Matthew Gallaway

Wow! I truly enjoyed this book. I struggled with giving it 4 or 5 stars. I'm not sure that I've come across a story quite like this one and it was nice to read something fresh. Too often do I encounter books that are simply re-creations of tried and true story lines. Okay, yes - it was a love story of sorts and don't they all tend to follow the same agonizing paths before they get to the end? Well, yes - usually. But, the premise behind this story was something quite refreshing. The 4 main characters found themselves tormented, tortured and desiring more from their lives. Their journey within the music world was quite interesting and it painted a picture in which I could believe these 4 people actually exist.

On a few occasions, I found the story becoming bogged down with bits and pieces that could have been streamlined so that it flowed a little more smoothly and kept pace a little better, but that didn't detract too much from this story of love, lust, music, and personal growth.

Thank you Matthew Gallaway for allowing me to read this book - I will certainly look forward to more from you.… (meer)

I was intrigued with an opera being the center of a book's plot. As I read this book, I was impressed with how the author moved between the different stories, but still "moved" the overall plot forward. All of the characters seemed not to care about the consequences of their actions, but simply lived life to the fullest.

Gallaway's portrayal of the typical New Yorker reacting to the events of 9/11 through Martin definitely resonated with me. While I wasn't in New York that day, I lived in within an hour of the city at the time of the attacks. I saw many of my coworkers and friends react and try to cope with the what happened that morning.

I had a hard time relating to Anna and felt that she was the least developed character. I expected to learn more about her as the book progressed. Maria was an interesting character, but continued to be troubled even as an adult.

Lucien provided a good perspecive on life in a different century and how the focus back then was on different priorities - building new places and cities. It's easy to forget that the grandeur of Europe wasn't there initially and it had to be developed.

I found a hard time relating to most of the characters and found that if there hadn't been the mystery of the opera's influence on their lives I would have had a hard time reading this book.… (meer)

The story focuses on four characters and each chapter gives us a look into their life. The book revolves around the opera of Tristan and Isolde. I am not an opera fan and worried I may not enjoy this book, but that was far from the case. As the storyline moves along, we slowly learn how these characters are connected. When I first started reading this book, it took me about 20 pages or so before I was hooked. The writing style felt a little awkward to me. But then the story took off and I didn't want to put it down. We are introduced to Martin, a 41 year old lawyer who feels disconnected from his life. Then we meet Anna, who used to be a big opera star. Their is also Maria, a lonely teenager who has nothing in common with her classmates, but instead learns to embrace her singing and finally, Lucien, a young singer who lives in the late 1800s. These characters stories weave together throughout the book. I highly recommend!… (meer)