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Thursday, February 11, 2021

The Accidental Savant by George Crowder

Two books I've read recently have had a protagonist with synesthesia, and both characters have the kind associated with music.  I've already reviewed a couple of books from the Scott Drayco series  with a brief mention of the condition.  Drayco's synesthesia was congenital.  He was born seeing music in color.  


I just finished reading  The Accidental Savant, featuring a fourteen-year-old boy who becomes an acquired savant with synesthesia after  a hard hit on the football field and a concussion.   

Gregory "Friz" Collins, an outstanding young receiver who can pluck a football from the air with the same delight as that of a Frisbee Dog.  His interest in football is pretty much all consuming.

After Friz suffers a concussion from a hard tackle, however, his life changes.  His recovery is slow, and he is under rigid restrictions to rest and let his brain heal.  Until, that is, a sudden change occurs, and Friz suddenly finds himself able to play the guitar as well as anyone with decades of experience.  He can reproduce a song after one hearing, and he sees music in colors.

That change alone is remarkable, but after hearing a blues guitarist, Friz recognizes something even deeper in himself and in the music.  Football no longer interests him, he is irrevocably hooked on blues.

I'm going skip some episodes, but eventually, Friz takes what Joseph Campbell would describe as a "heroes journey."   Traveling with elderly bluesmen, Friz is renamed "G" for guitar man and hears tales of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, meets Buddy Guy and William "Po' Monkey" Seaberry, and learns a lot about the world, friendship, and racism.  

An excellent coming of age tale!  Great characters, information about blues and blues musicians--The Accidental Savant is worth your time!  I was familiar with some of the names mentioned, but not Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, or Po' Monkey and his Mississippi Juke Joint.  I love learning while being entertained.

(Bernadette Sheridan is a grapheme synesthete and sees letters and numbers as colors. You can find our your own name in colors here:  What color is your name?  )

NetGalley/BooksGoSocial  

Coming of Age.  Feb. 14, 2021.  Print length:  257 pages.                                                                

24 comments:

  1. I find the whole idea of synesthesia fascinating. I know the violinist Itzhak Perlman associates certain notes with certain colors. Did you ever read Color Blind by Colby Marshall? Her main character has synesthesia, too. :)

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    1. Billie Eilish, Billy Joel, Franz Liszt, Wagner, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams are also synesthetes! Amazing--most are sound to color, some are sound to shape, some are multiple. I have not read Color Blind, but it's going on the list!

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  2. What an interesting story! This sounds like a fascinating read, especially with the Blues connection. I know who Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters are, but not the others.

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    1. The combination of coming of age and Blues was fascinating. :)

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  3. We Buddy Guy a couple years ago here in Shreveport. Recently I told Ricky that one of the first places I want to go when we start to travel again is to Mississippi to explore some blues trails, go see where Willie Morris grew up, and visit Eudora Welty's garden. I need to start reading more about some blues musicians associated with Mississippi (and/or Louisiana). Maybe this book would be a fun place to start. An artist friend of mine on the reservation said when he read he saw colors and pictures. He was considered dyslexic growing up until he learned to process words and master reading comprehension using his unique sensory experiences. Not sure that is synesthesia but interesting nonetheless.

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    1. That would make a great trip, Teresa, combining literature and Blues. Don't miss Po' Monkey's Lounge in Marigold, MS! Seaberry died in 2016, but Portraits of a Lost Delta Gem by Will Jacks might be a good place to start reading about some Blues. Yeah, I'm distracted by curiosity inspired by this little book about a young Texas boy who got the Blues and had me all over Google with synesthesia, acquired savants, and Blues history. Great for Black History month!

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    2. I'd like to read the Will Jacks book and see all the photos. :)

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  4. Fascinating read I am sure. Thanks for the post.

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  5. This sounds really good. I love those old blues pioneers so it appeals to me for that reason in particular.

    I have a friend I used to meet up with once a year in one state or another to attend a week of live music events. She often described to me the colors of each key change as they occurred. She has perfect pitch and recognizes instantly by the color more than the sound when a key change is made. Still fascinates to know she has that talent...and she remembers dates and what she (or anyone with her) were doing going back for most of her lifetime. I have to read this one.

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    1. I thought of you, Sam, about taking a musical journey. Since, "G" originated in a small Texas town, that, too, might speak to your interest. It is an interesting coming of age novel, and I loved the Blues aspect.

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  6. Synesthesia fascinates me. I only first heard about it a couple years ago. The Accidental Savant sounds like and interesting read.

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    1. Both savants and synesthetes are fascinating. Such remarkable minds!

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  7. This sounds like a great read. Synesthesia is such a fascinating condition. It's always interesting to read about.

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    1. This is one of those books with a number of fascinating elements to consider!

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  8. This does sound like an excellent coming of age novel that both young and old can enjoy. Synesthesia is such a fascinating subject too. Like you, I love learning when reading. Particularly when I read fiction. It "sticks" better when I learn something as part of a story.

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    1. Yes, the book has a little something for everyone, and I really loved the musical elements. Lately, there has been something of a musical motif in books I've read: sisters who adore opera, a concert pianist turned crime consultant, and now a fourteen-year-old who finds the Blues. :)

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  9. I had to go check out the color of my name. So cool! I do like the premise of this one.

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    1. It was cool to see the way the Bernadette Sheridan sees letters as colors!

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  10. Sounds like a fascinating story and now I'm curious about synesthesia. Will have to check out the colour of my name.

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    1. :) I couldn't stop with my name, and I had to check the names of family and friends as well!

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  11. I've read one or two books with characters with a sort of Synesthesia, but nothing quite like this plot. I'm glad it was such a good read.

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    1. I liked so much about this book. The synesthesia was important, but the accidental savant element was as well, and the coming of age and the Blues were just as important. :)

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