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The first few chapters are interesting, as these chart the initial spread of Wagnerism. After that, the book becomes an exercise in dilettantism, exploring Wagner's influence on other arts. Some of the connections to Wagner are tenuous at best, especially when it comes to some of the literary analysis. As the author himself states in discussing Wagner's influence on Hollywood music, "Wagner's influence is easily overstated." That is essentially what the author is doing throughout. There are a few insights here, but you have to read through a lot of superficial cultural commentary to get to them. And I was disappointed that Wagner's influence on music is hardly charted at all.