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A review by castlelass
The Brahms Deception by Louise Marley
4.0
In this combination of science fiction and historical fiction, a method of time travel for observational purposes goes awry when one of the travelers decides to break the rules of engagement. The plot centers around a trip to the Italian countryside of 1861 to observe the composer Johannes Brahms and determine the meaning behind one of his musical annotations.
Not my usual fare, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the historical material about the lives of Robert and Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. It inspired me to look up more information on the lives of these composers. A thread of romantic interest runs through it, but it is not a traditional romance (the cover is misleading). The content includes a fair amount of sex, which was intrinsic to the storyline and did not feel gratuitous. The characters are well-drawn, and the writing is elegant. This book requires the reader to accept that time travel into the past could be possible, but once disbelief is suspended, the story is unique, suspenseful, and quite compelling. It would have been nice to have included more explanation of the “how and why” behind the time traveling.
Rich in period detail, it includes musings on selfishness, ethics, and how society has changed since the nineteenth century. The author is a former opera singer, so she knows her subject matter. Recommended to fans of classical music and time travel stories. It reminded me a bit of the movie Back to the Future, except it goes further back into the past and there are no DeLoreans involved.
Not my usual fare, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the historical material about the lives of Robert and Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. It inspired me to look up more information on the lives of these composers. A thread of romantic interest runs through it, but it is not a traditional romance (the cover is misleading). The content includes a fair amount of sex, which was intrinsic to the storyline and did not feel gratuitous. The characters are well-drawn, and the writing is elegant. This book requires the reader to accept that time travel into the past could be possible, but once disbelief is suspended, the story is unique, suspenseful, and quite compelling. It would have been nice to have included more explanation of the “how and why” behind the time traveling.
Rich in period detail, it includes musings on selfishness, ethics, and how society has changed since the nineteenth century. The author is a former opera singer, so she knows her subject matter. Recommended to fans of classical music and time travel stories. It reminded me a bit of the movie Back to the Future, except it goes further back into the past and there are no DeLoreans involved.