Journal Entry 1 by elhamisabel from Frankfurt am Main, Hessen Germany on Thursday, November 02, 2006

Claude Rawling, growing up in a rather poor environment in the 1950 in New York, discovers through his love for the piano a world that would otherwise have been closed to him.

I got this book last year as a NSSFC present from my wish list and was only recently able to read this. How I loved it! I don't understand anything about music, but even I was totally enchanted by the way the author wrote this story about music and the love for it. Such a lovely story. I started this shortly before my trip to London and finished it after I returned back home. I caught myself thinking about it while I was walking or sitting around in London. I mean, I was in LONDON and had another great read, With No One as Witness, with me. :-D

As my NSSFC present is a hardcover and I want to keep it as PC, I ordered this paperback copy to send out as a ring.
(If you're interested in reading a German translation, I bought that one as well. To pass around as a ring. ;-D)

Participants so far:

1. miketrollstigen
2. LindyB28
3. scotsbookie
4. Tanamo
5. IoJima, France
6. aubriel
7. flanners
8. SirRoy, Ireland
9. MrBennet, Germany 

Journal Entry 2 by miketroll on Monday, November 13, 2006

This book is a delight! A strong narrative in the mainstream style of the American 20th Century novel, with echoes of Sinclair Lewis, Irwin Shaw, Herman Wouk and (allowing a Canadian) Robertson Davies. The mid-century New York setting also called to mind Michael Chabon's Kavalier and Klay.

At one level this is a rags-to-riches tale about a poor boy who becomes a virtuoso pianist and composer. And yet the dramatic episodes in the story are almost incidental, not part of a will-he-won't-he? roller coaster. The hero, Claude Rawlings, is always going to be a winner: he has both the talent and the dedication. (Compare with the main characters of Wouk's Marjorie Morningstar, who have the theatrical ambition but little beyond.) And as Rawlings has the good sense to realize, he gets the lucky breaks too and is happy to acknowledge those who help him on the road to success.

So what is the novel about? In a nutshell, a passion for and dedication to music. Conroy presents an astounding depth of detail and technical awareness in portraying the sweat, toil and obsession needed to become a great pianist. Genius is 1% inspiration, 95% perspiration.

The writer seems to believe in (as I do) a close connection between a musician's ability to perform as an instrumentalist and his creative imagination. Would Mozart have been such a genius if he had not been disciplined to become a virtuoso keyboard player by the age of 6? Perhaps not.

Conroy also cares greatly about his characters, whom he draws with flair and imagination, in 3 dimensions. It is a pity he didn't produce more big novels in his lifetime, but this one is a proud legacy.

Mailed to LindyB28, 17 November 2006. 

Journal Entry 3 by LindyB28 from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Monday, November 20, 2006

Arrived today: thanks Miketroll and Elham :-) 

Journal Entry 4 by LindyB28 from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Saturday, December 16, 2006

I'm being rubbish: haven't read this in 4 weeks and I don't think I'm going to get to it in the immediate future so I'll send it on to Audrey next time I'm at the post office. 

Journal Entry 5 by scotsbookie from Peebles, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, January 12, 2007

Arrived safely with me this morning, thank you LindyB28. I have a growing pile of rings to read, this is #3 on Mount TBR. 

Journal Entry 6 by scotsbookie from Peebles, Scotland United Kingdom on Sunday, January 28, 2007

A wonderful read on several levels: the rags to riches story of Claude Rawlings; the nature of his relationships, with his mother, Mr Weisfeld, various music tutors, Lady (his wife) & Catherine & Claude's journey with music. At times I was quite breathless reading Conroy's descriptions of music & how it affects Claude. The passages towards the end of the book where Claude writes his concerto were particularly moving.

Thank you elhamisabel for the chance to read the book.

Just off to PM Tanamo & the book will be off on its journey asap.

ETA: popped in the post to Tanamo this morning. 

Journal Entry 7 by Tanamo from Hinckley, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, February 01, 2007

Hi Audrey
Thanks for this book (and the choccies) which arrived safely today. It's joined my bookring pile and I'll try to read it as soon as I can. 

Journal Entry 8 by Tanamo from Hinckley, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 24, 2007

A compelling engrossing read by a very talented author which I will now be passing to Iojima once I have her address. 

Journal Entry 9 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Monday, March 12, 2007

Received today. Thank you. 

Journal Entry 10 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Sunday, March 18, 2007

I was thinking Sydney Sheldon, but Miketrollstigen hit it with Irwin Shaw and Herman Wouk. Riveting insight into a musician's psyche with a backdrop of page-turning soap opera. Good book; could have been great if the other characters had been more than props. Still, I give it top marks for music.

Off to Aubriel. 

Journal Entry 11 by aubriel from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, March 26, 2007

Arrived safely. I've had a few rings arrive all at the same time despite my best efforts, so I will try to get to this as soon as I can.

 

Journal Entry 12 by aubriel from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, June 04, 2007

I loved this book and surprised myself how easy it was to read as my major reading time now is on the bus to work - though it was engrossing enough that I sat out in the cold on the days I arrived early just to get in a few more pages before giving myself over to the mind numbing tasks of the day.

Even though there was a lot of(or it seems to me in my ignorance)music terminology that swiftly went over my head and meant nothing, I don't think this detracted from the book too much and the message about how talent is nutured and developed makes the difference between accomplished and prodigious.

Posted to flanners today 

Journal Entry 13 by flanners from Havant, Hampshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Arrived safely today, many thanks. 

Journal Entry 14 by flanners from Havant, Hampshire United Kingdom on Monday, June 18, 2007

What a fabulous book! Completely unputdownable, and the music content was mesmerising. I would never have come across this book if it hadn't been for BookCrossing, so thank you one and all.

The only thing that stopped it being a ten was the final part of the book which took place in London in the mid-60s and which I'm sorry to say was utterly unconvincing in its description and speech patterns. No English person says 'gotten' and certainly not the conductor of the LSO! The only discordant note in a symphonic piece of writing.

This will be on its way to SirRoy later this week. 

Journal Entry 15 by SirRoy from Dunboyne, Co. Meath Ireland on Friday, July 06, 2007

Arrived safely this week. Will put to the top of Mount TBR! 

Journal Entry 16 by SirRoy from Dunboyne, Co. Meath Ireland on Thursday, September 11, 2008

Sorry for the delay. I started this last night and thoroughly enjoyed the first two chapters. I will get through it as fast as I can.