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This is a monumental book. Its almost 800 page bulk is a testament to the extent of Wagner's influence. I am not a fan of opera, and I have never seriously listened to Wagner's music, but of course I familiar with his most famous and ubiquitous pieces such as the Ride of the Valkyries and the Bridal Chorus. We all know Wagner from Looney Tunes and Apocalypse Now. We all know about his anti-Semitism and his deification by the Nazis. But as this book demonstrates, Wagner's influence on art, culture and society is much deeper and more complex than this. I found it fascinating to learn how I have been exposed to Wagner in places that I didn't even notice in, among other places, the works of Virginia Wolff, James Joyce and Thomas Mann.

Wagner's music and the stories of his operas are triumphal, heroic, grand and emotionally stirring. Many people are moved to tears by his works. But he is also excessive. Sometimes he is just too much. He goes over the edge and descends into self-parody and kitsch. And then there is his extreme German nationalism and anti-Semitism, which sit on his works like an ugly black smudge. It is a measure of Wagner's greatness that he has found admirers even among people who one might expect to be least forgiving of his failings. And both lovers and haters of Wagner sometimes have shifting points of view over time and different circumstances. Is he great or his he horrid? He's both. Does he deserve our admiration or disdain? Yes, he merits both. It's complicated.

One interesting thing about this book is how little it focuses on the actual music. I would have liked to have had more musical analysis so that I could have a greater understanding of Wagner's techniques and musical ideas and forms beyond the Leitmotiv and Gesamtkunstwerk. I would have liked to know more about his influence on subsequent music. Alex Ross is a music critic who is certainly professionally qualified to write about these things. I guess he thought 800 pages were enough, and he wanted to write a book of more general cultural relevance. It was a valid choice, but still I felt the absence of more direct consideration of the music.