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medievil_'s review against another edition
3.0
Pretty, but a little ham-fisted. Not enough pretty in the English language to forgive such aggressive symbolism.
gitanita's review
4.0
Sight Reading is a lovely story of the imperfect human nature that many times prevents us from really seeing and appreciating the people around us who love us with all of their hearts. It is also a story of love and how it can't really be denied and controlled. Yes, you can decide to not enter into a relationship with someone for many reasons. Living in this world, people start to believe or grow up to believe that everything is more important than love, so they often choose to stay with someone who seems to be "the best fit" for different, more worldly reasons. But, in the end you cannot choose who you are going to love, you can just choose to stay...or not.
canamac's review against another edition
3.0
actually quite a lovely book, but there’s a lot of surface-level shine to the character development that distracts from the truly amazing musical descriptions. that said: quick read with a solid plot and dizzying ending.
mcipher's review against another edition
4.0
The writing was lush and beautiful and dreamy, like listening to really great classical music. It sort of flowed over you and it was just lovely to read. Really great writer, and I always love a good story set in Boston.
jpmindful50's review against another edition
3.0
I had a hard time with this book, and considered leaving it unfinished at several points. I really enjoyed the author's first book, and was really looking forward to this one. I will say it was beautifully written, and I would read another book by her in the future, but this novel never really developed the characters and never let us explore the trials and tragedies that happened to them. It was frustrating, because each time a problem came up, I thought ok, here is the major plot line. The problem would start, then I'd turn the page and a new chapter would begin from the perspective of a different character, 5 - 10 years down the road. They might briefly mention the past, but never in a detailed way. No character emotionally dealt with any problems in the narrative. Nothing was ever given full focus, and therefore, it felt like nothing actually happened. So, three stars for the writing, and the intriguing character of a composer, conductor and professional musician.
kelseyat's review against another edition
4.0
The writing in this book is absolutely, perfectly lovely--like music, to use an obvious but apt comparison. The story follows three individuals over the course of several years--so it's certainly more character-driven than plot-driven. I felt a little cheated by the high stakes that the prologue sets up--once you get to the relevant part of the book, you realize that the stakes aren't really that high at all. But regardless, the writing is beautiful, and it's easy to just lazily disappear into this book and let it wash over you.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2010/07/2010-book-178.html
dankeohane's review against another edition
4.0
Picked this up on vacation on a whim, mostly because of the cover (not the one shown here on goodreads, which isn't quite as good). The writing is superb, real, dimensional characters the author deftly paints with only a few strokes. She is also a musician one can tell because of the sheer, almost natural knowledge of the language of music. It never gets in the way. I will admit the characters aren't always the most likeable. They can even be irritating sometimes with their self-absorbtion, but I think that's pretty deliberate. Remy is pretty stable but the cracks begin to show, and her counterpart Mable has a ton of cracks right off
Spoilers maybe
but learns, over a long span, to embrace them. At times I was thinking, I don't know do I want to continue with these folks, and when that happens the writing carries you along. Honestly, the ending makes it worth it. No giveaways, promise, but I'm not talking about any major events, mainly the story, as told, ends with such a perfect, natural note, it completes the whole thing. Probably should work in a symphony metaphor here, but will leave those to the author.
Spoilers maybe
but learns, over a long span, to embrace them. At times I was thinking, I don't know do I want to continue with these folks, and when that happens the writing carries you along. Honestly, the ending makes it worth it. No giveaways, promise, but I'm not talking about any major events, mainly the story, as told, ends with such a perfect, natural note, it completes the whole thing. Probably should work in a symphony metaphor here, but will leave those to the author.
sigo's review against another edition
4.0
Overall a good book, but, while it was very long, I found that the character with the most depth had least attention paid to him. And the ending was a disappointment.
rickijill's review against another edition
5.0
Disclosure: I received a copy of Sight Reading from Harper, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. My opinion and thoughts about the book are my own, and I was not paid to write this post.
This week I read Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay. I've been looking forward to its release because I loved her first novel Russian Winter. You may read my post about Russian Winter on my blog. Sight Reading is a lyrical story of family, betrayal, and yearning set in the world of a classical music conservatory. The book includes a handy musical terminology glossary as well as a playlist on Kalotay's website. I suggest listening to the playlist while reading the novel.
The story spans twenty years beginning in the late eighties. Nicholas Elko and his wife, Hazel, have relocated to Boston from Paris. Nicholas has accepted a prestigious position at a Boston conservatory where Remy, a violinist, is finishing her final year. Nicholas and Remy begin an affair, and after he experiences a shock at a festival in Italy, he decides to leave Hazel and marry Remy. Each of these characters represent three different levels of artistry: Hazel is an artist, but she never fulfills her potential; Remy has talent but lacks a certain quality and never moves beyond second chair; and Nicholas is a prodigy and at the top of his field. I knew that the book was going to be interesting as Remy constantly quotes Oscar Wilde. She wants to live fearlessly like him, and claims to want to live his life, a "big" life. Nicholas' colleague, Yoni, tells her that:
"Even the grandest lives come down to a few people and places. Loved ones, your daily work, your neighborhood....I've been realizing that lately. How complete our lives can be with just the few people and activities you most love."
Although the woman scorned, Hazel is the most well-defined character. It takes her a long time, but she finally "gets it" in the end and lives her life according to Yoni's wisdom. She builds a life of beauty in the small details of her daily life while also giving other artisans an opportunity to sell their creations. In music, sight reading means performing music from a score without having seen the score before. Having the second sight means perceiving things that aren't apparent to most people. Hazel has this second sight, but she doesn't trust it. She sees her doppelgänger on two different occasions, and she has visions. The book is divided into three sections, and all three represent aspects of Hazel's gift.
Nicholas is the least defined main character, and he has abandonment issues. He suffered a childhood trauma that has made him aloof and disengaged, the direct opposite of Remy and her sensitivity to others and their needs. He has been composing an orchestra for years inspired by his Scottish childhood, and he can't seem to finish it; yet he has no problems writing scores for movies and completing other commissions. Ironically Nicholas peaked very young, and Hazel is just coming into her own in her early fifties.
I enjoyed this book so much and not just because of its focus on music. It's a family drama about divorced parents with joint custody attempting to rear a daughter amicably. The characters harbor deep, dark secrets, and some of them are quite shocking. There is an element of magic in it (even a leitmotif of Gypsy music) and the unexplained. But my favorite element of the book is the creative process and what it truly means to be an artist. Remy's tutor at the conservatory teaches her that "the practice is the performance." I couldn't agree more!
This week I read Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay. I've been looking forward to its release because I loved her first novel Russian Winter. You may read my post about Russian Winter on my blog. Sight Reading is a lyrical story of family, betrayal, and yearning set in the world of a classical music conservatory. The book includes a handy musical terminology glossary as well as a playlist on Kalotay's website. I suggest listening to the playlist while reading the novel.
The story spans twenty years beginning in the late eighties. Nicholas Elko and his wife, Hazel, have relocated to Boston from Paris. Nicholas has accepted a prestigious position at a Boston conservatory where Remy, a violinist, is finishing her final year. Nicholas and Remy begin an affair, and after he experiences a shock at a festival in Italy, he decides to leave Hazel and marry Remy. Each of these characters represent three different levels of artistry: Hazel is an artist, but she never fulfills her potential; Remy has talent but lacks a certain quality and never moves beyond second chair; and Nicholas is a prodigy and at the top of his field. I knew that the book was going to be interesting as Remy constantly quotes Oscar Wilde. She wants to live fearlessly like him, and claims to want to live his life, a "big" life. Nicholas' colleague, Yoni, tells her that:
"Even the grandest lives come down to a few people and places. Loved ones, your daily work, your neighborhood....I've been realizing that lately. How complete our lives can be with just the few people and activities you most love."
Although the woman scorned, Hazel is the most well-defined character. It takes her a long time, but she finally "gets it" in the end and lives her life according to Yoni's wisdom. She builds a life of beauty in the small details of her daily life while also giving other artisans an opportunity to sell their creations. In music, sight reading means performing music from a score without having seen the score before. Having the second sight means perceiving things that aren't apparent to most people. Hazel has this second sight, but she doesn't trust it. She sees her doppelgänger on two different occasions, and she has visions. The book is divided into three sections, and all three represent aspects of Hazel's gift.
Nicholas is the least defined main character, and he has abandonment issues. He suffered a childhood trauma that has made him aloof and disengaged, the direct opposite of Remy and her sensitivity to others and their needs. He has been composing an orchestra for years inspired by his Scottish childhood, and he can't seem to finish it; yet he has no problems writing scores for movies and completing other commissions. Ironically Nicholas peaked very young, and Hazel is just coming into her own in her early fifties.
I enjoyed this book so much and not just because of its focus on music. It's a family drama about divorced parents with joint custody attempting to rear a daughter amicably. The characters harbor deep, dark secrets, and some of them are quite shocking. There is an element of magic in it (even a leitmotif of Gypsy music) and the unexplained. But my favorite element of the book is the creative process and what it truly means to be an artist. Remy's tutor at the conservatory teaches her that "the practice is the performance." I couldn't agree more!