Symphony by Jude Morgan

Released: 2008

The premise of Symphony surrounds the lives of infamous composer Hector Berlioz and the love of his life, actress Harriet Smithson. Anyone who takes the time to learn about this doomed couple would be instantly piqued at the historical fiction fabricated around their relationship or love-affair, if you can call it that.

For a novel with an extremely intriguing story, the style of Symphony is not very enjoyable. The feel of the novel is so detached, and yet for being a novel published in 2006, it has the feel of a forgotten classic that sometimes you have to read as a college or school project. The language is hard to follow, and it's very difficult to stay interested.


Symphony is a total of 384 pages, and by the time we get halfway through the book, we still haven't arrived to where Harriet and Hector even know of each other's existence. There are so many small details up to this point that have nothing to do with their relationship together.

I honestly hope readers will gain more out of Jude Morgan's Symphony than me. Best of luck to the person that takes this book on next.