Art Of Fugue Analysis

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imperceptible process of healing starts. His healing is done by Julia herself in the form of ‘Art of Fugue’. Her music brings a positive change in Michael. He attends her concert and is uplifted by her music. He now understands the true love in him. He thus says:
Music, such music; is a sufficient gift why ask for happiness; why hope not to grieve ? It is enough; it is to be blessed enough to live from day to day and to hear such music- not too much, or the soul could not sustain it-from time to time. (AEM 381)
This time Michael is not suffering from loneliness. He is accompanied with the sweet memories of his lover Julia which soothes his physical body and the music which she played soothes his soul. The novel ends with Julia playing to a …show more content…

(380)
Music and love are thus two major themes in the novel, which is appropriate, considering that both love and music, play on emotions. It is interesting how Seth weaves the two together to create a canvas on which the passions are so consummately depicted. Intricately joined with the love for music is the mutual love of Michael and Julia making it a classic of love and music. Shakespeare’s memorable words in Twelfth Night, If music be the food of love play on; (1.i.1), is reflected in the discovery of Michael and Julia, Making music and making love- it’s a bit too easy an equation (136).
It is pretty difficult and very frustrating to convey intangible yet visceral feelings of music, through music. But it is one of the fascinating areas of creativity. That is why the writers strive to unravel the mysteries of this art form and some of them have succeeded remarkably and Vikram Seth is one of them. In a Review (2014) by Lynne King, an author, on the novel AEM he opines:
It’s the weirdest thing, a quartet. I don’t know what to compare it to. A marriage? A firm? A platoon under fire? a self-regarding, self-destructive priesthood? It has so many different tensions mixed in with its pleasures.

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