IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC BY SEAN WILLIAMS

Impossible Music follows the first few months of Simon’s journey after he loses his hearing due to a mini stroke. He is a young musician who lives and breathes music – Simon is a rock god. His world is suddenly switched off and the notes and sounds that have inhabited his life are gone. He is left with nothing – a silent world that is conspiring to drive him crazy.

His mum and sister, Maeve try and support him but he pushes them away. He skips sign language classes and often fails to turn up at his counselling sessions. Early after his diagnosis he meets G. She seems to share his scorn for Auslan and trying to fit into a world that has abandoned them.

Simon is desperate to still try and get into a music composition class at uni and emails the course co-ordinator with project suggestions that will persuade her that being deaf will not hinder him in any way. The project proposals take up most of his time and he becomes obsessed with the possibility of continuing on the path he had planned before his stroke. His relationship with his family and G suffer as a consequence and he must work out his priorities. Both Simon and G must learn how to be, in the changed world that surrounds them. They struggle and at times fail, but together they find a path that might just make their new circumstances more tolerable.

Sean Williams creates two people who are trying to accept and re-invent themselves. Simon’s character is interesting and his take on what exactly music and sound are, is fascinating. G’s character is slightly enigmatic and is not as deeply explored as Simon’s but she still emerges as a strong and deep person. The structure of the novel and how Williams deals with the conversations held by the characters is well done and not overly complicated. It is an insight into the Deaf community and gives the reader a small understanding of what some people experience every day.

For Ages: 14 + years

Number of Pages: 310 paperback.

Published: July 2019

Themes: Resilience, identity and family

Rating: 3/5