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suze_1624's review against another edition
4.0
Another great installment in the Blue Notes series.
I have to say I wasn't looking forward so much to this one, with it starting in the 70's and working forward to the present - but it perhaps wrapped it's way round my heart more than the others.
The timings for Roger and Jon just always seemed both right and wrong at the same time, the manipulations of Miranda, Nate poor Nate, Roger caving to convention, Roger loosing his ability to play - all of it just tugging at the heart.
I'm not a musical person but the love of it does come through in these books, without being preachy.
I enjoyed the previews of some of stars from the other books towards the end too.
I have to say I wasn't looking forward so much to this one, with it starting in the 70's and working forward to the present - but it perhaps wrapped it's way round my heart more than the others.
The timings for Roger and Jon just always seemed both right and wrong at the same time, the manipulations of Miranda, Nate poor Nate, Roger caving to convention, Roger loosing his ability to play - all of it just tugging at the heart.
I'm not a musical person but the love of it does come through in these books, without being preachy.
I enjoyed the previews of some of stars from the other books towards the end too.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
This is a bit of a rambling book, about two men who met as teenagers, fell in love and yet faced a host of obstacles to really being together. The story moves through episodes in their lives, as they come together and are pushed apart by needs, fears, accidents and family pressures. There are times when both men act in less than admirable ways, but Roger in particular tends to solve problems by taking the easy route out, and running away or ducking out on facing difficult situations.
John is the guy whose course in life is more straightforward. Although it's not easy to be gay in the seventies and eighties, he also has no illusions about maybe being straight or bi. His ambitions in music are fixed and unchallenged. His family is less engaged with his day to day life, but more supportive. And although he struggles at times with the demands of his studies and career, and worries about not being good enough, he nonetheless has a simple perspective on his goals and desires.
Roger is more popular and accomplished on the surface. Yet like many such people, he is also more dependent on that popularity. Inside, he's a bit of a mess, a guy who cannot look straight on at what he wants from life, because he is overly sensitive to the opinions of others. Part of this is no doubt due to the death of his older brother, and an ongoing feeling that he has to be the son his parents need and deserve in his brother's place. Part is also that he doesn't have the centered self that John does - he is much more aware of and worried about how he looks to the homophobic society of the era. And so he can say "I love you" to a man, but not say, "I'm gay." The conflicts between expectations of family and society and the realities of his relationship with John in the early days lead to him trying to satisfy everyone, and ending by failing in every direction. Part of his bond with John is the music they share, and when a traumatic event makes their musical paths diverge, he loses his way entirely.
At times, the story moves too fast through substantive times for us to really sympathize with or understand what the characters are feeling. But some skimming and summarizing is inevitable in one book covering this span of time. It does contribute to my feeling irritated with these guys in turn, when I wanted to have more sympathy.
I also didn't see quite the emotional reactions I expected from them, toward each other and toward their own mistakes and experiences. Nonetheless I enjoyed this tale of two self-star-crossed lovers. John and Roger spent decades orbiting each other, near and far, only to finally come back to the realization that the love they shared really was the best thing in their lives.
John is the guy whose course in life is more straightforward. Although it's not easy to be gay in the seventies and eighties, he also has no illusions about maybe being straight or bi. His ambitions in music are fixed and unchallenged. His family is less engaged with his day to day life, but more supportive. And although he struggles at times with the demands of his studies and career, and worries about not being good enough, he nonetheless has a simple perspective on his goals and desires.
Roger is more popular and accomplished on the surface. Yet like many such people, he is also more dependent on that popularity. Inside, he's a bit of a mess, a guy who cannot look straight on at what he wants from life, because he is overly sensitive to the opinions of others. Part of this is no doubt due to the death of his older brother, and an ongoing feeling that he has to be the son his parents need and deserve in his brother's place. Part is also that he doesn't have the centered self that John does - he is much more aware of and worried about how he looks to the homophobic society of the era. And so he can say "I love you" to a man, but not say, "I'm gay." The conflicts between expectations of family and society and the realities of his relationship with John in the early days lead to him trying to satisfy everyone, and ending by failing in every direction. Part of his bond with John is the music they share, and when a traumatic event makes their musical paths diverge, he loses his way entirely.
At times, the story moves too fast through substantive times for us to really sympathize with or understand what the characters are feeling.
Spoiler
Like Nate, who is vitally important to John, and yet appears and then disappears from the story dramatically but almost emotionlessly.I also didn't see quite the emotional reactions I expected from them, toward each other and toward their own mistakes and experiences.
Spoiler
When John was at Roger's wedding, I expected an intensity of anger and hurt and regret that didn't quite appear.the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
Why haven’t I read more books by Shira Anthony? Who is responsible for letting me get away with only ever reading one other book by her? You will be found and subjected to the proper punishment. This book was GREAT. I was a touch concerned because the only other Shira book I had read was the first in this series, but this one totally stood alone.
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2013/12/23/shira-anthonys-encore-gets-a-standing-ovation/
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2013/12/23/shira-anthonys-encore-gets-a-standing-ovation/
knrt_17's review against another edition
4.0
This is a new to me author. I loved the timeline notes. A wonderful m/m romance covering many decades interwoven with music. I'll be reading more from this author.
bellarinabookworm's review
It got too sad and I was annoyed at the characters and the fact that they were with other people and fell in live with other people for most of the book. Instead of it being a story about them and their relationship with each other, it was more of a story if their relationships with other people.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
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