Nocturne by Kazuo Ishiguro. Short summary

5 seconds

Steve is a talented saxophonist, but because of his appearance he cannot succeed. His wife and agent convince him to agree to plastic surgery.

1 minute

A short story from the collection «Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Twilight.» The story’s protagonist is a talented forty-year-old saxophonist, Steve, who never made it on the stage. His wife and agent believe that Steve’s rather mediocre looks are preventing him from achieving fame. To move his career from the dead point, the hero needs to adjust the appearance.

Give in to persuasion, Steve agrees to plastic surgery. Being in rehab in a clinic, he meets a rich eccentric American Lindy Gardner, the wife of the famous rock singer. Regardless of his desire, the hero becomes an accessory to her antics and gets into a comical situation with her at the hotel.

This adventure shakes up Steve and helps him reconsider his life. The hero stops feeling like a loser. The musician gets a second chance — a chance to start all over again and show his talent.