As he slides into dementia, Catalan professor Adria Ardevol attempts to communicate his belief in the human capability for beauty and love; contrasted by our capacity for evil as exemplified in the Inquistion and the Holocaust. I found I really wanted to know about Adria, a very real character, and what part his (sinister) violin actually played in his life. An amazing book thoroughly recommended for those who enjoy a challenge.
Adria opened his mouth and closed it again. He didn't know how to respond. He didn't know why he didn't want to sell Vial, that violin that had rubbed elbows with so much tragedy but which I had grown accustomed to playing more and more hours each day. ... perhaps because of the stories I imagined when I touched its wood .... It's not an excuse but Vial was some sort of window onto imagination.
