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pikusonali 's review for:
The Music Shop
by Rachel Joyce
Rating: 3.5
I approach love stories with a lot of caution. For me, they are something like a fantasy - most too unreal to believe. Yet, the concept of love, the concept of what one person can do for the other if they share the same emotions is something that fascinates me to no end. Joyce is a good writer and she conjures a warm and tender story about two hard-to-understand people. What I most liked about is the music lesson it offers. From classical to pop to rock, from Beethoven and Vivaldi to Aretha Franklin and the Sex Pistols - it is a delight to read about the compositions and songs discussed. As a couple, Frank and Ilse are lovely, perfect for each other, partners bound together by the love for music. It is a good book for the most part but the final segment was a disappointment. Joyce has barely acknowledged Frank in it, focusing only on Ilse's side of the story. Would have loved to know what Frank does during that period of 21 years he is away from Ilse. Would have loved to read more about his emotional state of the mind. The ending seems straight out a 90s rom-com and turns out to be very predictable. And that's why I refrained from giving this one 4 stars.
I approach love stories with a lot of caution. For me, they are something like a fantasy - most too unreal to believe. Yet, the concept of love, the concept of what one person can do for the other if they share the same emotions is something that fascinates me to no end. Joyce is a good writer and she conjures a warm and tender story about two hard-to-understand people. What I most liked about is the music lesson it offers. From classical to pop to rock, from Beethoven and Vivaldi to Aretha Franklin and the Sex Pistols - it is a delight to read about the compositions and songs discussed. As a couple, Frank and Ilse are lovely, perfect for each other, partners bound together by the love for music. It is a good book for the most part but the final segment was a disappointment. Joyce has barely acknowledged Frank in it, focusing only on Ilse's side of the story. Would have loved to know what Frank does during that period of 21 years he is away from Ilse. Would have loved to read more about his emotional state of the mind. The ending seems straight out a 90s rom-com and turns out to be very predictable. And that's why I refrained from giving this one 4 stars.