Reviews

Music of the Ghosts by Vaddey Ratner

emilyacgm's review against another edition

4.0

This lyrical novel took me forever to read both because other books stepped in and because it was a slow read. Ratner's prose demanded I slow down, read at a leisurely pace to savor the beautiful sentences describing people, places and emotions. Moving between various characters' pasts and their presents, the story explores the depths of hurt, guilt, loss and love people live with after tragedy, loss, unbearable pain. It was painful to read at times and the healing at the end came slowly, gently. Ratner writes with beauty and depth about complex human experiences.

ruthcuth's review against another edition

3.0

Ratner is an incredibly writer. There were passages in this book that were absolutely stunning in their insights into the human condition, transcendent from the narrative of war and it's aftermath. For that reason alone, this book is a great read. But I found the story hard to follow. It wove between past and present and at times it was hard to keep the characters straight. I much preferred her first book, which had insights along with a story that flowed.

zilgreb's review against another edition

2.0

The parts of the book dealing with Cambodian history, the Khmer Rouge regime, and genocide earned this book a solid 4 stars, what lost me was the romance, throw in an orphan and wrap it all up with a fairy tale ending, it just seemed like a cop out.

traceyshodges's review against another edition

3.0

This book was beautiful; the writing was flawless and the characters were haunting. The overall tone of the book is what I would call haunting, as it follows a family out of Cambodia during a terrible time of genocide and warfare. The thread of music throughout the novel is a good reminder that music can help heal people in dark times.

While the book was well-written and taught me a great deal about a time in history I knew nothing about, I found the story moved very slowly. Because of that, I struggled to maintain concentration and interest from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book, and suggest finding additional resources to read while reading. I read articles and watched videos about Cambodia during this time to learn more and that helped contextualize the story even more.

memoriesfrombooks's review against another edition

4.0

As in her first book In the Shadow of the Banyan, Vaddey Ratner returns to the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in Music of the Ghosts. As with In the Shadow of the Banyan, the imagery and the writing is visual and beautiful. At times though, this book seems to try too hard. I find myself caught up in the historical / political / philosophical point being made rather than being carried away by the story and being left with an understanding of the history. Nevertheless, I am a fan and look forward to seeing what Vaddey Ratner writes next.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/06/music-of-ghosts.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

dougawells's review against another edition

4.0

My second book by Ratner - both about Cambodia and the terror of the Kmer Rouge. The first book, In the Shadow of the Banyon, is about surviving. This book is about survivors. Both are haunting and beautiful.

oboe_geek's review against another edition

4.0

First, I bought this book simply because of the title and the cover. I really couldn’t pass it up. Then I started reading the synopsis and realized that it covers a part of history I’m not super familiar with and realized it would be a great educational opportunity for me. Around page 20 I realized I was lost, so I went ahead and watched some documentaries concerning Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. I’m glad that I took the time to do that because the rest of the book made a lot more sense and I was able to connect to the characters more. Teera’s grief and pain at coming to Cambodia after this had all occurred is so raw and her understanding of her family is so much more vivid.

The story splits between Teera’s story of a survivor returning and Tun (the Old Musician) who was part of the Khmer Rouge and how the experience changes them both.

This was a very powerful and haunting novel; I highly recommend watching the documentaries (there are lots on youtube) before reading the book if you’re unfamiliar with all of the details of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge (I know that this wasn’t a subject that we ever covered in high school or college).

tmadryga's review against another edition

5.0

I didn’t know a lot about Cambodian history before reading this book, but learned a lot through the story. The author does an excellent job of interweaving stories of the horrifying realities of the Khmer Rouge with the tragic stories of the survivors. It is sad that such a beautiful country has such a tragic history.

geniab's review against another edition

Just couldn't get into the book after 10 chapters

kelsey1970's review against another edition

3.0

This is a sad, lovely, horrifying, but ultimately uplifting story. A young woman returns to Cambodia as an adult, having fled the Khmer Rouge years earlier. She is so damaged by her suffering and loss, but returning allows her to heal as she meets a man who was with her father in prison during his final days. Through him she meets others, including the love of her life and an orphaned little girl who needs them. A slow, sweet heart-wrenching read.