Title: Amadeus!: What makes a human human?
Author: Josephine deBois
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-4969-9625-1
Pages: 384
Genre: Fiction / Classics

Reviewed by: Gillian Pemberton

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A unique blend of romance, suspense, and philosophy, Amadeus! explores the meaning of life, love, and spirituality.  Presented in a screenplay format, the story takes the reader on a journey through Europe, the United States, and Asia that spans several decades and blends a complicated web of characters’ lives and lies.

Dr. Ludwig Mann is a conductor and a brilliant musical genius, capturing the hearts and ears of audiences worldwide through his live and recorded performances.  His successful and financially lucrative career has been guided by his beautiful, sensual, and shrewd, Josephine deBois.  At first it appears that Josephine truly has Ludwig’s best interests at heart, though not long in to the story her duplicitous nature begins to show through.  She definitely has ulterior motives, but that is only a small part of the questions, intrigue, and potential violence that swirls around Ludwig and Josephine’s questionable relationship, threatening to consume them.  Though they will eventually marry, it is clear that Ludwig’s true heart belongs with Tiffany, a young woman whose life is more intertwined with his than even he knows.  Though Josephine initiates the union, it is for her own purpose.  Though she is an incredibly sexual woman, albeit in a bit of a dark way, it seems her heart belongs to no one.  There is little ‘on-screen’ sex in the book, except for Josephine’s various encounters; violent liaisons that usually take place in grungy rooms above dark alleys.

The author’s chosen screenplay format fit the flow of the story very well. It jumps often from present to past and to several locations. Without this type of organization it would have been much more difficult to keep track of times, places, and the numerous characters. There were so many characters and time jumps, in fact, I often found myself flipping back to other sections to make sure I understood exactly who was involved in what.  A screenplay also allows the author to employ her gorgeously crafted setting descriptions.  If this screenplay was ever to make it to an actual screen, the stunning locations may very well be the highlight, with a few creatively dark and horrific deaths coming in a close second.

As the story continues, we learn that Ludwig’s origins are extremely dubious. His humanity and the question ‘what makes a human human’ is explored in depth. The reader gradually uncovers pieces of a complicated puzzle that has dire consequences for many of the characters and possibly humanity in general. The overall concept is uniquely engaging an intriguing, but my enjoyment of the book waned as I struggled with awkward stunted dialogue and improper word use. The book would benefit greatly from an editor.

Despite the editing issues, the author succeeds in delivering a multi-layered story that has romance, action, and intrigue set to a backdrop of classical music and spectacular scenery. Whether or not it ever graces a big screen, Amadeus! creative approach to the meaning of life is both exciting and memorable.