Scan barcode
A review by theamyleblanc
The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The synopsis had me hooked and it only got better from there!
This book is wonderful. It's dense and heartbreaking and horrifying and beautiful and unique and hopeful. It feels true. While it is a work of fiction, so much of it is based in historical fact. There's an air of authenticity woven through the whole narrative. Nothing felt anachronistic.
The characters are fantastically done. The plot is perfectly paced. The twists and turns keep you going, searching, hoping Anna Maria will achieve the impossible. Her synesthesia is a lovely, scary addition to the story. In the early 1700s, she would've been deemed crazy. And that only heightened the stakes, and Anna Maria's ambition, her need to succeed.
I learned so much with this book. I love listening to Vivaldi's works but I had no idea of his personal history. The likelihood that he stole inspiration or music or compositions from these girls . . . I wish I was surprised. Even if it's fictional, I'm glad someone told their story. That their voices and talent live on somewhere. That they weren't forgotten.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is wonderful. It's dense and heartbreaking and horrifying and beautiful and unique and hopeful. It feels true. While it is a work of fiction, so much of it is based in historical fact. There's an air of authenticity woven through the whole narrative. Nothing felt anachronistic.
The characters are fantastically done. The plot is perfectly paced. The twists and turns keep you going, searching, hoping Anna Maria will achieve the impossible. Her synesthesia is a lovely, scary addition to the story. In the early 1700s, she would've been deemed crazy. And that only heightened the stakes, and Anna Maria's ambition, her need to succeed.
I learned so much with this book. I love listening to Vivaldi's works but I had no idea of his personal history. The likelihood that he stole inspiration or music or compositions from these girls . . . I wish I was surprised. Even if it's fictional, I'm glad someone told their story. That their voices and talent live on somewhere. That they weren't forgotten.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.