Vaughn Petterson’s Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis is a penetrating book that exposes the pretenders of society. While it’s thoroughly entertaining, it is a highly philosophical love story revolving around Joe, successful, yet cynical, and an adamant opponent of illegal immigration. This story explores the theme of pretension, as some aren’t always who they appear to be. Instead, too many individuals hide behind masks in order to establish a position in society.
Petterson’s novel rips into this element of society—the allegedly altruistic aristocracy—and unveils the extent to which hypocrisy is ever-present in today’s culture. For example, Joe states, “Charities huh? Not to toot my own horn but I know that I’ve given more and to more charities than anybody who was present last night. And on top of that I’ve given a lot of my time to helping out sick kids.”
Despite his unpleasant demeanor, Joe is depicted as a genuine character, whose cynical attitude is reinforced when he finds out that his wife, Sandra, has been cheating on him long before their impending divorce. “‘Of course!’ she incredulously barked. ‘I've been seeing him for months.’" A disastrous night ensues, with a tirade against Joe and his reprehensible remarks toward Sandra’s friends, culminating in a decision to divorce.
The turning point in the book comes when Joe undergoes his metamorphosis and learns to appreciate true beauty for what it really is. More than anything else, it is music that changes his life and helps him understand what true beauty is. Many music aficionados claim that music has the power to heal and to transform, and Joe is the perfect example of this. At the same time, the transformation is the result of a combination of music—and art and literature—and the person with whom Joe shares these artistic experiences: Maria. When asked by his friend whether he can commit to a woman who is ridden with the health problems that Maria has, Joe responds, "I'm surprised at you, Greg, for thinking like that. I'm dead serious about her. She's not a play thing for me. I love her and she's changed my life, and she's changed it for the better."
The dichotomy of personalities present in this book is intriguing. For example, contrasting Joe and Maria with Sandra and her elitist friends, one comes to realize that being a cynic isn’t such a bad thing when it one’s true character. At the same time, an individual in bad health should not automatically rule out true happiness in life. Maria shows that one can have a positive outlook, regardless of health conditions. Whenever people are genuine and true to themselves, they can be trusted, and they can change for the better, as evidenced in Joe.
One passage that captures the spirit of the book states, “It has a much more human touch to it; and by human touch, I mean the good human touch, not the rotten, mean human touch." In essence, there is a very human, very real element to this book that is revealed through the trials and tribulations of the main character, Joe.
Read Vaughn Petterson’s Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, and find out what happens in Joe and Maria’s transcendental love story, and to the hypocrites like Sandra, Joe’s ex-wife, who try to use their status and wealth as crutches to elevate themselves in society. This is a must read for all who appreciate an uplifting story that will have the pages turning until the very end.
This book is more topical than ever with its discussion of illegal immigration and the hypocrisy that surrounds the issue, however, the profound analysis of the arts,and most especially music and how it affects human beings is what sets this book apart.
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