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A review by lovelykd
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
4.0
I received an ARC of The Music Shop from NetGalley.
This book was a slow burn for me. It started off in a plodding manner, and I very nearly abandoned it altogether; but at around the 46 percent mark, it began to work its way into something more: a very broad, extremely poignant, and endlessly charming tale about change and love.
Frank wasn’t the most likable character. His need to hang on to a time that was destined to vanish—with or without him—was frustrating.
I found myself turned off by his pig-headed nature and, honestly, completely wrote him off at one point because I ceased caring what happened to him. He seemed hell bent on making his life miserable, so I figured let him.
However, as I watched him struggle with all he knows about love and music, and saw him come to grips with the possibility that his structured way of life wasn’t going to guarantee him happiness, I saw a lesson in how stubborn we all can be when it comes to putting ourselves out there and exploring the unknown.
Ilse was a woman hoping for a change. She was dealt a devastating hand at the table of life, and was left wondering if she had a purpose at all. Frank’s passion for music is reignites her desire to re-enter the world and see if there’s another hand to play.
I loved Ilse.
As they both navigated the waters, it became clear the troubles they’d each need to overcome were more than environmental. It’s also clear that a “Hallelujah” moment would be needed to save them all.
It’s a story about love and community, set in an era when gentrification and development became the bulldozer of choice for the corporate world.
In my opinion, gentrification has played a pivotal role in helping to destroy the very fabric of human connection. We’ve accepted the role of audience member—watching the world and its inhabitants do as they please—as opposed to being players and fighting for the blocks,and people, we love dearly—in that regard alone, Frank was to be commended.
The Music Shop is a beautiful story because it makes one question not only the ability to change, but how willing we all are to stand by, and watch the world go by without us, just to prove a point.
A truly lovely read.
This book was a slow burn for me. It started off in a plodding manner, and I very nearly abandoned it altogether; but at around the 46 percent mark, it began to work its way into something more: a very broad, extremely poignant, and endlessly charming tale about change and love.
Frank wasn’t the most likable character. His need to hang on to a time that was destined to vanish—with or without him—was frustrating.
I found myself turned off by his pig-headed nature and, honestly, completely wrote him off at one point because I ceased caring what happened to him. He seemed hell bent on making his life miserable, so I figured let him.
However, as I watched him struggle with all he knows about love and music, and saw him come to grips with the possibility that his structured way of life wasn’t going to guarantee him happiness, I saw a lesson in how stubborn we all can be when it comes to putting ourselves out there and exploring the unknown.
Ilse was a woman hoping for a change. She was dealt a devastating hand at the table of life, and was left wondering if she had a purpose at all. Frank’s passion for music is reignites her desire to re-enter the world and see if there’s another hand to play.
I loved Ilse.
As they both navigated the waters, it became clear the troubles they’d each need to overcome were more than environmental. It’s also clear that a “Hallelujah” moment would be needed to save them all.
It’s a story about love and community, set in an era when gentrification and development became the bulldozer of choice for the corporate world.
In my opinion, gentrification has played a pivotal role in helping to destroy the very fabric of human connection. We’ve accepted the role of audience member—watching the world and its inhabitants do as they please—as opposed to being players and fighting for the blocks,and people, we love dearly—in that regard alone, Frank was to be commended.
The Music Shop is a beautiful story because it makes one question not only the ability to change, but how willing we all are to stand by, and watch the world go by without us, just to prove a point.
A truly lovely read.