angelasunshine's review against another edition
2.0
This was just okay for me. It jumped around in a way I didn’t like.
gracer's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it. It was pretty slow, and as an historical novel, had that element of incorporating real historical events a little to much, and too specifically, so that it felt... not unnatural, but a studied.
The characters were strong, though, and interesting, and the pace really picked up in the end. I became quite invested in the story and what was going to happen, although I didn't love certain plot points. Excellent setting, though, very vivid, and interesting to read a book so specifically set in Chicago over such an interesting couple of decades, allowing the reader to really see how much it changed, and how quickly.
The characters were strong, though, and interesting, and the pace really picked up in the end. I became quite invested in the story and what was going to happen, although I didn't love certain plot points. Excellent setting, though, very vivid, and interesting to read a book so specifically set in Chicago over such an interesting couple of decades, allowing the reader to really see how much it changed, and how quickly.
hollyg35's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emlor1's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
thain's review against another edition
5.0
In early 20th century Chicago, a Jewish man who prefers playing jazz in South Side nightclubs to working for the family hat business meets a woman struggling to run a speakeasy to support her siblings. Real events and people weave seamlessly into the lives of characters fighting to claim their own identities despite family and cultural resistance.
queenterribletimy's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Full review with some added personal note can be read on my blog: starlitbook.com/2018/05/03/the-jazz-palace-by-mary-morris/
The Jazz Palace is a saloon opened by the jewish Chimbrova family in Chicago in the 20’s and is run by 4 siblings. This is the place where white man gather to drink and to listen to music. And this is the place, where Napoleon, a black jazz musician comes to play every monday against all rules. He also brings with himself Benny Lehrmann, son of a jewish business owner, who has no interest in taking over from his dad and spends most of his time wandering the south side of the city, where black people live and entertain everyone who comes over. Benny has a good ear for music and picks up jazz pretty quickly and starts jamming. Together with Napoleon they mesmerize the audience. Benny enjoys life as a famous musician and charms the Chimbrova girls. But life is not all about rainbows and unicorns so Benny and the others faces tragedies, death, poverty, the rise of the gangsters and learn the hard way how unfair the world can be.
Morris’ writing is OK, nothing exceptional, but not so bad either, and she had some nice lines I highlighted. She was able to give it back the atmosphere of the pretty wide period of time this story is set in: the end of WWI, the ban of alcohol, the rise of the gangsters (Al Capone above all), the beginning of the Great Depression. The story focuses on the lifes of the main characters and actual historical events are only mentioned marginally. Al Capone himself appears twice, but his appearance doesn’t add anything to the story. Sure, he has a great influence on one of the characters, but that’s all. What this book missing is some depth, I wanted to read more about the era, to better understand the characters, what drove them, how it really affected their life. Instead we get a lot of brooding, and miserabe characters with whom the reader couldn’t really connect. Sure, their pain and suffering and all that are understandable, they all led a hard life. But it’s hard to really feel sorry for them.
And then there were passages totally irrelevant to the story. Felt like they were just thrown in without any purpose so the pages would be filled. They didn’t really add to the atmosphere either. If she really wanted to create a rich, vivid, full of life kind of book, she should have written more about the gangsters, how the saloons and clubs really worked, what they had to do to stay alive. Some more added general history would have made The Jazz Palace a much more interesting book. I have to hand it to Morris though that she gives a good description of how life were for black people at the time and what it meant for white and black people to make friendships or any kind of relationship really. Benny and Napoleon set a new standard and showed to Chicago what they can accomplish on their own and together, stereotypes be damned.
This book is recommended for those who’d like to get a glimpse into the history of Chicago, into the birth of jazz and what effect it has on a handful of lives and don’t mind getting thrown off balance with the sudden change of POV or timeline ocassionally. The Jazz Palace while an easy read in terms of style and writing, it is full of tragedy with some light moments here and there. Overall, if not an exactly enjoyable read, but one which will make you wonder about life and music and the choices we make in our lifes. And in the end, that can count as an accomplishment in itself.
Full review with some added personal note can be read on my blog: starlitbook.com/2018/05/03/the-jazz-palace-by-mary-morris/
The Jazz Palace is a saloon opened by the jewish Chimbrova family in Chicago in the 20’s and is run by 4 siblings. This is the place where white man gather to drink and to listen to music. And this is the place, where Napoleon, a black jazz musician comes to play every monday against all rules. He also brings with himself Benny Lehrmann, son of a jewish business owner, who has no interest in taking over from his dad and spends most of his time wandering the south side of the city, where black people live and entertain everyone who comes over. Benny has a good ear for music and picks up jazz pretty quickly and starts jamming. Together with Napoleon they mesmerize the audience. Benny enjoys life as a famous musician and charms the Chimbrova girls. But life is not all about rainbows and unicorns so Benny and the others faces tragedies, death, poverty, the rise of the gangsters and learn the hard way how unfair the world can be.
Morris’ writing is OK, nothing exceptional, but not so bad either, and she had some nice lines I highlighted. She was able to give it back the atmosphere of the pretty wide period of time this story is set in: the end of WWI, the ban of alcohol, the rise of the gangsters (Al Capone above all), the beginning of the Great Depression. The story focuses on the lifes of the main characters and actual historical events are only mentioned marginally. Al Capone himself appears twice, but his appearance doesn’t add anything to the story. Sure, he has a great influence on one of the characters, but that’s all. What this book missing is some depth, I wanted to read more about the era, to better understand the characters, what drove them, how it really affected their life. Instead we get a lot of brooding, and miserabe characters with whom the reader couldn’t really connect. Sure, their pain and suffering and all that are understandable, they all led a hard life. But it’s hard to really feel sorry for them.
And then there were passages totally irrelevant to the story. Felt like they were just thrown in without any purpose so the pages would be filled. They didn’t really add to the atmosphere either. If she really wanted to create a rich, vivid, full of life kind of book, she should have written more about the gangsters, how the saloons and clubs really worked, what they had to do to stay alive. Some more added general history would have made The Jazz Palace a much more interesting book. I have to hand it to Morris though that she gives a good description of how life were for black people at the time and what it meant for white and black people to make friendships or any kind of relationship really. Benny and Napoleon set a new standard and showed to Chicago what they can accomplish on their own and together, stereotypes be damned.
This book is recommended for those who’d like to get a glimpse into the history of Chicago, into the birth of jazz and what effect it has on a handful of lives and don’t mind getting thrown off balance with the sudden change of POV or timeline ocassionally. The Jazz Palace while an easy read in terms of style and writing, it is full of tragedy with some light moments here and there. Overall, if not an exactly enjoyable read, but one which will make you wonder about life and music and the choices we make in our lifes. And in the end, that can count as an accomplishment in itself.
nmuels's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Just as I suspected, I loved this book. Granted, I have lived in Chicago for 13+ years, and in the chicagoland area before that, and, granted, I love history so much I co-host 2 history podcasts and somehow make everything about Chicago history even when it's not. But even so, Mary Morris brings you into the world of 1915-Jazz Age Chicago in a way that is as efficient as it is evocative. I glided through this story, invested in every music note and dust mote. And in the end, I was just angry I hadn't heard of this book earlier.
chi_hoosier's review against another edition
5.0
In the Stacey Wants a 10 point Rating Scale on Goodreads, a resounding 9. This book is so beautifully written. Phrases that are pure poetry stand out and beg you to read through them twice. Morris captures so much of Chicago that is unchanged since the 20s. Her excellent research and beautifully developed cast of characters kept me reaching for the book each night.
As I usually feel with third person omniscient narrators, the transition from one character's thoughts to another on the same page can be jarring, but it wasn't as distracting as it could be.
Weaving history and historical figures into the background of these characters is so perfect, as in everyday life: we are the main characters in our own novel while the world continues to spin in the background. I highly highly recommend this.
As I usually feel with third person omniscient narrators, the transition from one character's thoughts to another on the same page can be jarring, but it wasn't as distracting as it could be.
Weaving history and historical figures into the background of these characters is so perfect, as in everyday life: we are the main characters in our own novel while the world continues to spin in the background. I highly highly recommend this.
thereadingmum's review against another edition
4.0
A really great, period story about the development of the jazz era into prohibition in Chicago. It follows the story of two Jewish families, but is primarily about Benny and Pearl. It starts with the terrible tragedy of the sinking of the Eastland where Pearl's three brothers perished. The novel reads almost like a jazz piece with lots of riffs and layers blending into one another in a delicious, moody flow. Morris deals with issues of race and religious prejudice plainly without over-emoting. I love Napolean's side story and how he equates the mob's control of musicians to slavery and his defiance of them.
butyougotmysoul's review
3.0
While this was captivating for it's word choice and it's content, I have to say it wasn't anything life-changing or new. I thought it was meant to be a much more socially minded novel, and instead I was greeted with the same old stories of boy meets girl. Overall, thoroughly disappointing.
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