Reviews

Three stars for plot and four for writing. The problem with this kind of historical fiction is that the fictional characters should be as interesting as the historical ones, and Peter and Emilia just... aren't. They're cute, I guess, but not very bright. Their whole star-crossed lovers story in the second and third acts could have been resolved by Emilia just sending a frickin' letter: "Dear Peter, do you still love me? Please reply." BOOM. DONE.

On the other hand, I did enjoy Tremain's portrayal of Christian IV, and Kirsten Munk is one of the most detestable yet entertaining characters I have ever read about.

nwhyte's review against another edition

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http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1202711.html[return][return]won the Whitbread Prize in 1999 and is set largely in the royal court of Denmark in 1629 and 1630, where a young English musician falls in love with one of the king's estranged wife's maidservants. There's a lot of long lingering flashback to the earlier lives of the lovers, their respective bosses, and extended families; from my own interest, there's a child with an Asperger's-ish disorder; but I wasn't quite sure what it all amounted to. Still, it was a picturesque ride.

ginaew's review against another edition

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4.0

This was the first book I have read of which is part of a genre rather foreign to me. I must admit, it can be a difficult read if you are a beginner however, the narrative developed beautifully and this book is one I shall never forget. I would definitely recommend reading this but it's not an easy read :)

krismcd59's review against another edition

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4.0

Tremain is the award-winning author of the beautiful novel of 1660's London, Restoration -- which was also made into a pretty good movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Meg Ryan. Music and Silence is equally beautiful, but less focused than Restoration -- it's told in the voices of at least four characters. The setting is Denmark, 1629-30, in the court of the brilliant but emotionally unstable King Christian IV. The novel's protagonist, John Clare, is a lutenist hired to play in the King's orchestra, which performs far below the King's throne room, in a dark, freezing basement that allows the heavenly sound of the music to emerge through a series of pipes. King Christian is fond of devising such strange special effects, but his efforts are all pitiful substitutes for the lost love of his beautiful, selfish wife, Kirsten. She, in her turn, has begun a sadomasochistic affair with a German count -- her diary entries are the most entertaining parts of the novel. The fourth main character is Kirsten's lady-in-waiting, Emilia Tilsen, with whom Clare falls in love. The lives of all four intertwine over the course of a year, as the King looks to Clare and his music for healing, Kirsten navigates her dangerous games, and Emilia tries to save her young brother, who is trapped in a household straight out of the Brothers Grimm, complete with an evil stepmother. It's difficult to develop strong feelings about any of the characters (except perhaps Kirsten), but Tremain's magical prose style and detailed descriptions of Renaissance food, music, art and clothing will satisfy historical fiction buffs and romance fans alike.

micrummey's review against another edition

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1.0

Disappointing, over written with too much flowery language which suffocates the plot. King Christian's orchestra are made to play in a damp dark cellar and that was the only interesting thing about the book.
Being there with them was preferable to reading this shocker.

kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition

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3.0

Music & Silence is beautifully written. Though the plot is relatively simple, it becomes suspenseful towards the end. There is a feeling of disconnect from the characters, perhaps due to the prose style itself or the historical era. The other character that the reader seems to fully get to know is Kirsten. The character of Christian IV is kept at a distance, almost King Arthur like. This is not wholly surprising considering the historical background for the story and who the actual people really were. I did find myself wishing that she would have used Danish place names and not the English versions of said names.

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