Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I found the start really hard to get into and quite boring but honestly it was worth reading because once you get a few chapters in it starts picking up the pace really quick. The ending was definitely worth persevering for.
I was a bit skeptical about this at first. My friend, Gay, recommended it, and we don't exactly have similar tastes. However, this was actually a rather wonderful book. I expect it will have more meaning for people with some musical background.
Anyway, there's a small run-down street in London, Unity Lane, where a handful of shops are still "open" for business. Not that there's much business these days. Frank runs the music shop. He only sells vinyl records. He knows his stock quite well, and has a knack for "listening" to people when they enter his shop so as to ascertain what music would be most appropriate for them. It's not always what one might expect. One gentleman claims only to love Chopin, but Frank can "hear" that this man would benefit from a dose of Aretha Franklin, and sets him up. And so it goes with all his other customers, Frank "listens" to them for a bit and "hears" the music their souls need at that moment.
But one day, a woman collapses outside the shop, and Frank, upon going to her aid, can't hear a thing. It's most curious. Even more curious is that Frank is immediately smitten and besotted by the woman, one Ilse Brauchmann. Ilse comes back a time or two, and next thing one knows, she's signed Frank up for music lessons. In this case it's lessons in listening to music. Frank, it seems, had a rather eccentric mother and the two of them would spend hours lying on the floor together listening to great music. The mother would point out the things one might hear. It reminds me slightly of the time I became besotted by the Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin by Bach. I'd come home from college and lie on my parents' living room floor listening to them over and over again. I don't think my siblings or parents were amused. To this day, I get goose bumps from the Partita no. 2 in d-minor, whether it's done up on violin, or the transcribed version folks play on the classical guitar.
Anyway, back to the book, we have the interplay between Frank and Ilse, but also with the other folks on Unity Lane, the tattooed, somewhat butch tattooist, Maude, who's in love with Frank; the shy Williams brothers who run a funeral parlor; Father Anthony who runs a gift shop featuring religious items; Mr. Novak the baker; and of course Kit, Frank's bumbling assistant. Over time Unity Lane goes further down hill, people leave and so forth. Then too, we begin to wonder if Frank and Ilse ever get together. Ilse has a mysterious past, after all, perhaps even a fiancé. Then intermingled with these concerns, we have flash backs to Frank's listening sessions in the olden days, lying on the floor with his mother.
If you like music, listening to music, with a spot of romance and mystery mingled in, this book can be rather a nice indulgence.
p.s. Sorry I didn't write this before the lapse of a month and several other books. Perhaps I'd have been more coherent. Doesn't matter. Just read the damn book. You won't regret it.
Anyway, there's a small run-down street in London, Unity Lane, where a handful of shops are still "open" for business. Not that there's much business these days. Frank runs the music shop. He only sells vinyl records. He knows his stock quite well, and has a knack for "listening" to people when they enter his shop so as to ascertain what music would be most appropriate for them. It's not always what one might expect. One gentleman claims only to love Chopin, but Frank can "hear" that this man would benefit from a dose of Aretha Franklin, and sets him up. And so it goes with all his other customers, Frank "listens" to them for a bit and "hears" the music their souls need at that moment.
But one day, a woman collapses outside the shop, and Frank, upon going to her aid, can't hear a thing. It's most curious. Even more curious is that Frank is immediately smitten and besotted by the woman, one Ilse Brauchmann. Ilse comes back a time or two, and next thing one knows, she's signed Frank up for music lessons. In this case it's lessons in listening to music. Frank, it seems, had a rather eccentric mother and the two of them would spend hours lying on the floor together listening to great music. The mother would point out the things one might hear. It reminds me slightly of the time I became besotted by the Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin by Bach. I'd come home from college and lie on my parents' living room floor listening to them over and over again. I don't think my siblings or parents were amused. To this day, I get goose bumps from the Partita no. 2 in d-minor, whether it's done up on violin, or the transcribed version folks play on the classical guitar.
Anyway, back to the book, we have the interplay between Frank and Ilse, but also with the other folks on Unity Lane, the tattooed, somewhat butch tattooist, Maude, who's in love with Frank; the shy Williams brothers who run a funeral parlor; Father Anthony who runs a gift shop featuring religious items; Mr. Novak the baker; and of course Kit, Frank's bumbling assistant. Over time Unity Lane goes further down hill, people leave and so forth. Then too, we begin to wonder if Frank and Ilse ever get together. Ilse has a mysterious past, after all, perhaps even a fiancé. Then intermingled with these concerns, we have flash backs to Frank's listening sessions in the olden days, lying on the floor with his mother.
If you like music, listening to music, with a spot of romance and mystery mingled in, this book can be rather a nice indulgence.
p.s. Sorry I didn't write this before the lapse of a month and several other books. Perhaps I'd have been more coherent. Doesn't matter. Just read the damn book. You won't regret it.
A lovely sweet book about the power of music, community and friendship. I wasn’t sure I liked Ilse at first — she seemed too much like a manic pixie dream girl — but as I learned more about her and her secret, she grew on me. The eclectic cast of characters living and working on Unity Street make this novel especially enjoyable, as does Frank’s unusual and often painful relationship with his mother, Peg. The ending with the flash mob made me tear up a little. A great book for music lovers.
I loved this story about a man who knows how to heal people with music. He lives in a rundown street with a host of unusual neighbours. It's a love story, a comedy and a music lesson all mixed up. You MUST listen to the playlist on Spotify that goes with it. Frank is right about them all.
Very easy going and schmaltzy story to read on a depressing rainy Sunday afternoon!
How can you not love a book with its own playlist? If you love music and you love reading, this book is a jewel.
It starts out as a warm, light-hearted book, almost like a romantic comedy; then surprisingly gets tragic and mysterious. But never loses to be a joy to read. Yes, there are moments of exaggeration, but we can easily overlook those for the pleasure of the whole.
It starts out as a warm, light-hearted book, almost like a romantic comedy; then surprisingly gets tragic and mysterious. But never loses to be a joy to read. Yes, there are moments of exaggeration, but we can easily overlook those for the pleasure of the whole.
Really enjoyed the book. Now I need to listen to all of the music references that I bookmarked!
This was a quaint book to end the year on. Generally, this rode the middle of the road between a romance and a higher fiction type novel. As a result, this didn't really succeed at either for me. Still, the descriptions of music were enthralling and the twists were unexpected.
I was back and forth with this one. I liked the characters but at times it felt really slow. I’d say 3.25 and I rounded down as there was a lot about it I did like but the ending didn’t work for me.
Lovely story about a community of friends and the love for music. I enjoyed every chapter, and cheered on Frank and Ilse. I downloaded albums and songs that were recommended - Aretha Franklin’s Spirit in the Dark will forever remind me of this book!