''The Metropolis Case'' is the

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

of American author Matthew Gallaway. The novel follows the interconnected lives of four characters living in different cities, all of whom have a great passion for

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's opera ''

Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...

''. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' said "the book is so well written ... and filled with such memorable lead and supporting players that it quickly absorbs you into its worlds." In the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'',

Eugenia Zukerman Eugenia Rich Zukerman (born September 25, 1944, Cambridge, Massachusetts) is an American flutist, writer, and journalist. An internationally renowned flute virtuoso, Zukerman has been performing with major orchestras and at major music festivals i ...

wrote that "Gallaway has taken a great risk ... by creating an intricate, multilayered tale that slides from past to present, from Europe to New York, from opera to pop. But despite the complexity, ''The Metropolis Case'' engages the reader emotionally on every page." Rather than a conventional narrative, the novel presents alternating chapters devoted to each of the four principal characters. Three of them are opera singers. One of the four lives in the nineteenth century. Two are much younger than the others. The author slowly reveals their shared relationship to Wagner's opera. The novel's title and some other details allude to Janáček's opera '' The Makropulos Case''.For example, Gallaway's character who maintains the initials L.M. despite several name changes, much as Janáček's several-named heroine does; Gallaway's Anna Prus and Janáček's Jaroslav Prus. Gallaway is a graduate of

New York University School of Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest survivin ...

, member of rock band Saturnine (originally known as Saturnine 60), and a native of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, where the novel is partially set. He began the novel in 2001 and completed it in 2007. According to Gallaway, who blogged as The Gay Recluse from 2007 to 2009: In 2010, when

Crown Publishing Group The Crown Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House that publishes across several fiction and non-fiction categories. Originally founded in 1933 as a remaindered books wholesaler called Outlet Book Company, the firm expanded int ...

published the novel, Gallaway was employed as a Senior Acquisitions Editor in the legal department of

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

References

External links

Official Website
(''New York Times'', Books section) 2010 American novels Novels set in Paris Novels set in New York City Novels set in Vienna Novels set in Pittsburgh Novels about music 2010 debut novels Crown Publishing Group books {{2010s-novel-stub