A dying man lies in bed and embarks on a mental monologue on the mechanization of the arts, represented in the appearance of a mechanical piano. His reflections become a piercing diatribe against modern society and its deep-seated desires for fame and fortune. This novel is a heartbreaking story that does not grant any reprieve, and a superb diagnosis of the effects of technology, not only in the arts, but at the very core of contemporary everyday life. "Un hombre que yace en cama moribundo se embarca en un monologo mental a partir de la mecanizacion de las artes, representada en la aparicion de la pianola. Su reflexion termina por ser una punzante diatriba contra la sociedad moderna, con sus arraigados anhelos de fortuna y reconocimiento. Esta novela es un relato desgarrador que no concede respiro alguno y que es un magnifico diagnostico de los efectos de la tecnologia, no solo en el arte, sino en lo mas hondo de la vida cotidiana contemporanea."