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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This was okay. Alma is written as an overly melodramatic person - constant hand wringing about wishing she were a man so she could enjoy everything that men are allowed. Overwrought as well about her feelings of passion she wanted to act upon, again wishing she were a man to do so. So it was an okay story, it's writing was too "overly" done for the most part - if that is making any sense.
I love a good book about a strong woman, especially ones from history. Alma was a very interesting woman to read about, but I felt at times that the author could have done more to illuminate her inner life. I was still fascinated and definitely went on to look her up for even more information about her.
Near the turn of the 19th century, Alma Schindler yearns to make her mark as a composer. Female composers are unknown at the time, though new possibilities for women are opening up. She marries Gustav Mahler, who insists she give up her music as a condition of their marriage.
I liked the writing voice on this one right away. Alma had such enthusiasm that I wanted to see her achieve her dream from the start. The story takes us through her life as a young girl, her first love and her relationship with her various family members, but especially with her music.
It's not all upbeat though. Alma sacrifices a lot for her marriage and it's inevitable that she will question her decisions as time goes on. Mahler himself is a challenge to deal with and it was an era when women were expected to suppress their own needs and be supportive of a husband. Alma is a naturally passionate and creative person and this state of affairs can only clash with her natural inclinations.
I enjoyed reading this, despite the unhappy parts. The narrative kept my attention, even if at times I wanted to shake Alma and tell her she was making some bad decisions.
The historical note at the end was as interesting as the story itself. Alma was a woman ahead of her time, though her unfaithfulness in her marriages would bring a lot of criticism. She weathered some difficult times and gave her love to some of the top composers of her time. Some of her own compositions can be found on YouTube and I couldn't resist having a listen after reading this story. I found her 5 Lieder for voice and piano pretty amazing and can only imagine that if her music had been supported earlier in her life that she might have been recognised in history as one of the great composers herself, rather than just a shadow of her husband's accomplishments.
I liked the writing voice on this one right away. Alma had such enthusiasm that I wanted to see her achieve her dream from the start. The story takes us through her life as a young girl, her first love and her relationship with her various family members, but especially with her music.
It's not all upbeat though. Alma sacrifices a lot for her marriage and it's inevitable that she will question her decisions as time goes on. Mahler himself is a challenge to deal with and it was an era when women were expected to suppress their own needs and be supportive of a husband. Alma is a naturally passionate and creative person and this state of affairs can only clash with her natural inclinations.
I enjoyed reading this, despite the unhappy parts. The narrative kept my attention, even if at times I wanted to shake Alma and tell her she was making some bad decisions.
The historical note at the end was as interesting as the story itself. Alma was a woman ahead of her time, though her unfaithfulness in her marriages would bring a lot of criticism. She weathered some difficult times and gave her love to some of the top composers of her time. Some of her own compositions can be found on YouTube and I couldn't resist having a listen after reading this story. I found her 5 Lieder for voice and piano pretty amazing and can only imagine that if her music had been supported earlier in her life that she might have been recognised in history as one of the great composers herself, rather than just a shadow of her husband's accomplishments.
7/10
I liked how relatable some it is, being young and married. The romance was fun to read. Full of interesting settings, such as 1900s Europe, the alps in the summer, NYC at Christmas.
The characters seemed real, which meant they had their flaws. Gustav could be annoying, as husbands are, and Alma was kind of a wreck sometimes, but it's relatable as a woman.
I liked how relatable some it is, being young and married. The romance was fun to read. Full of interesting settings, such as 1900s Europe, the alps in the summer, NYC at Christmas.
The characters seemed real, which meant they had their flaws. Gustav could be annoying, as husbands are, and Alma was kind of a wreck sometimes, but it's relatable as a woman.
Sharratt brings an utterly human character to life on the pages of her story. Alma Maria Schindler dances and composes and lives vibrantly again in this story of her life. Though I often found myself frustrated at certain intervals, I think it is largely because Alma is written as a person, someone who is fallible, emotional, and imperfect. Such imperfections we see in ourselves and we are quick to judge and criticize these characters when we ourselves are just like them.
At first, one may get tired of the constancy with which Alma is written to be crying or breaking down in tears (in truth, it is with incredible frequency.) This seems trivial and may have you rolling your eyes a bit, "I get it, she's crying again!" But when looking at Alma as a person and everything that she has been through, the tears and the pain and the emotion take on a new light.Reading Gustav Mahler in a more critical light, it becomes apparent (or at least, it can be inferred) that he was, to some extent, abusive of Alma in their marriage.
To speak of frustrations, Alma's character tended to swing back and forth like a violent pendulum throughout the story. One moment she was righteous and self-possessed, the next she was depressed and inconsolable. Her moods changed frequently and her tears flowed freely. It seemed exhaustive that she should be unable to decide on her mood and her feelings, that she, fundamentally, did not understand herself. Yet it becomes clear that these are the actions and behaviors of a person someone who is capable of doubting themselves and their own motives, who is moody and emotional and indecisive. In this regard, Sharratt does a beautiful job of bringing Alma to life.
I will point out that the story becomes less about Alma and more about Mahler the farther in you go. Of course we start with Alma (this is her story, largely,) and we are taken with her until she meets Gustav Mahler. Once Mahler is introduced, however, the story revolves largely around him. This may be an artistic endeavor, as Alma speaks (in the book) of how her life is dependent on Mahler and how her life does revolve around him. It gets a bit frustrating, to say the least, that it becomes a story of Alma in relation to Mahler. She is less of her own person, though this is highlighted strongly in the novel.
To be quite frank, Mahler sucks. I am at least partially familiar with his work, having saved a classical station on my car's FM radio. But his characterization in the novel (perhaps largely intentional,) makes him out to be a sniveling, self-important, belittling misogynist. A condition of their marriage is that Alma must give up composing and music so that he can focus on his own. That alone is appalling, though I suppose unsurprising for the time period. Looking at their relationship through a modern lens, you can't help but cheer for Alma as she has a passionate affair with an architect, Walter Gropius—though, unfortunately, he turns out to be kind of a dick too.
In all, you can't help but feel for Alma. Watching her being abused and manipulated by her husband, seeing her sent to sanitarium after sanitarium to "recover" from her "womanly anxieties," and crumbling for her as she doubts herself and her ability over and over again. You want to shake her by the shoulders and scream, "You are better! You are good and brilliant, just like him! Do not doubt yourself, ever!" But all you can do is shake the book and maybe toss it at the wall.
It is an incredibly evocative story and hauntingly real. There are even echoes of modern crises and misogyny, themes that are still all too familiar. A good read about a brilliant woman who will not be lost to the grip of time.
At first, one may get tired of the constancy with which Alma is written to be crying or breaking down in tears (in truth, it is with incredible frequency.) This seems trivial and may have you rolling your eyes a bit, "I get it, she's crying again!" But when looking at Alma as a person and everything that she has been through, the tears and the pain and the emotion take on a new light.
To speak of frustrations, Alma's character tended to swing back and forth like a violent pendulum throughout the story. One moment she was righteous and self-possessed, the next she was depressed and inconsolable. Her moods changed frequently and her tears flowed freely. It seemed exhaustive that she should be unable to decide on her mood and her feelings, that she, fundamentally, did not understand herself. Yet it becomes clear that these are the actions and behaviors of a person someone who is capable of doubting themselves and their own motives, who is moody and emotional and indecisive. In this regard, Sharratt does a beautiful job of bringing Alma to life.
I will point out that the story becomes less about Alma and more about Mahler the farther in you go. Of course we start with Alma (this is her story, largely,) and we are taken with her until she meets Gustav Mahler. Once Mahler is introduced, however, the story revolves largely around him. This may be an artistic endeavor, as Alma speaks (in the book) of how her life is dependent on Mahler and how her life does revolve around him. It gets a bit frustrating, to say the least, that it becomes a story of Alma in relation to Mahler. She is less of her own person, though this is highlighted strongly in the novel.
In all, you can't help but feel for Alma. Watching her being abused and manipulated by her husband, seeing her sent to sanitarium after sanitarium to "recover" from her "womanly anxieties," and crumbling for her as she doubts herself and her ability over and over again. You want to shake her by the shoulders and scream, "You are better! You are good and brilliant, just like him! Do not doubt yourself, ever!" But all you can do is shake the book and maybe toss it at the wall.
It is an incredibly evocative story and hauntingly real. There are even echoes of modern crises and misogyny, themes that are still all too familiar. A good read about a brilliant woman who will not be lost to the grip of time.
I received this book from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.
Alma Mahler was a very interesting woman. She was ambitious in a time and place that did not reward that in upper class white women. She wanted to be a composer but was told that she couldn't if she wanted to marry the man she wanted.
This book does a good job of highlighting the mental cost of requiring a woman to be a wife and mother if that is not their desire. Her depression and their martial troubles in the face of his refusal to see her as a creative human being was well written.
I wish this book had pulled me deeper into the story emotionally. Great historical fiction should immerse you in the time and place. It should take a little effort to get your focus out of that world when you put the book aside. This reading experience felt very surface level which is a shame. Early 20th century Vienna and the artistic world there could be a very lush setting for a novel.
I enjoyed learning about this woman that I had not previous been aware of.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Full review here: https://wp.me/p21txV-HL
"And that is, I think, the aspect of this novel that speaks loudest to me. While it is easy to say “This does not happen anymore” and pretend like these things are a part of the past, the truth is that they aren’t. The hurdles women encounter in the twenty-first century do not seem as great as those encountered by women in the past, nor do they seem as numerous, but they are still there; they have simply taken on different forms. Misogyny remains systemic in the twenty-first century; it’s just not as blatant as it was in the twentieth."
"And that is, I think, the aspect of this novel that speaks loudest to me. While it is easy to say “This does not happen anymore” and pretend like these things are a part of the past, the truth is that they aren’t. The hurdles women encounter in the twenty-first century do not seem as great as those encountered by women in the past, nor do they seem as numerous, but they are still there; they have simply taken on different forms. Misogyny remains systemic in the twenty-first century; it’s just not as blatant as it was in the twentieth."