The Architecture of Song, is a wonderfully quirky novel that explores the notion of innocence, and being all that you are able to be.
“I lived many lives beneath that piano … I heard ten thousand stories in that space. There I was privileged to observe, to gather — and not only gather, to concentrate within myself — so much that is usually denied a child of my age. As a result, I have, you might say, grown.”
So says Augustus Trump — a dwarf destined to be a circus freak. Cursed by nature as he is, Augustus is nevertheless blessed with a determination to survive, and more than survive, to grow. This growth,
both in stature and in spirit, is brought about by a second blessing — his divine voice: an instrument so sublime that even the stars pay heed. Because no-one knows better the agonies, the violence and the love that inform the poetic than Augustus
Trump: dwarf, protégé, man.
The Architecture of Song is a magical, unique story of beauty, imagination and song. It has a cast of dark, surprising characters who will enchant and delight you, just as the songs of Augustus Trump enchant and transform them.
Gary Crew is a Hinterland resident and author who has been published internationally since 1986. He lives with his wife, Christine, on their property in Maleny. Gary is associate professor of creative writing at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
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