Scan barcode
frances_the_red's review against another edition
3.0
Ich mochte die Art und Weise sehr, wie auf Musik eingegangen wurde; dass sie unsere Stimmungen und Einstellungen verändern, uns über schlechte Tage hinweg helfen und unser ganzes Leben verändern kann. Zudem mochte ich das Aufgreifen der ganzen Problematik, dass kleine Läden aufgrund der Ketten zu Grunde gehen. Das Buch selbst jedoch war nur so semi gut. Im Gegensatz zur 'Unwahrscheinlichen Pilgerreise' hat Rachel Joyce hier mE leider nur Mittelmaß abgeliefert.
luinien's review
4.0
*vague ending spoilers*
For the first huge chunk of the book, I was really enjoying the story. The premise was interesting, I liked the main character, Frank, and it was intriguing to see what was going to happen to Ilse and Unity Street. I liked the idea that he could "hear" what people needed in terms of music. I think I would have liked more of that in the story than the direction it ended up going.
Then the story kept going but felt like it was, at times, without direction. The backstory for Frank felt unnecessary to the story by that point.
Sure, the ending made me tear up, but it also felt forced in a way. I'm glad I made it to the end even though I could have definitely done without the "extra track" at the end. That was definitely too much of a pretty bow ending. I would have liked things to be more up in the air.
For the first huge chunk of the book, I was really enjoying the story. The premise was interesting, I liked the main character, Frank, and it was intriguing to see what was going to happen to Ilse and Unity Street. I liked the idea that he could "hear" what people needed in terms of music. I think I would have liked more of that in the story than the direction it ended up going.
Then the story kept going but felt like it was, at times, without direction. The backstory for Frank felt unnecessary to the story by that point.
Sure, the ending made me tear up, but it also felt forced in a way. I'm glad I made it to the end even though I could have definitely done without the "extra track" at the end. That was definitely too much of a pretty bow ending. I would have liked things to be more up in the air.
ocios's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
jrmarr's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely story about friendship, loyalty, love, and the transformative power of music.
mollyhyland's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
3.5
tabithare's review against another edition
4.0
okay cringy ending but cringe culture is dead i love this cute lil story
pmgerovac's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It took a good bit to develop the story, but the ending was bigger and sweeter than I imagined. Yes, there is a love story, but it is the kind of story that I like. It's a story about music and one man's ability to reach others deeply through music even though he played no instrument. And two people fall in love in the midst of the story.
michelle_sc's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
This book was such an unexpected delight. I think if I had read a print version, my rating would have been in the 4-star range, but the audio version really brought it to life. I loved the characters’ friendships and the author’s dry wit. I definitely plan to pick up more Rachel Joyce books now.
succeedead's review against another edition
4.0
Sooo I decided to make a criteria for my ratings/reviews and I'm going to start with this particular book! (All the categories are rated out of 5)
Feels - 4.0
I teared up a bit at the end! I liked how the book made me curious and it was really thrilling to witness the ups and downs of all the characters.
Characters - 5.0
All the characters in this book were really endearing in their own way. They all had diverse personalities that came together so well that I can't bring myself to think of any of them apart from the other. It was beautiful how they made their own little family among one another really.
Plot- 4.5
Honestly, I was so busy trying to guess what was going to happen next or what the big revelation would be that I was stunned with what actually happened. Of course, I expected a more shocking climax or a more heartbreaking ending, but surprisingly the plot generally worked out even if there was no Big Thing, or if the Big Thing was not as big as one would have expected. The story was actually refreshing in a way that I've never read something with this type of concept and string of events before, so it was really not hard to like.
Writing - 4.5
The writing was really, really beautiful, especially when the author talked about music. I absolutely loved that there was a brief mention of the leitmotif!!! All the stories about the classical music that we still hear today really drew me to the story even more because I personally love digging deeper into a musical piece and taking note of all its aspects and what the musician is trying to convey. I learned a lot of things too, and discovered more classical music that I would have overlooked.
Overall, it was a great way to calm your mind a bit and just let the words take over. It's the type of book I'd love to read when I'm outside and the wind is whistling a melancholic song and the sky is threatening to let its tears fall.
Feels - 4.0
I teared up a bit at the end! I liked how the book made me curious and it was really thrilling to witness the ups and downs of all the characters.
Characters - 5.0
All the characters in this book were really endearing in their own way. They all had diverse personalities that came together so well that I can't bring myself to think of any of them apart from the other. It was beautiful how they made their own little family among one another really.
Plot- 4.5
Honestly, I was so busy trying to guess what was going to happen next or what the big revelation would be that I was stunned with what actually happened. Of course, I expected a more shocking climax or a more heartbreaking ending, but surprisingly the plot generally worked out even if there was no Big Thing, or if the Big Thing was not as big as one would have expected. The story was actually refreshing in a way that I've never read something with this type of concept and string of events before, so it was really not hard to like.
Writing - 4.5
The writing was really, really beautiful, especially when the author talked about music. I absolutely loved that there was a brief mention of the leitmotif!!! All the stories about the classical music that we still hear today really drew me to the story even more because I personally love digging deeper into a musical piece and taking note of all its aspects and what the musician is trying to convey. I learned a lot of things too, and discovered more classical music that I would have overlooked.
Overall, it was a great way to calm your mind a bit and just let the words take over. It's the type of book I'd love to read when I'm outside and the wind is whistling a melancholic song and the sky is threatening to let its tears fall.
tashaseegmiller's review against another edition
5.0
While the premise of this book sounded interesting, I was not prepared for how quickly Joyce pulled me into this story, or how I couldn't stop thinking about the characters until all I wanted to do was read. As someone who also loves music, the references to many, many works that I love was engaging, for sure, but the way that characters describe well-known pieces, the way that characters share the way music helped them heal added to the magic already present through Frank's ability to hear which works others need to listen to. It was a brilliant reading experience and I will be recommending this book to all kinds of people.