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Cecilia
Mozart's Sister
I looked forward to reading what I thought would be a fascinating story of Nannerl Mozart's life but was disappointed in this rather sketchy, melodramatic book. It read like a romance novel with undeveloped characters and little depth. It does impart some broad general knowledge of the period but little is learned of the Mozart family's history, motivations, etc. However, the story will spark an interest in further reading and research on the topic.
Kathy
it won me over!
Initially, I was a little bored by and with Mozart's Sister, but about 2/3 of the way through, it began to come alive for me. Although some aspects of the narrative wrapped up a little too conveniently, I found myself enjoying the last 1/3 of the book. I must say I might've given up on it, had I not committed to a review! Some of the characters could have been more fleshed out, and I found one or two scenarios/plot points to be overly contrived. A solid 3 for sure. I will be interested in reading other reviews when the book is released.
Marcia
Lacked details & historical facts of the period
I was very excited to review this book as it deals with a subject that I am not familiar with. I felt that the first half of the book moved along very slowly, almost boring. At times it was confusing and hard to follow. The book seemed to lack the details and historical facts of the period. The characters seemed to be underdeveloped. However, the final third of the book did pick up and become more interesting and I finally learned more about Nannerl in her final years. On the whole, I found Mozart's Sister to be disappointing.
Susan
Not for language aficianados
I had trouble getting over (what I took to be) translation issues. Much of the language felt stilted, and I often found myself stuck on a particular word or phrase, wondering what on earth the original might have been. This did not improve the already uneven flow of the narrative. I also found the plot too melodramatic, and several of the characters too unidimensional for my taste. In its favor, there were some descriptive passages and scenes that were really lovely, and I enjoyed learning more about the historical era of the book.
Jan
Mozart's Sister - Lacking in depth
The book was generally well written, but got a bit boorish. Because I knew nothing of Nannerl Mozart when I started the book (I didn't even know Wolfgang had a sister), I found the first half quite appealing. I like the way Charbonnier moved between the narrative and the letters. However, about midway through I tired of her constant repeating that poor Nannerl was gypped out of her own life and success by an overly chauvinistic father who forced her to give up her dreams and ambitions to help secure her brother’s rightful place in the musical world. I was hoping for more real depth into Nannerl’s life, not just a sob story.
Laura
Mozat's sister
This historical fiction is of high interest as the subject is one that is not well known. Yet the writing does not allow the reader to feel the richness of that era of history. We see little of the history of the times, save for the music. And even that is sketchy. Mozart is depicted as a spoiled child/boy/man and his brilliance is masked in silly episodes. Yet I wanted to keep reading as the story line drew me in. At times, though, I felt that I was reading someone's thesis paper with a little action thrown in. I would recommend this book for a beach read but little else.
Betsey
Poetic with lush, musical imagery but at times too melodramtaic
The story of Nannerl Mozart, Wolfgang's sister, is told in a combination of epistolary and narrative form. It is an historical fiction of a woman with an independent mind and spirit attempting to fit in with the 18th century expectations of womanhood--the story of an anachronistic prodigy that must subvert her musical talent to those of her brother's. The epistolary parts are more lyrical, poetic, and nuanced. They were more immediately felt and fresh sounding than the overwrought narrative, which repeatedly advises us that Nannerl's chauvinistic father was very controlling and that she must sacrifice her musical ambition to promote and help fund Wolfgang's career. The tale is melodramatic, dearly earnest, with many exclamatory sentences and too much emotional repetitiveness. I would have preferred that the author flesh out more of the characters in Nannerl's life and give them more independent vitality than wield them as vehicles of Nannerl's plight. The story lacks emotional tension because emotions are overbaked. When the author does modulate her prose and gives more grace to her narrative (in Nannerl's letters), I feel more fully engaged in the story. Overall, it was moderately enjoyable, but the fervid doggedness feels intermittently stale and devotional.
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