charliecc's review against another edition
3.0
I think I liked it. But it took me a very very long time to read it as i just didn't ever have the urge to pick the thing up. Beautifully written, true realism but ultimately not my thing.
emilybh's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great story, especially for anyone who plays an instrument or is interested in music. MacLaverty manages to make you hear the music Catherine writes, even though it doesn't actually exist off the page. Catherine's relationship with the piano ties the different narrative periods together, and is in fact the only stable relationship she has within the book, which is all about the senses; Catherine's heightened attention to sound, the abrasive touch of her partner and child-birth, the feel of the wind on the island she lives on. There's a lot in this novel but it doesn't feel heavy; MacLaverty structures it perfectly and it's a pleasure to read.
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
The author Bernard MacLaverty was born in Belfast, and lived there until 1975, when he moved to Scotland with his wife and children. This book was shortlisted for the 1997 Booker Prize. I reread this novel as part of a 2017 reread challenge some of my GR friends are doing (or at least talking about). The novel opens with Catherine McKenna returning to Northern Ireland for her father's funeral. She comes from a small unnamed town about 40 miles from Belfast, somewhere near Cookstown. She is the only child of a Catholic pub-owner, Brendan McKenna and his wife, who is referred to in the novel as "mother" by Catherine. Catherine has been away for 5 years, living in Glasgow and on the island of Islay. When asked about Glasgow, she says "It's like Belfast, but without the killing". Although the time frame is not indicated, the book was published in the mid-1990's, and the Troubles are still going strong in the story.
Catherine, who attended a convent school, was noticed to be a musically gifted child. Her parents sent her for piano lessons to Miss Bingham, who fortunately nourished her talents. Catherine later goes to Queens University studying composition, and after graduation to Glasgow for further studies. It is after this that she drifts away from Northern Ireland and her parents.
The novel has several themes - Catherine's dysfunctional relationship with her parents, her inner life as a composer, and struggles in her personal life. She suffers from depression, and though at times she is highly creative in her musical accomplishments, it does not seems to be a bipolar disorder. My favorite sections of the book described her work in Kiev with a Russian composer and the end of the novel . The sources for her creative inspirations are varied and at times surprising. The Russian composer Shostakovich's 13th symphony Babi Yar is about a massacre of Russian Jews. This leads to this : " Catherine thought of the geography of places of death in her own country ...Cornmarket, Claudy, Teebane Crossroads, Six Mile Water, the Bogside, Greysteel, the Shankill Road, Long Kesh, Dublin, Darkley, Enniskillen, Loughinisland, Armagh, Monaghan Town". A number of these places were unfamiliar - Teebane Crossroads, Claudy, Greysteel - but all were sites of killings during the Troubles. As Catherine later refers to Ireland, it is the "Land of Saints and Scholars and Murderers". It is perhaps understandable why Catherine experiences depression - her family, her country, her personal life, and her artistic struggles.
The novel is filled with a great amount of description and detail. Some sections of the book included details that helped illuminate the time and place and the people such as the wake of Catherine's father in their home, the old customs when a family member dies were still part of life in Northern Ireland at the time. There were other sections with too much detail (I don't want spoilers so enough said) that seemed unnecessarily detailed for me. This is the reason for my 4.5 rather than 5 star rating.
MacLaverty surprised me with his insights into a woman's mind and spirit. His descriptions of the artistic process and musical composition captivated me, although I cannot judge how true they are to the process. The title itself Grace Notes refers to a musical embellishment that is essential to Catherine's view of the composing process. I have other MacLaverty books on my shelf which I have yet to read, and some I will reread.
http://www.bernardmaclaverty.com/
I edited out the spoilers because I discovered the whole review was hidden. This makes no sense as the spoilers included are not revealed until the reader clicks on the link.
Catherine, who attended a convent school, was noticed to be a musically gifted child. Her parents sent her for piano lessons to Miss Bingham, who fortunately nourished her talents. Catherine later goes to Queens University studying composition, and after graduation to Glasgow for further studies. It is after this that she drifts away from Northern Ireland and her parents.
The novel has several themes - Catherine's dysfunctional relationship with her parents, her inner life as a composer, and struggles in her personal life. She suffers from depression, and though at times she is highly creative in her musical accomplishments, it does not seems to be a bipolar disorder. My favorite sections of the book described her work in Kiev with a Russian composer and the end of the novel . The sources for her creative inspirations are varied and at times surprising. The Russian composer Shostakovich's 13th symphony Babi Yar is about a massacre of Russian Jews. This leads to this : " Catherine thought of the geography of places of death in her own country ...Cornmarket, Claudy, Teebane Crossroads, Six Mile Water, the Bogside, Greysteel, the Shankill Road, Long Kesh, Dublin, Darkley, Enniskillen, Loughinisland, Armagh, Monaghan Town". A number of these places were unfamiliar - Teebane Crossroads, Claudy, Greysteel - but all were sites of killings during the Troubles. As Catherine later refers to Ireland, it is the "Land of Saints and Scholars and Murderers". It is perhaps understandable why Catherine experiences depression - her family, her country, her personal life, and her artistic struggles.
The novel is filled with a great amount of description and detail. Some sections of the book included details that helped illuminate the time and place and the people such as the wake of Catherine's father in their home, the old customs when a family member dies were still part of life in Northern Ireland at the time. There were other sections with too much detail (I don't want spoilers so enough said) that seemed unnecessarily detailed for me. This is the reason for my 4.5 rather than 5 star rating.
MacLaverty surprised me with his insights into a woman's mind and spirit. His descriptions of the artistic process and musical composition captivated me, although I cannot judge how true they are to the process. The title itself Grace Notes refers to a musical embellishment that is essential to Catherine's view of the composing process. I have other MacLaverty books on my shelf which I have yet to read, and some I will reread.
http://www.bernardmaclaverty.com/
I edited out the spoilers because I discovered the whole review was hidden. This makes no sense as the spoilers included are not revealed until the reader clicks on the link.
aaally's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
averydewilde's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thereadingsparrow's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcoholism
Minor: Physical abuse
raeoatway's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
joesb's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.0
ianbanks's review against another edition
5.0
Just about bloody perfect. Mr MacLaverty writes about Catherine, a musician who heads home for the funeral of her father. The first half of the book is about what she does there. The second half is about how she got there. While part of me suspects that the anachrony is there to hide some structural issues, it really doesn’t matter: this is just wonderfully written. Catherine’s head is full of music and sound in a way that shows the way her musician’s mind works. The rest of the book is just a beautiful study of how art creates and is created.