The Lost Stradivarius · Chapter
Epigraph explained
The epigraph, drawn from Ecclesiasticus 22:6, sets a somber tone, suggesting that a story told at the wrong time is as discordant as music played during mourning.
What happens
The epigraph, drawn from Ecclesiasticus 22:6, sets a somber tone, suggesting that a story told at the wrong time is as discordant as music played during mourning. It foreshadows themes of untimely events and the haunting power of the past.
Themes in this chapter
Music as a Dangerous Force
The epigraph compares a tale out of season to music in mourning, linking music with sorrow and disruption.
The Power of the Past
The phrase 'tale out of season' suggests that stories from the past can be untimely and unsettling, echoing the novel's concern with the lingering influence of history.
Key passages
“A tale out of season is as music in mourning.”
A story told at the wrong time is like sad music played during a funeral.
The epigraph uses a simile to emphasize the inappropriateness and melancholy of an ill-timed narrative.