Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by susurrus
The Cello Suites: J. S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece by Eric Siblin
4.0
My dad handed me this book years ago saying I might enjoy it because I play the cello and I like Bach. Playing the cello is more of a hobby for me and not a way of life, so I didn't pick it up right away. I think I was just out of high school and nonfiction wasn't really my cup of tea yet.
I am glad I finally got around to reading it. Siblin was a journalist before writing this book, which made me wary just because I DNF'd The Soloist because it was written too much like a really really really long newspaper article. However, Siblin actually has a good lyrical way of writing in the chapters that are mostly memoir. Even in the chapters about Bach and Casals, Siblin makes it interesting, rather than a list of dates, names, and facts. I was pleasantly surprised. I learned a lot of anecdotes about Bach's life and Casals'. There is no way all of the information in this book will stick in my head, but when I have occasion to, I will have a box full of Bach.
I will say I enjoyed the first half of this book and then it seemed to fall off a little. It could just be because my life became very busy and I didn't have the time to read that I wanted to, but it seemed like the book itself became less novel-y and more referencey for a while there. That being said, I still got enjoyment out of it, and when I started getting a bit jaded on Bach's employment opportunities, Siblin switched to Casals or himself for a few sections. It was a good way of keeping me reading and interested.
I am glad I finally got around to reading it. Siblin was a journalist before writing this book, which made me wary just because I DNF'd The Soloist because it was written too much like a really really really long newspaper article. However, Siblin actually has a good lyrical way of writing in the chapters that are mostly memoir. Even in the chapters about Bach and Casals, Siblin makes it interesting, rather than a list of dates, names, and facts. I was pleasantly surprised. I learned a lot of anecdotes about Bach's life and Casals'. There is no way all of the information in this book will stick in my head, but when I have occasion to, I will have a box full of Bach.
I will say I enjoyed the first half of this book and then it seemed to fall off a little. It could just be because my life became very busy and I didn't have the time to read that I wanted to, but it seemed like the book itself became less novel-y and more referencey for a while there. That being said, I still got enjoyment out of it, and when I started getting a bit jaded on Bach's employment opportunities, Siblin switched to Casals or himself for a few sections. It was a good way of keeping me reading and interested.