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marhill31's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars.
As a reader, you notice what kinds of books that you keep gravitating towards. Even though I’m an eclectic reader, I keep gravitating recently towards novels that are about the creative process (books, art, food, or music). Human creativity has always been fascinating to me, because it showcases the power of imagination in interesting and unexpected ways.
Joplin’s Ghost by Tananarive Due presents creativity as a theme in the form of upcoming R&B singer, Phoenix Smalls. Phoenix is on the verge of stardom and recently got signed to rapper-entrepreneur G-Ronn’s Three Strikes Records. Throughout the novel, I thought of Phoenix as the late Aaliyah and G-Ronn as Master P of No Limit Records.
The story begins with Phoenix as a ten-year-old at her parents’ jazz club. She dreams of becoming of singer like Janet Jackson or Madonna. Phoenix’s hard-charging father, Marcus “Sarge” Smalls bought her a piano, and she wanted to go play something on it. However, Phoenix’s life would change after the accident with that piano.
The novel moves forward to Phoenix’s current life on a radio tour in St. Louis promoting her hit song, Party Patrol. Party Patrol is a summer dance hit but Phoenix is ambivalent about the song’s success. To get her mind off it, she goes to the Scott Joplin Museum to kill some time and learn some musical history. Joplin is known as the “King of Ragtime” music and one of America’s greatest musicians. While touring the museum, there is a mysterious presence that connects with Phoenix. That mysterious presence will become a part of Phoenix’s life from now on.
Due takes the story back to the early 1900s as we read how Joplin tried to make a living as a musician. Joplin seems troubled about everything in his life but music. The story captures his dilemma well and connects it to Phoenix’s current feelings about her music.
Phoenix and the mysterious presence are becoming linked in ways that will threaten her career and family. I will admit there are a lot of elements I liked in Joplin’s Ghost starting with Phoenix, her father Sarge, the relationship with her boyfriend, Carlos Harris. Those elements kept me reading. However, I don’t know if the ghost story element using Scott Joplin as a conduit worked for me. Due does an excellent storytelling job of making those two worlds connect. I guess I was more interested in Phoenix and her rise into becoming a singing star.
Joplin’s Ghost is part historical fiction, part urban drama, and part ghost story that creates an interesting mix unlike anything I’ve read in quite some time. While I may not liked the entire novel, there’s plenty I really liked and will recommend the novel for readers who are looking for something different to read.
As a reader, you notice what kinds of books that you keep gravitating towards. Even though I’m an eclectic reader, I keep gravitating recently towards novels that are about the creative process (books, art, food, or music). Human creativity has always been fascinating to me, because it showcases the power of imagination in interesting and unexpected ways.
Joplin’s Ghost by Tananarive Due presents creativity as a theme in the form of upcoming R&B singer, Phoenix Smalls. Phoenix is on the verge of stardom and recently got signed to rapper-entrepreneur G-Ronn’s Three Strikes Records. Throughout the novel, I thought of Phoenix as the late Aaliyah and G-Ronn as Master P of No Limit Records.
The story begins with Phoenix as a ten-year-old at her parents’ jazz club. She dreams of becoming of singer like Janet Jackson or Madonna. Phoenix’s hard-charging father, Marcus “Sarge” Smalls bought her a piano, and she wanted to go play something on it. However, Phoenix’s life would change after the accident with that piano.
The novel moves forward to Phoenix’s current life on a radio tour in St. Louis promoting her hit song, Party Patrol. Party Patrol is a summer dance hit but Phoenix is ambivalent about the song’s success. To get her mind off it, she goes to the Scott Joplin Museum to kill some time and learn some musical history. Joplin is known as the “King of Ragtime” music and one of America’s greatest musicians. While touring the museum, there is a mysterious presence that connects with Phoenix. That mysterious presence will become a part of Phoenix’s life from now on.
Due takes the story back to the early 1900s as we read how Joplin tried to make a living as a musician. Joplin seems troubled about everything in his life but music. The story captures his dilemma well and connects it to Phoenix’s current feelings about her music.
Phoenix and the mysterious presence are becoming linked in ways that will threaten her career and family. I will admit there are a lot of elements I liked in Joplin’s Ghost starting with Phoenix, her father Sarge, the relationship with her boyfriend, Carlos Harris. Those elements kept me reading. However, I don’t know if the ghost story element using Scott Joplin as a conduit worked for me. Due does an excellent storytelling job of making those two worlds connect. I guess I was more interested in Phoenix and her rise into becoming a singing star.
Joplin’s Ghost is part historical fiction, part urban drama, and part ghost story that creates an interesting mix unlike anything I’ve read in quite some time. While I may not liked the entire novel, there’s plenty I really liked and will recommend the novel for readers who are looking for something different to read.
evangeline_miller's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t realize that this was part historical fiction! The title should’ve clued me in! Due creates an interesting fictionalized account of Scott Joplin’s life and about half the novel takes place in the early 1900s. The book revolves around Joplin’s vintage piano and one of his long-lost operas, Treemonisha, which “Joplin’s ghost” is obsessed with playing, mainly using Phoenix (a young up-and-coming musician living during the 90s and early 2000s) as a conduit. While there are definitely horror elements (creepy exorcist-like possessions and a haunted piano), the book is also a beautiful love story and a joyful celebration of Black American music. At this point, I’ll read anything by Due!
firecat's review against another edition
4.0
Published by Griot Audio, which specializes in contemporary African-American fiction. Well narrated by Lizan Mitchell. Joplins Ghost is part well-researched historical novel (following Scott Joplin's life) and part modern novel (following the character of Phoenix Smalls, an up and coming R&B star).
I really admired the research. I liked the way the plots were woven together. The writing was smooth. Some of the characters and their interactions are satisfyingly complex.
Most musical styles owe a lot to music that came before, and the best musicians honor their influences and musical ancestry. That's one of the primary themes of this book and I really enjoyed those parts of the book. Another theme is the difficulty of living a musician's / performer's life, and Due does a great job comparing/contrasting Joplin's struggles with those of Phoenix.
And oh yeah, it's a ghost story. I didn't really warm up to the ghost story part of the novel; I kept arguing with what was happening. That might be due to my relative inexperience with the ghost story genre.
I really admired the research. I liked the way the plots were woven together. The writing was smooth. Some of the characters and their interactions are satisfyingly complex.
Most musical styles owe a lot to music that came before, and the best musicians honor their influences and musical ancestry. That's one of the primary themes of this book and I really enjoyed those parts of the book. Another theme is the difficulty of living a musician's / performer's life, and Due does a great job comparing/contrasting Joplin's struggles with those of Phoenix.
And oh yeah, it's a ghost story. I didn't really warm up to the ghost story part of the novel; I kept arguing with what was happening. That might be due to my relative inexperience with the ghost story genre.
evavroslin's review against another edition
5.0
This is definitely one of the author's more underrated books and not one she is known for per se, but it is an excellent book. Anyone with an interest in supernatural horror and ghost stories done well--in addition to books that feature a black, female protagonist as well as one of the lesser-known but most important African-American musicians, Scott Joplin--would do well to read this book. I thought the pacing was incredible, the story was emotionally moving, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up at a wonderful used bookstore - The Book Bank- in Alexandria, VA.
Seriously, how someone could let this book go, I don't know.
So awhile back, I read a Due short story on my kindle. I enjoyed it, and she got added to my list (the ever growing one) of "authors to try in novel form". When I saw this book, I figured, why not. Who doesn't love Scott Joplin?
(Yeah, okay, you're the one person. And I don't like you, so we're good. Seriously, go listen to Ragtime or Maple Leaf Rag. You are most likely one those people who thinks Shakespeare writes in Old English).
In part, the book deals with the question of sex and consent, in particular in terms of gender and age. There is much about music (and the definition of music) as well as being true to one's art. There are true friendships between women. In particular, I love Gloria and Phoenix's relationship with her, in particular in regards to what happens early in the book. I love that Gloria stood her ground and Phee realized something.
(Additional shout out to the lovely woman, perhaps the owner, at the counter. She loved this book and we had a nice talk).
Seriously, how someone could let this book go, I don't know.
So awhile back, I read a Due short story on my kindle. I enjoyed it, and she got added to my list (the ever growing one) of "authors to try in novel form". When I saw this book, I figured, why not. Who doesn't love Scott Joplin?
(Yeah, okay, you're the one person. And I don't like you, so we're good. Seriously, go listen to Ragtime or Maple Leaf Rag. You are most likely one those people who thinks Shakespeare writes in Old English).
In part, the book deals with the question of sex and consent, in particular in terms of gender and age. There is much about music (and the definition of music) as well as being true to one's art. There are true friendships between women. In particular, I love Gloria and Phoenix's relationship with her, in particular in regards to what happens early in the book. I love that Gloria stood her ground and Phee realized something.
(Additional shout out to the lovely woman, perhaps the owner, at the counter. She loved this book and we had a nice talk).
christhedoll's review against another edition
4.0
a great ghost story! love the blend of fact/fiction.
mochagirl's review against another edition
4.0
No one will know me until fifty years after I'm dead," Scott said. ~ Excerpt from Joplin's Ghost
Tananarive Due's latest release, Joplin's Ghost, exemplifies the restless and wandering spirit of musical genius Scott Joplin. The title says it all; however, this is more than just your typical ghost story. Due combines speculative and historical fiction with a splash of romance and urban drama to produce a great story - period. Joplin's Ghost centers on a young, eclectic, emerging Rhythm & Blues female musician, Phoenix Smalls, managed by an overprotective father and a flashy, high-profile, mega-record producer boyfriend. As a child, Phoenix suffered through an eerie accident involving a piano which led to months of agonizing rehabilitation. Shortly thereafter, a foreboding sleepwalking episode finds a ten-year-old Phoenix playing highly complex ragtime scores - years beyond her training. Nearly a decade later, as her star begins to shine, she somehow channels Joplin's ghost and composes what appears to be scores from his lost opera, A Guest of Honor, inspired by Booker T. Washington's visit to the White House. Phoenix avidly researches Joplin's life and discovers many uncanny parallels to her own, including a belief that she may be the reincarnation of his wife, Freddy.
The Ghost is relentless; the possessions rise in intensity to the point of near-death experiences. It is during her dreams that Phoenix is transported to Joplin's world, late 19th century Missouri. Here Phoenix learns that Joplin was hailed the "Ragtime King," and at one time celebrated as one of the most sophisticated and tasteful ragtime composers of the era, having unprecedented success with "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899, and "The Entertainer" in 1902. He passionately pursued his great aspirations. Scott Joplin's only surviving opera, "Treemonisha" unfolds the proud story of an educated daughter of former slaves who rises to greatness in the post-bellum 1800s. Unfortunately, true greatness eluded Joplin; Treemonisha failed and bankrupted him shortly after its shaky start. The world was not ready to receive such a progressive tale, leaving the soft-spoken musical genius trapped and victimized by the social ignorance and racial politics of the era. At times, it seems like Joplin is foredoomed because the opera's failure was not Joplin's only exposure to bad luck, but also because it seemed to plague him all his life: his daughter died in infancy, his first wife abandoned him; his closest brother died prematurely, and his beloved second wife (Freddy) died after only 10 weeks of marriage. Joplin is portrayed as frustrated, yet still driven; as he suffers a prolonged and agonizing death from tertiary syphilis at age 49, tragically dying heirless and penniless in obscurity in a New York mental ward a few days before the outbreak of World War I.
Due is ingenious in that she fuses Treemonisha's message of courage, education, and self-motivation into Phoenix's modern day music to reach and teach today's youth about social responsibility and history. The duality of the novel is that it serves as a wonderfully imagined work on the trials and tribulations of Joplin; and through Phoenix's ordeals with Joplin and other leading characters, Due subtlety mirrors and demonstrates the ill effects of record label rivalry and the misogynistic, sexual, and violent lyrics commonplace in today's Hip Hop music. Phoenix and Joplin's bedeviled journey is weird and intense, evolving into a life-altering experience for both beings as Phoenix hurries to free herself and Joplin from their cursed bond.
No one knows for sure if Joplin ever stated the prophetic opening quote, but if he did, he was off by only a couple of decades. "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer," featured in the 1974 film "The Sting", earned two Academy Awards for its musical score; and Treemonisha was adapted for a Broadway presentation in 1975, which earned Joplin a special posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 1976.
Tananarive Due's latest release, Joplin's Ghost, exemplifies the restless and wandering spirit of musical genius Scott Joplin. The title says it all; however, this is more than just your typical ghost story. Due combines speculative and historical fiction with a splash of romance and urban drama to produce a great story - period. Joplin's Ghost centers on a young, eclectic, emerging Rhythm & Blues female musician, Phoenix Smalls, managed by an overprotective father and a flashy, high-profile, mega-record producer boyfriend. As a child, Phoenix suffered through an eerie accident involving a piano which led to months of agonizing rehabilitation. Shortly thereafter, a foreboding sleepwalking episode finds a ten-year-old Phoenix playing highly complex ragtime scores - years beyond her training. Nearly a decade later, as her star begins to shine, she somehow channels Joplin's ghost and composes what appears to be scores from his lost opera, A Guest of Honor, inspired by Booker T. Washington's visit to the White House. Phoenix avidly researches Joplin's life and discovers many uncanny parallels to her own, including a belief that she may be the reincarnation of his wife, Freddy.
The Ghost is relentless; the possessions rise in intensity to the point of near-death experiences. It is during her dreams that Phoenix is transported to Joplin's world, late 19th century Missouri. Here Phoenix learns that Joplin was hailed the "Ragtime King," and at one time celebrated as one of the most sophisticated and tasteful ragtime composers of the era, having unprecedented success with "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899, and "The Entertainer" in 1902. He passionately pursued his great aspirations. Scott Joplin's only surviving opera, "Treemonisha" unfolds the proud story of an educated daughter of former slaves who rises to greatness in the post-bellum 1800s. Unfortunately, true greatness eluded Joplin; Treemonisha failed and bankrupted him shortly after its shaky start. The world was not ready to receive such a progressive tale, leaving the soft-spoken musical genius trapped and victimized by the social ignorance and racial politics of the era. At times, it seems like Joplin is foredoomed because the opera's failure was not Joplin's only exposure to bad luck, but also because it seemed to plague him all his life: his daughter died in infancy, his first wife abandoned him; his closest brother died prematurely, and his beloved second wife (Freddy) died after only 10 weeks of marriage. Joplin is portrayed as frustrated, yet still driven; as he suffers a prolonged and agonizing death from tertiary syphilis at age 49, tragically dying heirless and penniless in obscurity in a New York mental ward a few days before the outbreak of World War I.
Due is ingenious in that she fuses Treemonisha's message of courage, education, and self-motivation into Phoenix's modern day music to reach and teach today's youth about social responsibility and history. The duality of the novel is that it serves as a wonderfully imagined work on the trials and tribulations of Joplin; and through Phoenix's ordeals with Joplin and other leading characters, Due subtlety mirrors and demonstrates the ill effects of record label rivalry and the misogynistic, sexual, and violent lyrics commonplace in today's Hip Hop music. Phoenix and Joplin's bedeviled journey is weird and intense, evolving into a life-altering experience for both beings as Phoenix hurries to free herself and Joplin from their cursed bond.
No one knows for sure if Joplin ever stated the prophetic opening quote, but if he did, he was off by only a couple of decades. "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer," featured in the 1974 film "The Sting", earned two Academy Awards for its musical score; and Treemonisha was adapted for a Broadway presentation in 1975, which earned Joplin a special posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 1976.
simcha13's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. I loved the 2 stories that were interwoven together. And I loved that this was based on a real musician (go listen to Maple Leaf Rag if you haven't already). I though Tananarive Due did a wonderful job creating a story based around real events in the past and then tying them to the events of the current time. It was eerie, it was sad, it was hopeful. Perfect story for the first book of 2018!
jjosh_h's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this. Tananarive Due is excellent at creating the atmosphere of a great horror novel. It is creepy and unsettling. I felt the same way as I did reading her other novel the Good House. However, this wasn't as good a horror novel. It is a great book that I really enjoyed, and luckily I didn't read this in a strong mood for horror. However, if I had been looking for a good horror novel I would have been severely disappointed.
It isn't bad, but it isn't my type of preferred horror. What's more, it is as much a historical fiction book as it is horror. I don't think it is hurt as a book for being a mashup. If anything, Due introduced a unique way of telling an historical fiction novel in a way that is more conducive to me (and to her area of writing, i.e. horror).
That is the other point worth mentioning. This is a fascinating exploration of the musician and artist Scott Joplin, who was a real person (perhaps that is more widely known than I realize). As always, Due integrates Black culture throughout the book, and Joplin is the centerpiece of that.
I really enjoyed this book! 4/5 Stars
It isn't bad, but it isn't my type of preferred horror. What's more, it is as much a historical fiction book as it is horror. I don't think it is hurt as a book for being a mashup. If anything, Due introduced a unique way of telling an historical fiction novel in a way that is more conducive to me (and to her area of writing, i.e. horror).
That is the other point worth mentioning. This is a fascinating exploration of the musician and artist Scott Joplin, who was a real person (perhaps that is more widely known than I realize). As always, Due integrates Black culture throughout the book, and Joplin is the centerpiece of that.
I really enjoyed this book! 4/5 Stars
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