Tenor of Love

Robin Chamberlain is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University.

In this deeply poetic novel, Mary di Michele relates the life and career
of opera singer Enrico Caruso by telling the stories of three women who
love him. This technique leaves the reader with only a shadowy image of
Caruso; the outlines of his character are relatively clear, but we are
never privy to his thoughts and motivations. As feminist re-vision, this
is highly effective, as di Michele privileges the suffering of the women
who love Caruso. Although it is not always clear why Caruso is so
attractive to these women, di Michele’s opulent descriptions of his
world suggest at the very least an artistic sympathy with the seducer.
The women’s passion is convincing—so much so that we maintain our
sympathy for them even as they allow Caruso to sever their relationships
with each other.

Di Michele’s poetic gift is evident in her sensuous language.
Although Tenor of Love would seem to be primarily about music, it is
also a novel that captivates the reader’s sense of taste, touch,
sight, and even smell. Di Michele’s poetic writing is reminiscent of
that of Anne Michaels and Michael Ondaatje, but she never sacrifices
plot or characterization to poetry.