Scan barcode
ginaew's review against another edition
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
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
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.
Being there with them was preferable to reading this shocker.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
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.
mdwinter's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve been looking forward to reading Rose Tremain but this wasn’t the most interesting book. I really loved the character Kirsten but other characters weren’t as fleshed out and I think more could have happened and developed. It just never quite reached its potential.
robynldouglas's review against another edition
4.0
One of those books that evokes a specific place and time beautifully, with larger than life characters finely drawn. The story is almost irrelevant; it's about being invited into a handful of people's inner lives and settling in for a long chat. The switches in voice from character to character make it almost feel as you're reading multiple books, and the not-quite-Queen is definitely a character that one loves to hate (or hates to love).
jaymoran's review against another edition
4.0
He holds fast to a shroud. Rain begins to beat down on him and the wind whips his elflock around his neck like a noose, but he pays none of this any heed. In moments, his gaze has returned to the men high above him. They are beginning to furl the topsail, dismantling their airy kingdom inch by inch. And when at last they climb down, some of them boys no older than twelve, King Christian holds out his hand to them in a gesture of admiration. And his eye scans the space of sky where the topsail flew and the rain clouds sweep in, billow upon billow.
After completing Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies, I was desperate for more historical fiction so I decided to pick up a book I've been meaning to read and have had on my bookshelves for years. In spite of being read in the wake of the incomparable Cromwell trilogy, I still thoroughly enjoyed this.
Following a multitude of narratives, a mixture of the fictional and historical, Music & Silence is predominantly a character study, following her characters as they fall in love, err, deceive, betray, reflect, and heal, and, for the most part, it is done beautifully. My favourite moment in the entire book is when we follow a young King Christian IV when he learns of 'shoddy work' and receives a bag of buttons as a gift - that's all I'm going to say, but that was by far my favourite chapter in the book. There are many subtle, gently brilliant instances such as these throughout the novel, and they were a pure delight to read. Some perspectives were more interesting than others; I particularly enjoyed Kirsten Monk's sections as she is so vibrantly selfish yet incredibly soft-hearted and naive at times. I found the fictional characters Peter Claire and Emilia to be a little weak at times, especially in comparison to their real counterparts. King Christian VI and Kirsten Monk were by far the most fascinating voices in here, so the book slipped a little in my favour whenever we strayed, for example, to Peter Claire's narrative.
I found the sexual nature of this book at times gratuitous - it tipped into the lewd sometimes and I found some of it uncomfortable to read (particularly in the character of Magdalena). It just felt out of place with the rest of the book, in my opinion. I also thought that some scenes were overdrawn and, when they were completed, had unsatisfying conclusions. Some story-lines felt pointless and fell really flat, disappearing without another murmur, and I found that perplexing.
Overall, I loved many aspects of this book, and will hopefully pick up Restoration by Tremain soon.
After completing Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies, I was desperate for more historical fiction so I decided to pick up a book I've been meaning to read and have had on my bookshelves for years. In spite of being read in the wake of the incomparable Cromwell trilogy, I still thoroughly enjoyed this.
Following a multitude of narratives, a mixture of the fictional and historical, Music & Silence is predominantly a character study, following her characters as they fall in love, err, deceive, betray, reflect, and heal, and, for the most part, it is done beautifully. My favourite moment in the entire book is when we follow a young King Christian IV when he learns of 'shoddy work' and receives a bag of buttons as a gift - that's all I'm going to say, but that was by far my favourite chapter in the book. There are many subtle, gently brilliant instances such as these throughout the novel, and they were a pure delight to read. Some perspectives were more interesting than others; I particularly enjoyed Kirsten Monk's sections as she is so vibrantly selfish yet incredibly soft-hearted and naive at times. I found the fictional characters Peter Claire and Emilia to be a little weak at times, especially in comparison to their real counterparts. King Christian VI and Kirsten Monk were by far the most fascinating voices in here, so the book slipped a little in my favour whenever we strayed, for example, to Peter Claire's narrative.
I found the sexual nature of this book at times gratuitous - it tipped into the lewd sometimes and I found some of it uncomfortable to read (particularly in the character of Magdalena). It just felt out of place with the rest of the book, in my opinion. I also thought that some scenes were overdrawn and, when they were completed, had unsatisfying conclusions. Some story-lines felt pointless and fell really flat, disappearing without another murmur, and I found that perplexing.
Overall, I loved many aspects of this book, and will hopefully pick up Restoration by Tremain soon.
nadinekc's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful, subtle historical novel. The period is evoked through character and plot, not description. The kind of novel that gets better and better the more I think about it.
joanasimao's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hannahm25's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This took ages to read. Far to bitty and a bit dull in places. I wouldn't read again