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emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this book. I picked it up by pure chance at the Boston Public Library because I thought the cover was beautiful and I'm so glad that I did! Several parts of this book are still floating around in my head even months after finishing it. I can't believe that this was Aja Gabel's first novel -- it's really stunning. Thank you for writing such a wonderful book!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Almost nothing happens the whole book and I enjoyed every minute of it! I’m sure partly because Rebecca Lowman narrated and her voice is absolutely perfect for introspective books.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was glorious and hit all the viola-shaped places in my heart. Definitely going to be a sentimental fav.
The story feels real, and the music is so well selected and described. You can tell the author is a musician and a lover of chamber music, and the rehearsal/performance scenes are so true to life. I found myself holding my breath in some of the performance parts. There are so many details that just worked, in both a musical and a literary sense, and those were such a joy to read.
The relationships between the characters felt more fleshed out than the individual characters themselves, which in a way feels metaphorical but I also mean that each character felt a little shy of fully three-dimensional. The writing was heavy-handed at points, but it was beautiful and lyrical throughout, and there are some really gorgeous passages reflecting on music & aging & love & togetherness.
The story feels real, and the music is so well selected and described. You can tell the author is a musician and a lover of chamber music, and the rehearsal/performance scenes are so true to life. I found myself holding my breath in some of the performance parts. There are so many details that just worked, in both a musical and a literary sense, and those were such a joy to read.
The relationships between the characters felt more fleshed out than the individual characters themselves, which in a way feels metaphorical but I also mean that each character felt a little shy of fully three-dimensional. The writing was heavy-handed at points, but it was beautiful and lyrical throughout, and there are some really gorgeous passages reflecting on music & aging & love & togetherness.
Nicely written, characters developed and expressed nicely, but it wasn’t a page turner for me
What does it truly take to be a great artist? Some would say hours of practice while others believe there are simply talented individuals. It's hard to reconcile with the desire to not only do what you want but to completely embody your passion. These four musicians find themselves and in a makeshift family. They soon rely on each other for guidance and comfort working through their career.
It's hard to say if I liked this book or rather I just observed the casual passing by of people. While these musicians connect and reconnect, there isn't much of a exciting plot. You may wonder which coupling will prevail but ultimately it's a book about adulthood and adult problems. Making peace with your past and finding peace in yourself.
What may be most exciting is all the talk of classical music and the competitive world of artistry. If that gets your goat then I recommend this for fans of realistic fiction.
What is passion to you?
when i first read the synopsis of this book, i was immediately hooked. it combined two of my favorite things: music & literature. it was only when i started reading did i only realize that there are elements literature can only translate exquisitely as compared to films. it seems only right to take note of how gabel perfectly characterized these 4 individuals. when you go into this book, you don't expect a heavy central conflict. rather, this story showcases the lives and struggles of this quartet and how each and single event intertwine with each other's lives.
what makes this book so special is how in most films, the obsessed artist trope focuses on a short given time period (or in other words: a period where they are still youthful). for this book, however, it showcases what it feels to be that obsessed artist even at old age. it was wonderful to see that contrast from their younger self to their older self with more responsibilities and deficiencies than ever.
personally, you will only enjoy this story if you are captivated by the 4 main characters. after all, the story follows these obsessed artists and how they deal with the problems that lie in both their career and personal lives. it will feel slow in the middle, but the only reason why i kept reading was because of how much i loved each single character. i won't deny that i did get bored in some parts, but i guess my self discipline helped in those cases.
it feels only best to continue this review by giving my thoughts on the 4 obsessed artists, as it will really reflect how much i enjoyed what gabel had to offer in this book.
jana; the cold leader of the quartet
when you think of obsessed artist, you have to think of her. she is the person that embodies the trope so well, and i enjoyed every single moment. to have her be introduced as an artist with a sort-of neglectful mother, it was interesting to see how we got to see what she would do for the whole group. the lengths she took to secure their win and her "overbearing" presence was everything. as the story continued, the more we got to see jana's story with catherine, whom she learned to still sort of love and understand after all the struggles catherine went through to take care of jana. we even got to see how jana learned to be more empathetic in different ways. to see that sort of cold and demanding exterior slowly crumble was beautiful, and it showed how the shackles of her art started to loosen by just a bit.
henry; the prodigy of the quartet
he was practically good at everything. it felt as if you could present him a craft that was completely new, and he would still find a way to be good at it. it felt like he had it the easiest, but that is never the case. instead, we got to learn how the title of being a prodigy had completely strapped him to the art of music. it was as if all he thought he should focus on was music. as the story progresses, however, we get to see how henry changes. from meeting kimiko to having kids, we get to see how henry has to learn how to be an attentive father, even if it means finally learning to not only focus on music. he wanted to be a good musician to live up to that title, but he also wanted to be a good husband and father. he never wanted kimiko to bear all the weight, and finds a way to help alleviate it.
brit; the daydreamer of the quartet
gabel had a way of describing brit's situations the best. when brit said that she loved the idea of love, it was perfectly seen in the way it was written. we get to see how she believed she was in love with daniel, only to have her heartbroken when all the signs showcased that they wouldn't happen. after that happened, we get to learn how she has been the most attentive one for everyone in the quartet. she was always present for whatever happened. but as the story progresses, we get to see how this unrealistic idea of love is shattered, and how she never allows for herself to be taken for granted. we even get to see how she learns to prioritize herself before others, and it was beautiful. she managed to still be the bestest friend without sacrificing her selfworth.
daniel; the player of the quartet
it was already established that daniel was most certainly someone with commitment issues. after things broke off between brit and daniel, we got to see how many of the failed "relationships" he's had, from romantic ones to familial ones. growing up poor, we got to see how he struggled to connect with the quarter due to the financial differences. not only that, we also got to see how that background had caused him to have a tougher and colder exterior, finding no room for love or any form of emotion. next, we get to learn how his failed marriage had happened, how his flaws were too much to save the marriage he had. and then we finally get to see how his distant family made him long for a familiarity, and how he found it with the quartet. he found it with henry, jana, and brit. he learned to feel at ease with them as the story progressed, and how much he actually cared for the despite his overall character.
overall, i did enjoy this story. the only reason why i gave it a 4.5 was because i did mention how it got slow in the middle. it took a bit of time to just sit down and continue reading, but i still enjoyed what the book offered.
what makes this book so special is how in most films, the obsessed artist trope focuses on a short given time period (or in other words: a period where they are still youthful). for this book, however, it showcases what it feels to be that obsessed artist even at old age. it was wonderful to see that contrast from their younger self to their older self with more responsibilities and deficiencies than ever.
personally, you will only enjoy this story if you are captivated by the 4 main characters. after all, the story follows these obsessed artists and how they deal with the problems that lie in both their career and personal lives. it will feel slow in the middle, but the only reason why i kept reading was because of how much i loved each single character. i won't deny that i did get bored in some parts, but i guess my self discipline helped in those cases.
it feels only best to continue this review by giving my thoughts on the 4 obsessed artists, as it will really reflect how much i enjoyed what gabel had to offer in this book.
jana; the cold leader of the quartet
when you think of obsessed artist, you have to think of her. she is the person that embodies the trope so well, and i enjoyed every single moment. to have her be introduced as an artist with a sort-of neglectful mother, it was interesting to see how we got to see what she would do for the whole group. the lengths she took to secure their win and her "overbearing" presence was everything. as the story continued, the more we got to see jana's story with catherine, whom she learned to still sort of love and understand after all the struggles catherine went through to take care of jana. we even got to see how jana learned to be more empathetic in different ways. to see that sort of cold and demanding exterior slowly crumble was beautiful, and it showed how the shackles of her art started to loosen by just a bit.
henry; the prodigy of the quartet
he was practically good at everything. it felt as if you could present him a craft that was completely new, and he would still find a way to be good at it. it felt like he had it the easiest, but that is never the case. instead, we got to learn how the title of being a prodigy had completely strapped him to the art of music. it was as if all he thought he should focus on was music. as the story progresses, however, we get to see how henry changes. from meeting kimiko to having kids, we get to see how henry has to learn how to be an attentive father, even if it means finally learning to not only focus on music. he wanted to be a good musician to live up to that title, but he also wanted to be a good husband and father. he never wanted kimiko to bear all the weight, and finds a way to help alleviate it.
brit; the daydreamer of the quartet
gabel had a way of describing brit's situations the best. when brit said that she loved the idea of love, it was perfectly seen in the way it was written. we get to see how she believed she was in love with daniel, only to have her heartbroken when all the signs showcased that they wouldn't happen. after that happened, we get to learn how she has been the most attentive one for everyone in the quartet. she was always present for whatever happened. but as the story progresses, we get to see how this unrealistic idea of love is shattered, and how she never allows for herself to be taken for granted. we even get to see how she learns to prioritize herself before others, and it was beautiful. she managed to still be the bestest friend without sacrificing her selfworth.
daniel; the player of the quartet
it was already established that daniel was most certainly someone with commitment issues. after things broke off between brit and daniel, we got to see how many of the failed "relationships" he's had, from romantic ones to familial ones. growing up poor, we got to see how he struggled to connect with the quarter due to the financial differences. not only that, we also got to see how that background had caused him to have a tougher and colder exterior, finding no room for love or any form of emotion. next, we get to learn how his failed marriage had happened, how his flaws were too much to save the marriage he had. and then we finally get to see how his distant family made him long for a familiarity, and how he found it with the quartet. he found it with henry, jana, and brit. he learned to feel at ease with them as the story progressed, and how much he actually cared for the despite his overall character.
overall, i did enjoy this story. the only reason why i gave it a 4.5 was because i did mention how it got slow in the middle. it took a bit of time to just sit down and continue reading, but i still enjoyed what the book offered.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
As a former musician, I really wanted to like this book. To be fair, there were parts that I really liked. Those parts consisted of performances and practice sessions. I had trouble connecting with the characters, outside of Kimiko and Henry. Kimiko says the idea most women my age are fighting: “Is it possible to be a mother and still want more for yourself?” I connected to that so much. Henry desperately wanted to continue meeting his prodigy status, but worried about what he was really doing. Outside of these characters, everyone else was meh. I loved the subject matter though, especially when told accurately through a former musician’s words.