poignant homage to a musical giant, a man who changed the face of jazz forever.

Review Quotes

Praise for Mauricio Segura

"Segura's greatest strength as a novelist lies in his tightly focused narration."--Words Without Borders

"Segura has brilliantly juxtaposed innocence with violence in order to heighten the tragedy of his story, and the result is devastating."--Montreal Review of Books

"Segura writes with a poetic economy of language, using very few words to create meaningful images, Winkler's masterful translation [of Eucalyptus] is so seamless, readers will think that the novel was written in English"--Publishers Weekly

"Well-executed, with a cinematic quality and keen visual sense-- Segura locates the political through the personal in a way that is uncommon."--Stephen Sparks, Point Reyes Books

PRAISE FOR OSCAR

"Bursts at the seams with historical events, colourful characters, and timeless themes...with its lilting strains of magical realism and strange sense of time, the book often recalls greats like Patrick Chamoiseau and Edwidge Danticat...with a keen eye to the history of Montreal and a knowing ear attuned to the ins and outs of swing and bebop, Segura shows both great force and a certain playfulness." --Montreal Review of Books

"An intriguing investigation into the life of one of Canada's most iconic musicians... a fascinating work of fiction." --Toronto Star

"Story unravels in very creative ways...[an] enjoyable read...fascinating" --Jael Richardson on CBC Radio's q

"an enchanting and lyrical novel of the tragic consequences losing a loved one may have--and the dangers of impulsively grasping at greatness." --World Literature Today

About the Author

Born in Chile, Mauricio Segura grew up in Montreal and studied at Université de Montréal and McGill University. He is a well-known journalist, scriptwriter, and documentary filmmaker. An editor of the literary journal L'Inconvénient and a regular contributor to the Montreal public affairs magazine L'Actualité, he has taught at Concordia University, McGill University, and Université de Montréal.

Segura is the author of four novels and a study of Western depictions of Latin America. His novels Black Alley and Eucalyptus were published in English by Biblioasis. Black Alley is widely studied in Quebec's junior college system. Eucalyptus was named one of Amazon's 100 best books of 2013. The Montreal newspaper La Presse chose Oscar as one of the 40 best books of 2016.