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A review by hollydyer328
The Ensemble by Aja Gabel
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As a classical musician and string player, I enjoyed exploring this character study of a string quartet. Aja Gabel got 95% of the details spot-on with string player life and the piece selections. While it seems like a lot of people don’t like the characters, I felt like they were pretty accurate with how classical musicians can be IRL but going under the hood. I kept wondering what my quartet-cellist former-professor would think of this book.
I wish that there was more going on in the plot; the progress of the story heavily depends on how the characters and the quartet develop. Overall, this book is very niche, and while I could appreciate those qualities, I don’t think this book is for everyone. If you don’t care for classical music or character-driven novels, this book is not for you.
I wish that there was more going on in the plot; the progress of the story heavily depends on how the characters and the quartet develop. Overall, this book is very niche, and while I could appreciate those qualities, I don’t think this book is for everyone. If you don’t care for classical music or character-driven novels, this book is not for you.