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Sight Reading
On a warm spring day after a long New England winter, Hazel and Remy spot each other for the first time in years. Under ordinary circumstances, this meeting might seem insignificant. But Remy, a gifted violinist, is married to the composer Nicholas Elko—once the love of Hazel’s life, now struggling with a masterwork he cannot fully realize. In the twenty years since Hazel’s world was tipped on its axis, these three artists have faced unexpected joys, mysterious afflictions and other puzzles of life, their fates irrevocably entwined.
As their story unfolds across two decades, moving from Europe to America and from conservatory life to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, this skillfully crafted novel explores how the quest for creative truth can-lead to personal revelations—the secrets we keep, even from ourselves. Lyrical and evocative, Sight Reading asks questions about what makes a family, about the importance of art and beauty in daily life, and about the role of intuition in both the creative process and the evolution of the self.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
110 people are currently reading
1698 people want to read
About the author
Daphne Kalotay
8 books248 followersDaphne Kalotay grew up in New Jersey, where her parents had relocated from Ontario; her mother is Canadian, while her father came from Hungary to Canada as a teen. Daphne attended Vassar College, majoring in psychology, before moving to Boston to attend Boston University's graduate program in fiction writing. She stayed on to earn a PhD in Modern and Contemporary literature, writing her dissertation on one of her favorite writers, Mavis Gallant. Her interview with Mavis Gallant can be found in the Paris Review's Writers-at-work series. At Boston University, Daphne's stories won the school's Florence Engell Randall Fiction Prize and a Henfield Foundation Award. Her first book, the fiction collection Calamity and Other Stories, was short-listed for the Story Prize and includes work first published in Agni, Good Housekeeping, The Literary Review, Missouri Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Prairie Schooner. Her debut novel, the international bestseller Russian Winter, won the 2011 Writers' League of Texas Award in Fiction. Her second novel, the Boston Globe bestseller Sight Reading, won the New England Society Book Award in Fiction, and her third novel, Blue Hours, was a Massachusetts Book Awards "Must Read." Her new collection, The Archivists, is the winner of the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction. Daphne has taught literature and creative writing at Boston University, University of Massachusetts, Harvard University, Skidmore College, Middlebury College, and Princeton University. She lives in the Boston area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
May 23, 2022
My experience with Sight Reading is somewhat unusual. Nine years ago, when the book was published, I sat down and started reading it in a bookstore. I picked it out because the plot concerned music. After reading about twenty pages, I gave it up as chick-lit, returned it to the shelf and forgot about it and the author's name. (I apologize for using the term, chick-lit, as I imagine that some may consider it as pejorative, but I'm not sure what other term to use.)
Then, a couple of months ago, I found a positive review of a short story collection written by Daphne Kalotay. The review was written by a Goodreads friend whose taste and opinions I value, and I decided to read it. Long story short, our library system didn't have a copy of the short story collection, so I decided to give this book a shot in lieu of that one. When Sight Reading arrived, I opened it and the memory of starting to reading it in the bookstore came to me. This time, I decided to give it another go, based on the short story review.
I stuck with it against my better judgement, and it's still chick-lit, with a classical music veneer laid on it.
At one point in the novel, a minor character makes the comment, "Just make sure to never, ever, put yourself in a situation where you can follow through on your urges. It's one thing to feel lust. It's another to act on it."
If several of the characters in this book had followed that advice, their lives would have been better off. But then, there would have no novel, since those actions are the basis of books of this genre.
In the meantime, I'm still looking for fiction that includes music and does so in an artistic and honorable way. Such books do exist, Grace Notes and Coming Through Slaughter come to mind. And I still trust my Goodreads friend's taste and judgement. After all, she didn't review this book.
Then, a couple of months ago, I found a positive review of a short story collection written by Daphne Kalotay. The review was written by a Goodreads friend whose taste and opinions I value, and I decided to read it. Long story short, our library system didn't have a copy of the short story collection, so I decided to give this book a shot in lieu of that one. When Sight Reading arrived, I opened it and the memory of starting to reading it in the bookstore came to me. This time, I decided to give it another go, based on the short story review.
I stuck with it against my better judgement, and it's still chick-lit, with a classical music veneer laid on it.
At one point in the novel, a minor character makes the comment, "Just make sure to never, ever, put yourself in a situation where you can follow through on your urges. It's one thing to feel lust. It's another to act on it."
If several of the characters in this book had followed that advice, their lives would have been better off. But then, there would have no novel, since those actions are the basis of books of this genre.
In the meantime, I'm still looking for fiction that includes music and does so in an artistic and honorable way. Such books do exist, Grace Notes and Coming Through Slaughter come to mind. And I still trust my Goodreads friend's taste and judgement. After all, she didn't review this book.
February 20, 2013
I had a moment of panic over the weekend where I tried to get caught up on a bunch of work reading before a big presentation, and to my delight, found myself embedded in Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay when I probably should have been doing something motherly, like, well, taking my child outside.
Here’s the opening: a middle-aged woman gets her toes done, steps outside in paper plate-improvised flip-flops and runs, spectacularly, into the woman who stole her husband. Yes, many years of passed. Yes, much water has flowed through under various bridges. But, still, Hazel, finds it hard to run into Remy, and the story moves back from there. To the first days of Hazel’s marriage to the gifted composer/conductor/music professor Nicholas Elko, to the how’s and why’s their marriage fell apart, to how he and Remy fall in love, their life together (she’s a violinist), and the many people and piece of music they touch. At its heart, it’s a simple story–but it contains everything that makes life complex. Human relationships don’t work–and even though it’s not always the fault of the parties involved, the sounds resonate throughout the rest of their lives on a very personal level.
Sight Reading is a play on words, of course, the skill whereby musicians look at a piece of music and play it in the moment (am I getting that right?), for the novel, it also means the difference between the many different layers of a relationship. A note can go up, it can go down–and the musician can recognize the subtle changes–and the same holds true for a life, for love. It ebbs and flows with time, as people grow, as they grow apart, and Kalotay has visualized it brilliantly in this novel. I’d compare it to the great novels by Ann Patchett or Barbara Kingsolver, but where those two authors have political undertones, globalization of healthcare for example in State of Wonder, or environmental concerns in Flight Behaviour, Kalotay roots Sight Reading very strongly in human emotion and experience. The music is the backdrop to the novel, and she understands musicians (I think?) very well.
Throughout the book, it’s apparent how long it takes Hazel to come to terms with the breakdown of her marriage, and the idiosyncratic nature of Nicholas makes it difficult for Remy, too, despite the long-term nature of their relationship. Love is gentle, kind, but also heartbreaking in this book–and it truly puts into focus something that everyone tries hard to understand, how it sometimes simply takes over a life and leaves wreckage in its path. But these are adults. They have flaws. They have sadness, happiness, embarrassment; they are parents, partners, lovers, best friends, and even it its simplicity, I found this book exhilarating. I read it one big gulp, often how I listen to classical music, too, in long uninterrupted stretches that drive my husband crazy. Sometimes, all you crave is a good book with a good story, relatable characters, and a strong sense of its overarching themes. Sight Reading is all this and more.
Here’s the opening: a middle-aged woman gets her toes done, steps outside in paper plate-improvised flip-flops and runs, spectacularly, into the woman who stole her husband. Yes, many years of passed. Yes, much water has flowed through under various bridges. But, still, Hazel, finds it hard to run into Remy, and the story moves back from there. To the first days of Hazel’s marriage to the gifted composer/conductor/music professor Nicholas Elko, to the how’s and why’s their marriage fell apart, to how he and Remy fall in love, their life together (she’s a violinist), and the many people and piece of music they touch. At its heart, it’s a simple story–but it contains everything that makes life complex. Human relationships don’t work–and even though it’s not always the fault of the parties involved, the sounds resonate throughout the rest of their lives on a very personal level.
Sight Reading is a play on words, of course, the skill whereby musicians look at a piece of music and play it in the moment (am I getting that right?), for the novel, it also means the difference between the many different layers of a relationship. A note can go up, it can go down–and the musician can recognize the subtle changes–and the same holds true for a life, for love. It ebbs and flows with time, as people grow, as they grow apart, and Kalotay has visualized it brilliantly in this novel. I’d compare it to the great novels by Ann Patchett or Barbara Kingsolver, but where those two authors have political undertones, globalization of healthcare for example in State of Wonder, or environmental concerns in Flight Behaviour, Kalotay roots Sight Reading very strongly in human emotion and experience. The music is the backdrop to the novel, and she understands musicians (I think?) very well.
Throughout the book, it’s apparent how long it takes Hazel to come to terms with the breakdown of her marriage, and the idiosyncratic nature of Nicholas makes it difficult for Remy, too, despite the long-term nature of their relationship. Love is gentle, kind, but also heartbreaking in this book–and it truly puts into focus something that everyone tries hard to understand, how it sometimes simply takes over a life and leaves wreckage in its path. But these are adults. They have flaws. They have sadness, happiness, embarrassment; they are parents, partners, lovers, best friends, and even it its simplicity, I found this book exhilarating. I read it one big gulp, often how I listen to classical music, too, in long uninterrupted stretches that drive my husband crazy. Sometimes, all you crave is a good book with a good story, relatable characters, and a strong sense of its overarching themes. Sight Reading is all this and more.
September 10, 2022
The characters were mainly why I hated this book. They were the most unlikable characters I have ever read about. They were horribly judgmental about everything and thought they were perfect.
Also, I don't think almost every human sleeps around and doesn't respect their marriage. All in all, the characters and the events were all not very believable.
Also, I don't think almost every human sleeps around and doesn't respect their marriage. All in all, the characters and the events were all not very believable.
October 7, 2021
Dosadno. Baš dosadno.
June 29, 2013
Having become totally enamored with Daphne Kalotay (uh, as a writer, that is) after reading her wonderful novel Russian Winter, I was pleased to see that her second novel, Sight Reading, was equally as enchanting as the first one was. It covers 20 years in the lives of several characters, the 3 principle ones being a well-respected composer, his lovely wife Havel, and the violin student that he leaves his wife for. The married couple are in their early 30s, and the violin student is in her early 20s. The author deftly uses music and its emotional permutations to intelligently convey the range of feelings that arise amongst these three characters. Also along for the ride are a beautiful daughter (from the first marriage), a close Israeli friend and other supportive characters. There are secrets, betrayals, reconciliations and all that an intelligent and cultured "soap opera" would provide. There is also some of the most insightful musings about the creation and the performance of music, consistently used as a template to further the story.
June 18, 2013
I received the galley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It is a part of the TLC book tour.
Despite being a bit slow and somewhat ponderous, this novel was among the most powerful I’ve read recently. Its prose is eloquent and luminous; its descriptions lyrical, emphasized by the symbolism on both visual and musical planes. The only flaw I can pinpoint is too much musical vernacular, which is basically incomprehensible to anyone but a musician, although I must admit: there is a glossary at the back. Anyway, it is a minor flaw, pardonable in a book about classical music. I would’ve given it 5 stars for the quality of writing and the deep emotional involvement, if I didn’t dislike one of the protagonists so much. As it is, I had no choice but to drop a star from the rating.
The gist of the plot is fairly banal. At the start of the novel Nicholas, a supremely talented composer, is married to Hazel. They move to Boston, so he can work at the Boston Conservatory, and he falls in love with an ambitious young violinist Remy, one of his students. He divorces Hazel and marries Remy. Then the author follows the three main characters through the next 20 years of their lives.
Fortunately, the plot is not the focus of this tale. The author concentrates on the characters – Hazel, Nicholas, and Remy – and makes us, the readers, privy to their innermost thoughts, shames, and revelations. We witness their interplays, fret about their mistakes, celebrate their triumphs.
Among the three, Hazel is my heroine. Loyal and kind, with the unerring sense of beauty, she is extremely fragile. It takes her ten years to come to terms with her husband’s betrayal. Drowning in her loneliness, she feels misplaced among couples, ashamed of her “singledom”.
She constantly doubts herself, and my heart ached for her. As I read, I wanted to ease her distress, to cheer her up. I understood her misery and her occasional spite towards Remy. I was glad, when Hazel found contentment towards the end of the novel, although her second marriage felt more a compromise than a love match. How realistic and unfair that Hazel, the most delicate of the three, has been given the least number of pages by the author.
Unlike Hazel, Nicholas is happy with himself most of the time. Generous and charming, he is loved and admired by everyone: your typical absent-minded genius. Imbued with more musical talent than a man can handle, he is often confused in his human interactions. He is absorbed in his music but forgets birthdays and anniversaries. He doesn’t even notice, when his wife cheats on him. His deficiency in the social sphere counterbalances his huge talent, makes him human. He might’ve achieved even more as a musician, if he had a better wife, a woman dedicated to him, instead of a narcissistic, high-maintenance bitch like Remy.
And that brings me to Remy, my least favorite character and perhaps the most complex. She is the one who grabs the highest number of pages for herself. The lynchpin of the story, she is also the source of everyone’s suffering. The novel revolves around her, and she doesn’t deserve it.
While Nicholas’s self-centeredness stems from his overflowing talent, Remy’s egotism comes from the opposite end of the spectrum. Her refrain is ‘Not enough!’ It’s not enough for her to be an orchestra member, even in the most prestigious orchestra. She wants to be a star, even though she doesn’t have that elusive divine spark intrinsic to the stars. Frustrated by her inability to achieve stardom, she wants Nicholas as her consolation prize. It is not enough for her to be his friend and student. She wants to be his new wife. His existing wife and daughter are just a minor inconvenience for her.
Although Remy is not intentionally cruel, and the author probably didn’t want to portray her as a predator, Remy is a piece of art, and like any piece of art, she is open to interpretations.
In my interpretation, I see her as a brazen barracuda who gobbles up everyone in her path, men and women alike, but even that is not enough for her. Her occasional pangs of guilt, the author’s attempt to make Remy more sympathetic, feel unconvincing. Remy has no trouble in shrugging them off and ruthlessly reaching for whatever she craves next. Compassion and empathy are not her forte. Vanity and self-pity are.
I understand Remy’s perpetual dissatisfaction, I do. She is a gifted artist, and like any artist, she yearns for recognition and self-expression. She perceives her own mediocrity, and it chafes at her. Granted, it’s harder to be a mediocre artist than a mediocre plumber, but in my view, an insufficient gift doesn’t excuse immorality. And Remy’s morals are basically flexible, biased towards herself.
As I read the book, I came to really deplore her, but I suppose my disgust is the highest compliment to the writer. After all, I saw Remy as a living woman. She stirred my hostility. She made me worry about Nicholas, as if he were alive too, and not a creature of words and paragraphs. I turned the pages and wondered: why men always fall for such sluts? I resisted Remy’s allure and her vulnerability. I cursed her petty vindictiveness. She commanded an entire range of my emotions. No reader can ask for more.
Despite being a bit slow and somewhat ponderous, this novel was among the most powerful I’ve read recently. Its prose is eloquent and luminous; its descriptions lyrical, emphasized by the symbolism on both visual and musical planes. The only flaw I can pinpoint is too much musical vernacular, which is basically incomprehensible to anyone but a musician, although I must admit: there is a glossary at the back. Anyway, it is a minor flaw, pardonable in a book about classical music. I would’ve given it 5 stars for the quality of writing and the deep emotional involvement, if I didn’t dislike one of the protagonists so much. As it is, I had no choice but to drop a star from the rating.
The gist of the plot is fairly banal. At the start of the novel Nicholas, a supremely talented composer, is married to Hazel. They move to Boston, so he can work at the Boston Conservatory, and he falls in love with an ambitious young violinist Remy, one of his students. He divorces Hazel and marries Remy. Then the author follows the three main characters through the next 20 years of their lives.
Fortunately, the plot is not the focus of this tale. The author concentrates on the characters – Hazel, Nicholas, and Remy – and makes us, the readers, privy to their innermost thoughts, shames, and revelations. We witness their interplays, fret about their mistakes, celebrate their triumphs.
Among the three, Hazel is my heroine. Loyal and kind, with the unerring sense of beauty, she is extremely fragile. It takes her ten years to come to terms with her husband’s betrayal. Drowning in her loneliness, she feels misplaced among couples, ashamed of her “singledom”.
“It was that her aloneness felt like an element of her personality—as if her singledom were a character trait and not simply a situation beyond her control.”
She constantly doubts herself, and my heart ached for her. As I read, I wanted to ease her distress, to cheer her up. I understood her misery and her occasional spite towards Remy. I was glad, when Hazel found contentment towards the end of the novel, although her second marriage felt more a compromise than a love match. How realistic and unfair that Hazel, the most delicate of the three, has been given the least number of pages by the author.
Unlike Hazel, Nicholas is happy with himself most of the time. Generous and charming, he is loved and admired by everyone: your typical absent-minded genius. Imbued with more musical talent than a man can handle, he is often confused in his human interactions. He is absorbed in his music but forgets birthdays and anniversaries. He doesn’t even notice, when his wife cheats on him. His deficiency in the social sphere counterbalances his huge talent, makes him human. He might’ve achieved even more as a musician, if he had a better wife, a woman dedicated to him, instead of a narcissistic, high-maintenance bitch like Remy.
And that brings me to Remy, my least favorite character and perhaps the most complex. She is the one who grabs the highest number of pages for herself. The lynchpin of the story, she is also the source of everyone’s suffering. The novel revolves around her, and she doesn’t deserve it.
While Nicholas’s self-centeredness stems from his overflowing talent, Remy’s egotism comes from the opposite end of the spectrum. Her refrain is ‘Not enough!’ It’s not enough for her to be an orchestra member, even in the most prestigious orchestra. She wants to be a star, even though she doesn’t have that elusive divine spark intrinsic to the stars. Frustrated by her inability to achieve stardom, she wants Nicholas as her consolation prize. It is not enough for her to be his friend and student. She wants to be his new wife. His existing wife and daughter are just a minor inconvenience for her.
Although Remy is not intentionally cruel, and the author probably didn’t want to portray her as a predator, Remy is a piece of art, and like any piece of art, she is open to interpretations.
In my interpretation, I see her as a brazen barracuda who gobbles up everyone in her path, men and women alike, but even that is not enough for her. Her occasional pangs of guilt, the author’s attempt to make Remy more sympathetic, feel unconvincing. Remy has no trouble in shrugging them off and ruthlessly reaching for whatever she craves next. Compassion and empathy are not her forte. Vanity and self-pity are.
I understand Remy’s perpetual dissatisfaction, I do. She is a gifted artist, and like any artist, she yearns for recognition and self-expression. She perceives her own mediocrity, and it chafes at her. Granted, it’s harder to be a mediocre artist than a mediocre plumber, but in my view, an insufficient gift doesn’t excuse immorality. And Remy’s morals are basically flexible, biased towards herself.
As I read the book, I came to really deplore her, but I suppose my disgust is the highest compliment to the writer. After all, I saw Remy as a living woman. She stirred my hostility. She made me worry about Nicholas, as if he were alive too, and not a creature of words and paragraphs. I turned the pages and wondered: why men always fall for such sluts? I resisted Remy’s allure and her vulnerability. I cursed her petty vindictiveness. She commanded an entire range of my emotions. No reader can ask for more.
December 4, 2024
Koja gnjavaža od knjige. Žao mi potrošenog vremena.
May 24, 2013
Disclosure: I received a copy of Sight Reading from Harper, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. My opinion and thoughts about the book are my own, and I was not paid to write this post.
This week I read Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay. I've been looking forward to its release because I loved her first novel Russian Winter. You may read my post about Russian Winter on my blog. Sight Reading is a lyrical story of family, betrayal, and yearning set in the world of a classical music conservatory. The book includes a handy musical terminology glossary as well as a playlist on Kalotay's website. I suggest listening to the playlist while reading the novel.
The story spans twenty years beginning in the late eighties. Nicholas Elko and his wife, Hazel, have relocated to Boston from Paris. Nicholas has accepted a prestigious position at a Boston conservatory where Remy, a violinist, is finishing her final year. Nicholas and Remy begin an affair, and after he experiences a shock at a festival in Italy, he decides to leave Hazel and marry Remy. Each of these characters represent three different levels of artistry: Hazel is an artist, but she never fulfills her potential; Remy has talent but lacks a certain quality and never moves beyond second chair; and Nicholas is a prodigy and at the top of his field. I knew that the book was going to be interesting as Remy constantly quotes Oscar Wilde. She wants to live fearlessly like him, and claims to want to live his life, a "big" life. Nicholas' colleague, Yoni, tells her that:
"Even the grandest lives come down to a few people and places. Loved ones, your daily work, your neighborhood....I've been realizing that lately. How complete our lives can be with just the few people and activities you most love."
Although the woman scorned, Hazel is the most well-defined character. It takes her a long time, but she finally "gets it" in the end and lives her life according to Yoni's wisdom. She builds a life of beauty in the small details of her daily life while also giving other artisans an opportunity to sell their creations. In music, sight reading means performing music from a score without having seen the score before. Having the second sight means perceiving things that aren't apparent to most people. Hazel has this second sight, but she doesn't trust it. She sees her doppelgänger on two different occasions, and she has visions. The book is divided into three sections, and all three represent aspects of Hazel's gift.
Nicholas is the least defined main character, and he has abandonment issues. He suffered a childhood trauma that has made him aloof and disengaged, the direct opposite of Remy and her sensitivity to others and their needs. He has been composing an orchestra for years inspired by his Scottish childhood, and he can't seem to finish it; yet he has no problems writing scores for movies and completing other commissions. Ironically Nicholas peaked very young, and Hazel is just coming into her own in her early fifties.
I enjoyed this book so much and not just because of its focus on music. It's a family drama about divorced parents with joint custody attempting to rear a daughter amicably. The characters harbor deep, dark secrets, and some of them are quite shocking. There is an element of magic in it (even a leitmotif of Gypsy music) and the unexplained. But my favorite element of the book is the creative process and what it truly means to be an artist. Remy's tutor at the conservatory teaches her that "the practice is the performance." I couldn't agree more!
This week I read Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay. I've been looking forward to its release because I loved her first novel Russian Winter. You may read my post about Russian Winter on my blog. Sight Reading is a lyrical story of family, betrayal, and yearning set in the world of a classical music conservatory. The book includes a handy musical terminology glossary as well as a playlist on Kalotay's website. I suggest listening to the playlist while reading the novel.
The story spans twenty years beginning in the late eighties. Nicholas Elko and his wife, Hazel, have relocated to Boston from Paris. Nicholas has accepted a prestigious position at a Boston conservatory where Remy, a violinist, is finishing her final year. Nicholas and Remy begin an affair, and after he experiences a shock at a festival in Italy, he decides to leave Hazel and marry Remy. Each of these characters represent three different levels of artistry: Hazel is an artist, but she never fulfills her potential; Remy has talent but lacks a certain quality and never moves beyond second chair; and Nicholas is a prodigy and at the top of his field. I knew that the book was going to be interesting as Remy constantly quotes Oscar Wilde. She wants to live fearlessly like him, and claims to want to live his life, a "big" life. Nicholas' colleague, Yoni, tells her that:
"Even the grandest lives come down to a few people and places. Loved ones, your daily work, your neighborhood....I've been realizing that lately. How complete our lives can be with just the few people and activities you most love."
Although the woman scorned, Hazel is the most well-defined character. It takes her a long time, but she finally "gets it" in the end and lives her life according to Yoni's wisdom. She builds a life of beauty in the small details of her daily life while also giving other artisans an opportunity to sell their creations. In music, sight reading means performing music from a score without having seen the score before. Having the second sight means perceiving things that aren't apparent to most people. Hazel has this second sight, but she doesn't trust it. She sees her doppelgänger on two different occasions, and she has visions. The book is divided into three sections, and all three represent aspects of Hazel's gift.
Nicholas is the least defined main character, and he has abandonment issues. He suffered a childhood trauma that has made him aloof and disengaged, the direct opposite of Remy and her sensitivity to others and their needs. He has been composing an orchestra for years inspired by his Scottish childhood, and he can't seem to finish it; yet he has no problems writing scores for movies and completing other commissions. Ironically Nicholas peaked very young, and Hazel is just coming into her own in her early fifties.
I enjoyed this book so much and not just because of its focus on music. It's a family drama about divorced parents with joint custody attempting to rear a daughter amicably. The characters harbor deep, dark secrets, and some of them are quite shocking. There is an element of magic in it (even a leitmotif of Gypsy music) and the unexplained. But my favorite element of the book is the creative process and what it truly means to be an artist. Remy's tutor at the conservatory teaches her that "the practice is the performance." I couldn't agree more!
February 6, 2014
“Sight Reading” is basically a relationship story, but what I loved were the gorgeous descriptions of classical music.
I love classical music, but my appreciation is of the product, not the process. I was delighted to be introduced to the process through a performer, a conductor, and a composer. Admittedly much of what was described was beyond my comprehension, but I gained in knowledge of the artistic and personal challenges faced by these professionals, as they brought heart and soul to a piece, struggled with being second best, attempted to write a brilliant symphony, or became almost blase from too much praise.
There is an episode in Daphne Kalotay’s novel in which, during a violin lesson, the renowned teacher announces to his talented and very select students that it’s “time for some sight-reading.” Remy, a primary character in the novel, must perform a piece she does not know while the teacher acts as page turner. Just as Remy begins to feel comfortable with the music, the teacher horrifies her by not turning a page, then later knocking the music off the stand. Furious, Remy, to her own surprise, continues to play and to improvise. The lesson: “Always be prepared for the unexpected,” and “We never know ... what life might toss at us.”
All three of the key characters in “Sight Reading” are thrown off balance by life during the 20 years covered in the novel. It is 1987 when we first meet Remy, the violinist and recent Boston conservatory graduate; Nicholas, newly hired as conductor and composer at the conservatory after brilliantly successful stints around the world; and Hazel, artist, lover of beautiful things, and Nicholas’ wife. A fourth character, Yoni, a teacher at the conservatory, is close to both Remy and Nicholas.
Of course, it is much easier to be prepared for the unexpected if you forget a musical passage or lose your place. There really is no way to prepare for the unexpected in life, as these characters proved time and again. But for me the interpersonal relationships, even with all their ups and downs, were somewhat ho-hum -- especially compared to the exciting music.
And when 2007 comes around and the story is coming to a close, the resolution of both musical and personal challenges plus a sentimental image of togetherness on the last page make for a nice coda, perhaps. It's just a little too facile.
I love classical music, but my appreciation is of the product, not the process. I was delighted to be introduced to the process through a performer, a conductor, and a composer. Admittedly much of what was described was beyond my comprehension, but I gained in knowledge of the artistic and personal challenges faced by these professionals, as they brought heart and soul to a piece, struggled with being second best, attempted to write a brilliant symphony, or became almost blase from too much praise.
There is an episode in Daphne Kalotay’s novel in which, during a violin lesson, the renowned teacher announces to his talented and very select students that it’s “time for some sight-reading.” Remy, a primary character in the novel, must perform a piece she does not know while the teacher acts as page turner. Just as Remy begins to feel comfortable with the music, the teacher horrifies her by not turning a page, then later knocking the music off the stand. Furious, Remy, to her own surprise, continues to play and to improvise. The lesson: “Always be prepared for the unexpected,” and “We never know ... what life might toss at us.”
All three of the key characters in “Sight Reading” are thrown off balance by life during the 20 years covered in the novel. It is 1987 when we first meet Remy, the violinist and recent Boston conservatory graduate; Nicholas, newly hired as conductor and composer at the conservatory after brilliantly successful stints around the world; and Hazel, artist, lover of beautiful things, and Nicholas’ wife. A fourth character, Yoni, a teacher at the conservatory, is close to both Remy and Nicholas.
Of course, it is much easier to be prepared for the unexpected if you forget a musical passage or lose your place. There really is no way to prepare for the unexpected in life, as these characters proved time and again. But for me the interpersonal relationships, even with all their ups and downs, were somewhat ho-hum -- especially compared to the exciting music.
And when 2007 comes around and the story is coming to a close, the resolution of both musical and personal challenges plus a sentimental image of togetherness on the last page make for a nice coda, perhaps. It's just a little too facile.
September 13, 2013
I met Daphne Kalotay when she was a visiting writer at Lynchburg College and she read a short story from her collection Calamity and Other Stories. I thought that her Russian Winter was a wonderful look at what it means to be a ballet dancer - not just beautiful costumes and grace, but work, work, work and pain. I correctly assumed that Sight Reading would go deeply into what it means to be a musician. The story follows Hazel, Nicholas, and Remy through several years of their lives. Remy is a gifted violinist, Nicholas a composer and conductor of a college orchestra, and Hazel Nicholas's wife. I don't want to go into too much detail and spoil things, but I will say that the writing is beautiful and I felt like I understood the devotion that it takes to be a good musician. I particularly loved how the author described how Nicholas listened to a symphony: "The opening was sparse, mere daubs of color, the woodwinds lightly touching the air. Then a slow repeated knell rose from the tuba, was caught by the French horn, increased in speed, and was lifted by trumpets until it became a siren skirling..." It's not all about music; there is a lot of character development and relationships play a big part in the story. But I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. One flaw, and this has nothing to do with the author. There is a glossary of musical terms at the end, but I wasn't aware of this until I had finished the book (and looked up terms in the dictionary). I wish there had been a table of contents that would have indicated that there was a glossary.
May 19, 2018
My advice to anyone writing a book about musicians is to first know what it is you are writing about. Besides little things like a pianist calling an index finger 'the 1st finger' and something along the lines of 'she didn't just make me play straight scales, she made me play relative minor scales too!' I was absolutely BEWILDERED by the idea that a little girl of 7 or 8 was given such an incredibly complex instrument as the violin, took it home, and learned how to play it with absolutely no instruction from anyone! Even in today's times, with tools such as YouTube to guide us along, an ADULT could not learn the violin without somebody else's guidance - small things, like the angles of your wrist and elbow, the placement of your fingers on the bow, all these things need special attention from someone who knows what they are doing. It seemed to me like Daphne Kalotay just shoved all the musical terms she could find in the dictionary into this book, to make it sound like she knew what she was talking about.
Spoilers ahead:
Aside from this, I have so many questions: why was Hazel seeing her doppelganger? It added NOTHING to the story. Nothing at all. Why did Nick seem to have no remorse after cheating on his first wife? Why did nothing come of whatever her name is cheating with Yoni (which, by the way, is a term for vagina)? What happened to Lynn? She seemed to be the only character worth exploring to me, and she was just completely thrown away.
This book read to me like something musicians would hate because of its many errors, and something non-musicians would hate because of all the unnecessary music-specific terms. However, it seems I am wrong, and I don't understand why.
Spoilers ahead:
Aside from this, I have so many questions: why was Hazel seeing her doppelganger? It added NOTHING to the story. Nothing at all. Why did Nick seem to have no remorse after cheating on his first wife? Why did nothing come of whatever her name is cheating with Yoni (which, by the way, is a term for vagina)? What happened to Lynn? She seemed to be the only character worth exploring to me, and she was just completely thrown away.
This book read to me like something musicians would hate because of its many errors, and something non-musicians would hate because of all the unnecessary music-specific terms. However, it seems I am wrong, and I don't understand why.
April 26, 2013
At first I wasn't sure whether to keep reading this book or not. But every time I'd think I'd leave it there would be a passage about music that just rang so true that I had to keep going.
Ultimately, though, I felt that the book was more a collection of beautiful moments or paragraphs and not as much a cohesive whole. The characters as well had moments of utter vividness but often were shadows of characters. And just when you think you've finally got a handle on someone (bitter Hazel or absentminded Nicholas) they do something suddenly different.
I'm not sure people who don't care deeply for music or who have played an instrument will be able to find as much pleasure in this novel, but those who do will likely be swept away often as I was by the beauty with which she describes playing and conducting and composing.
Ultimately, though, I felt that the book was more a collection of beautiful moments or paragraphs and not as much a cohesive whole. The characters as well had moments of utter vividness but often were shadows of characters. And just when you think you've finally got a handle on someone (bitter Hazel or absentminded Nicholas) they do something suddenly different.
I'm not sure people who don't care deeply for music or who have played an instrument will be able to find as much pleasure in this novel, but those who do will likely be swept away often as I was by the beauty with which she describes playing and conducting and composing.
June 13, 2019
Poželjeh neko lagano štivo nakon knjige Poslednji svedoci, i uzeh ovu knjigu. Jedna od onih koje mi dugo stoje na polici nepročitane, pa sam pomislila da bih mogla da se odmorim uz nju. Malo je reći da me smorila. Jednostavno nije my cup of tea. Ni oni silni opisi muziciranja me se nisu dojmili, možda jer nisam ljubitelj te vrste muzike, a niti sama radnja, da budem iskrena.
Vjerujem da će se mnogima svidjeti. Ocjenom koju ću joj dati ne ocjenjujem samu knjigu, neću reći da je loša, jednostavno "I didn't like it". :)
Vjerujem da će se mnogima svidjeti. Ocjenom koju ću joj dati ne ocjenjujem samu knjigu, neću reći da je loša, jednostavno "I didn't like it". :)
September 20, 2018
Hmm. I have a lot of feelings about this book, in that I read it avidly, but i won't say that i loved the reading of it.
In retrospect, I felt like it was a string of beautiful passages about music and what it means to be a dedicated musician/composer, connected together with flat characters who don't experience much growth, despite all the traumas flung at them. It's as if these characters are given details about their lives which are intended to make them complex and multifaceted (vitiligo, bisexuality, amputation of a couple fingers) but then it's all treated like with the facile superficiality of an unfortunate haircut. I wanted more depth to...well, anyone.
There are too many drive-by supporting characters who serve almost no purpose, and I was shocked upon finishing the book to discover that the author does in fact live in Boston--other than passing mention of the BSO and the Boston Conservatory, nothing in it ever felt steeped in the Bostonian character, and i'm not talking about pahking cahs in Hahvahd Yahd--there are no descriptive passages to seat the action IN the city and its surroundings, nothing about the conglomerate architectural styles, no mention of any of the landmarks by which one navigates.
In retrospect, I felt like it was a string of beautiful passages about music and what it means to be a dedicated musician/composer, connected together with flat characters who don't experience much growth, despite all the traumas flung at them. It's as if these characters are given details about their lives which are intended to make them complex and multifaceted (vitiligo, bisexuality, amputation of a couple fingers) but then it's all treated like with the facile superficiality of an unfortunate haircut. I wanted more depth to...well, anyone.
There are too many drive-by supporting characters who serve almost no purpose, and I was shocked upon finishing the book to discover that the author does in fact live in Boston--other than passing mention of the BSO and the Boston Conservatory, nothing in it ever felt steeped in the Bostonian character, and i'm not talking about pahking cahs in Hahvahd Yahd--there are no descriptive passages to seat the action IN the city and its surroundings, nothing about the conglomerate architectural styles, no mention of any of the landmarks by which one navigates.
March 10, 2020
There were times I was caught up in the story, but overall the characters annoyed me and there was so much music talk that I’d find myself skipping over entire paragraphs. Not my cup of tea though I imagine a musician would find pleasure in this music-entwined tale.
dnf
September 15, 2025DNF
Po kratkom sadržaju mi je ova knjiga zvučala zanimljivo, ali ljudi moji, ovo je prva knjiga koju zbilja nisam mogla nastaviti čitati. Zbog bookstagrama sam si na neki način obećala da ću svaku knjigu pročitati do kraja, koliko god mi bila dosadna, zbog bolje recenzije jer vjerujem da ne možeš suditi knjigu ako je ne pročitaš do kraja. No jednostavno ne mogu nastaviti čitati... Pročitala sam 42 stranice i to jedva. Kad sam počela čitati skoro sam zaspala koliko mi je bila dosadna, nikako se ne mogu natjerati da je dovršim, niti se želim tjerati. Možda nije toliko dosadna koliko je nejasna. Ima hrpu likova i radnje se isprepliću, nisam ni mogla shvatiti tko je kome što koliko mi je zbunjujuće. Te 42 stranice koje sam pročitala ocijenjujem sa 2 zvjezdice... Knjiga vjerojatno nije loša, makar ni tu na Goodreadsu nema ba�� dobre ocjene, samo očito nije za mene. Možda do kraja postane zanimljiva, ali po tome do kud sam ja došla je previše zbunjujuće i dosadno tako da vam je ne bih preporučila. Vi slobodno pokušajte ako želite, bilo bi mi drago da se nekome svidi! Meni je loša i ima puno boljih knjiga da bih se mučila oko jedne koja mi ne ide. Žao mi je što sam i to doživjela, ali eto...
Po kratkom sadržaju mi je ova knjiga zvučala zanimljivo, ali ljudi moji, ovo je prva knjiga koju zbilja nisam mogla nastaviti čitati. Zbog bookstagrama sam si na neki način obećala da ću svaku knjigu pročitati do kraja, koliko god mi bila dosadna, zbog bolje recenzije jer vjerujem da ne možeš suditi knjigu ako je ne pročitaš do kraja. No jednostavno ne mogu nastaviti čitati... Pročitala sam 42 stranice i to jedva. Kad sam počela čitati skoro sam zaspala koliko mi je bila dosadna, nikako se ne mogu natjerati da je dovršim, niti se želim tjerati. Možda nije toliko dosadna koliko je nejasna. Ima hrpu likova i radnje se isprepliću, nisam ni mogla shvatiti tko je kome što koliko mi je zbunjujuće. Te 42 stranice koje sam pročitala ocijenjujem sa 2 zvjezdice... Knjiga vjerojatno nije loša, makar ni tu na Goodreadsu nema ba�� dobre ocjene, samo očito nije za mene. Možda do kraja postane zanimljiva, ali po tome do kud sam ja došla je previše zbunjujuće i dosadno tako da vam je ne bih preporučila. Vi slobodno pokušajte ako želite, bilo bi mi drago da se nekome svidi! Meni je loša i ima puno boljih knjiga da bih se mučila oko jedne koja mi ne ide. Žao mi je što sam i to doživjela, ali eto...
June 3, 2013
One of the reasons that I've become so taken with young adult fiction in recent years is the focus on coming of age, of finding oneself and accepting that person. Though young adults may grow and change more overtly, this is a lifelong process, and something universally relatable. Yet, somehow, adult fiction rarely focuses on these themes in a similar way, instead showing the way change affects adults through the lens of marital strife and infidelity. Sight Reading is just such a novel, detailing the various affairs of three adults. Though the book is beautifully written, I dislike stories about cheating, so I failed to love Sight Reading as much as Russian Winter.
Daphne Kalotay's prose is glorious. Her writing is the kind that I want to take in slowly, and I make slower progress through her books than I might otherwise, because I really like to chew on the words and appreciate the prose. Her novels feel powerful and meaningful, and have the sort of quotes I want to turn into art for my wall, if I were not too lazy and unartistic for such things.
The parts that focus on the music, too, are brilliant. I loved her descriptions of Nicholas composing and Remy playing the violin. She captures both the love, the suffering, and the boredom that come from their careers. Remy has a constant spot on her neck from her violin. Nicholas suffers from fear that he's no longer the composer he once was and that he'll never complete his symphony. Remy loses her passion for a while, playing by rote and no longer feeling the same drive. Through it all, though, music runs their lives and they could never do anything else, nor would they wish to. The passion, power, and beauty of music runs through the novel.
The big downside for me was that all of the rest focused on the affairs. Nicholas starts out married to Hazel, and they're established as very much in love, drawn to each other from the very beginning. Inevitably, though, he starts getting that itch when she leaves to support her mom during her father's decline in health, and takes up with his student, Remy. Wonderful.
Later on, there are even more affairs, and the behavior of all parties made it impossible for me to like any of them. I didn't feel like any of them really deserved marital happiness, except for Hazel, who I still took an immediate dislike to. At the end, everything resolves into this happily ever after for the couples, now in their fifties (forties for the younger Remy). No cheating story should end with a happily ever after in my opinion, or at least not with the couple still together. That is not my idea of romance or a happy life. That message really does disgust me.
Daphne Kalotay is massively talented, but I do wish she'd taken on some better subject matter than a series of tawdry affairs. Such plots are trite in adult fiction, and she didn't add anything new or satisfying to that framework. Sight Reading is still worth reading for the writing and the music, but it's not one I'll ever be revisiting.
Daphne Kalotay's prose is glorious. Her writing is the kind that I want to take in slowly, and I make slower progress through her books than I might otherwise, because I really like to chew on the words and appreciate the prose. Her novels feel powerful and meaningful, and have the sort of quotes I want to turn into art for my wall, if I were not too lazy and unartistic for such things.
The parts that focus on the music, too, are brilliant. I loved her descriptions of Nicholas composing and Remy playing the violin. She captures both the love, the suffering, and the boredom that come from their careers. Remy has a constant spot on her neck from her violin. Nicholas suffers from fear that he's no longer the composer he once was and that he'll never complete his symphony. Remy loses her passion for a while, playing by rote and no longer feeling the same drive. Through it all, though, music runs their lives and they could never do anything else, nor would they wish to. The passion, power, and beauty of music runs through the novel.
The big downside for me was that all of the rest focused on the affairs. Nicholas starts out married to Hazel, and they're established as very much in love, drawn to each other from the very beginning. Inevitably, though, he starts getting that itch when she leaves to support her mom during her father's decline in health, and takes up with his student, Remy. Wonderful.
Later on, there are even more affairs, and the behavior of all parties made it impossible for me to like any of them. I didn't feel like any of them really deserved marital happiness, except for Hazel, who I still took an immediate dislike to. At the end, everything resolves into this happily ever after for the couples, now in their fifties (forties for the younger Remy). No cheating story should end with a happily ever after in my opinion, or at least not with the couple still together. That is not my idea of romance or a happy life. That message really does disgust me.
Daphne Kalotay is massively talented, but I do wish she'd taken on some better subject matter than a series of tawdry affairs. Such plots are trite in adult fiction, and she didn't add anything new or satisfying to that framework. Sight Reading is still worth reading for the writing and the music, but it's not one I'll ever be revisiting.
July 8, 2013
Sight Reading
By Daphne Kalotay
A rising young British composer and his American wife and baby daughter land in Boston. In short order, one of his conservatory students falls in love with him; he reciprocates and divorces his wife, Hazel, and marries Remy, the student. This upset me, as the reader - poor wife, I thought indignantly - but the author reminds us, over the next twenty years of book time, that life is not that straightforward. Hazel’s thoughts just before Nicholas tells her he has fallen in love with someone else:
If you like music or are curious about the lives of professional musicians, this book will enlighten you. In fact, music permeates the book and laces it together; it’s the medium that helps Nicholas and Remy communicate and understand each other. As Remy plays a violin solo that Nicholas has written for her, she has these thoughts, which might also serve as the theme of the book:
By Daphne Kalotay
A rising young British composer and his American wife and baby daughter land in Boston. In short order, one of his conservatory students falls in love with him; he reciprocates and divorces his wife, Hazel, and marries Remy, the student. This upset me, as the reader - poor wife, I thought indignantly - but the author reminds us, over the next twenty years of book time, that life is not that straightforward. Hazel’s thoughts just before Nicholas tells her he has fallen in love with someone else:
Swimming, Nicholas had sprung back in his happy backstroke, released, free, and after that let Jessie hang on to his shoulders, and Hazel had watched with pure joy before doing her own breaststroke after them. She had swallowed water just when she was about to reach them. One second she was smiling at how perfect everything was, and then she was gulping water, coughing, spitting it out. Moments like that always amazed her, how something could be so good and then so bad a mere second later. All it took was a split second. Once when she was a teenager she had laughed so hard that she threw back her head and hit the wall behind her with such force, she gave herself a mild concussion. Ever since then she had noted with awe the mere seconds that might separate pleasure from pain. There were so many degrees of this. A glass suddenly shattering, or a car hopping the median. A joke too honest. Wine on your Persian carpet.The author drops us in and out of the story, picking it up at ten year intervals. And life changes. Hazel, the beauty who mesmerized Nicholas, has lost her confidence and finds herself unable to stop grieving her lost marriage and move on to another man. Remy has what she wants but wants still more. Nicholas is mired in the writing of a symphony. Ten years later, and life has morphed again, although I won’t give away any more of the plot.
If you like music or are curious about the lives of professional musicians, this book will enlighten you. In fact, music permeates the book and laces it together; it’s the medium that helps Nicholas and Remy communicate and understand each other. As Remy plays a violin solo that Nicholas has written for her, she has these thoughts, which might also serve as the theme of the book:
She felt herself floating within time, the way she often did while playing, that suspension of time that is the peculiar alchemy of music. Just as Nicholas had said on that very first day, twenty years ago. Not just how fast or how slowly the music moves. It’s about how fast and slow life moves.
July 16, 2013
This book would be a good book club read, but the emphasis is totally on character development. Spoiler alert. Remy is very selfish, but doesn't realize she is so. She steals Nicolas from Hazel by being able to speak the same language musically. Hazel is a giver almost to the point of being a doormat (even her daughter views her this way.) Her daughter learns from her mother's mistakes and makes bold, assertive choices. I was rooting for Hazel the most in this book. Nicholas, while very gifted musically, is portrayed as clueless when it comes to reading women, their needs, and being thoughtful. He's a total workaholic, so accustomed to being adored. Certainly not a prize in my book. It irritated me that Nicholas was a user, such as using Paula's dancing instruction as his muse to unblock his creativity. Remy was a user, too, yet was shocked when she found out about Paula. She never did reveal her affair with Yoni. Yes, the old double-standard.
One could discuss the symbolism in Yoni's imperfect hand, the themes of age, beauty, communication, Hazel's second husband buying a tacky statue, music.
One could discuss the symbolism in Yoni's imperfect hand, the themes of age, beauty, communication, Hazel's second husband buying a tacky statue, music.
June 26, 2013
I was looking forward very much to reading this book. I'm a violinist. The first fifty pages went over details I'm very familiar with, from the bruise-like wound violinists often develop on the left side of their necks to the competition between players in an orchestra. I enjoyed the details of repertoire that the orchestra was playing, as well as what the main character was playing in her private lessons and master classes.
I was enjoying the book until the adultery happened. The author didn't go too far into the bedroom, and I thought, that was subtly done. Way to show some good taste, if you must write about adultery.
However, on the next page, the details came after the fact. Call me a Puritan, but I don't enjoy that sort of thing, so this book is going in the trash with less than 100 pages read.
Excuse me now, please, while I go scrub out my brain.
I received a review copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I was enjoying the book until the adultery happened. The author didn't go too far into the bedroom, and I thought, that was subtly done. Way to show some good taste, if you must write about adultery.
However, on the next page, the details came after the fact. Call me a Puritan, but I don't enjoy that sort of thing, so this book is going in the trash with less than 100 pages read.
Excuse me now, please, while I go scrub out my brain.
I received a review copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
October 1, 2014
Composer-conductor Nicholas Elko, a rising star in the world of music when he joins the Boston Conservatory, falls in love with student violinist Remy and leaves his wife, Hazel, and young daughter for her. Remy feels guilty about breaking up a family and Hazel struggles with being a lonely divorced woman. Yet as two decades pass and the characters cope with pain and loss, a spirit of understanding, reconciliation, and generosity emerges. The lessons, in music as well as in living: “Always be prepared for the unexpected,” and “We never know ... what life might toss at us.” This has been compared to "Bel Canto" and "The Hours." It's a fascinating inside look at the people who create and perform classical music, and also an interesting novel about couples, friends, and families.
July 2, 2013
The writing in this book is absolutely, perfectly lovely--like music, to use an obvious but apt comparison. The story follows three individuals over the course of several years--so it's certainly more character-driven than plot-driven. I felt a little cheated by the high stakes that the prologue sets up--once you get to the relevant part of the book, you realize that the stakes aren't really that high at all. But regardless, the writing is beautiful, and it's easy to just lazily disappear into this book and let it wash over you.
September 28, 2014
I loved this book and in.many parts I saw many places where circumstances in the book reminded me of my own experiences in life.. I read this book in little more than a day, and even when I had other things to do, I didn't want to put it down. An interesting story, about a group of friends from early 20's until close to 30's, it is centered around the orchestral music world, I was a navy wife, but still there were similarities. A excellent book.
January 6, 2017
This is truly an amazing work of literature! I thoroughly enjoyed it! It takes you through many emotions. It goes into the complexities of love, commitment, loyalty, sacrifice, pain, and how music somehow finds a way to weave itself into all of it and in and out of the lives of Hazel, Nicholas, and Remy. I recommend this book to anyone. I guarantee you have never read anything like it before.
It's a great read. Five stars from me!
It's a great read. Five stars from me!
June 22, 2014
About a conductor and the women in his life. Lyrically written. A treat for the eyes. Beautiful descriptions of emotion and music. Character studies, thin on plot, but satisfying like a lovely, intricate melody. The book itself felt as if it were constructed like a musical piece with themes moving in and out and yet all connected.
February 9, 2016
This book didn't have simplistic morals, but instead resolved complicated feelings into a moral stance that was rich and satisfying.
February 20, 2014
Многу повеќе ми се допадна Руска зима!
June 20, 2025
Ovo je knjiga za nekoga tko je poznavatelj glazbene umjetnosti i tko posjeduje glazbeno obrazovanje, a ja to na žalost nisam. Ali ono što najviše zamjeram ovom romanu, je to što kad bi u drugim knjigama čitala o nečemu s čime se susrećem prvi put ili o čemu nemam znanje, one bi u meni potaknule radoznalost, dobila bih želju istraživati o tome, naučiti o temi kako bih je što bolje razumjela, a ovdje to nije bio slučaj. Dapače, dosađivala sam se i jedva čekala da završe opisivanja skladanja, sviranja i razumijevanja glazbe.
Najvećim nezadovoljstvom me je ispunjavalo stalno vrludanje između umjetničkih dubina i intelektualnih izazova do banalnih opisivanja svakodnevnice frustrirane kućanice i poslova koje obavlja.
Roman nije ispričan jednostavno, a svaki zaplet raspleo se za mene na razočaravajući način, kakvi su uglavnom i životi svih glavnih likova.
U ovom romanu mi je potvrđeno da je suživot sa umjetnicima težak, jer su oni stalno u potrazi za nadahnućem (a samim time i nevjerni), stalno gladni priznanja i pohvala, nesigurni ili samodopadni i samodostatni.
"Prijateljstva su mu bila poput biljaka; najviše uspijevaju kad ih se ne njeguje pretjerano."
"Remy, gdje god završila - čak i tijekom audicije sljedeći tjedan, bilo kad, kad posumnjaš u sebe, želim da znaš nešto. Glazba je ovdje." Potapšao ju je po prsnom košu. "Ti imaš dušu, Remy. Čovjeku to ne može dati niti jedna tehnika. Nikakva količina vježbanja. Čovjek jednostavno ima ili nema emocionalnu dubinu. Ti je imaš. Zato se isplati slušati kako sviraš." Remy je kimnula i nadlanicom obrisala suze. "Nemoj odustati od sebe, Remy. Obavezala si se - svom talentu. Nemoj dopustiti da te nešto ispriječi na tom putu."
"Dok je prelazila Boylston Street, iskristalizirala se jedna misao. Njezina predanost violini upućivala je na to da može voljeti nešto složeno i zahtjevno i krajnje teško, da to može puna entuzijazma i bez srdžbe. Upućivalo je na to da zna što znači odanost i predanost, i duboko zadovoljstvo u predanom radu dok ne postigne cilj. Znala je kakav je osjećaj ostvariti nešto što se činilo pukim čudom; doživjela je ljepotu koja je ostavljala bez riječi. Iskusila je zadivljenost izbliza, znala za veličanstvene stvari koje svijet čuva za svakoga tko je spreman zaustaviti se i slušati. Ali to nije bilo dovoljno. Jer glazba nije osoba. Njezina violina nije živa stvar. Njezin talent nije ljudsko biće. Željela je voljeti, voljeti nekoga - i da ta druga osoba voli nju, voli Remy zauzvrat."
"Nikad si nije dopuštala da pobijesni, viče, da se razgnjevi. Ulazi Hazel, razbarušena. Taj stih joj nimalo nije pristajao. To jednostavno nije činila. Ljudi koji su se ponašali na taj način bili su sebični."
"Poput oblaka mušica cijelo ju je vrijeme pratila svjesnost (svačija svjesnost, pretpostavljala je) da postoji nešto nedolično u tome što je rastavljena žena. Možda zbog tajne vezane uz to kakva je osoba ili zašto je tako privlačna žena još uvijek sama. Možda je to bilo i nedolična predodžba o ženi koja u četrdesetima još uvijek odlazi na spojeve poput tinejdžerice. Možda je to bio klišej o očajnoj raspuštenici, ogorčenoj i u lovu."
"U jednom sam trenutku shvatila da svi imaju nešto takvo." "Što misliš pod 'nešto takvo'?" "Svi imaju nešto što žele, a ne mogu dobiti." Yoni je zakratko razmotrio njezine riječi. " Misliš li stvarno da je tako?" Remy je kimnula. "To nas čini ljudima. Ili nas drži... moralnima."
"Činjenica da može opet osjetiti ono što nije osjetila od studentskih dana, to stalno otkrivanje, pobudio je u njoj mješavinu nade i straha. Nada da će opet naći ono za što se prije tolikih godina zaklela da nikad neće izgubiti: predanost vlastitom talentu. I obeshrabrenost zbog onoga što je dopustila da postane: neka niža verzija sebe."
"Bio je jedan od onih rijetkih ljudi koji su bili dovoljno sigurni u svoja dostignuća da bi iskreno mogao hvaliti talent drugih. Umjetnici bez samopouzdanja, puni straha i nesigurnosti u vlastiti talent, bili su oni čija se uskogrudnost ogledala u pompoznosti i vjernosti ideji da su određene umjetnosti uzvišenije od drugih."
Najvećim nezadovoljstvom me je ispunjavalo stalno vrludanje između umjetničkih dubina i intelektualnih izazova do banalnih opisivanja svakodnevnice frustrirane kućanice i poslova koje obavlja.
Roman nije ispričan jednostavno, a svaki zaplet raspleo se za mene na razočaravajući način, kakvi su uglavnom i životi svih glavnih likova.
U ovom romanu mi je potvrđeno da je suživot sa umjetnicima težak, jer su oni stalno u potrazi za nadahnućem (a samim time i nevjerni), stalno gladni priznanja i pohvala, nesigurni ili samodopadni i samodostatni.
"Prijateljstva su mu bila poput biljaka; najviše uspijevaju kad ih se ne njeguje pretjerano."
"Remy, gdje god završila - čak i tijekom audicije sljedeći tjedan, bilo kad, kad posumnjaš u sebe, želim da znaš nešto. Glazba je ovdje." Potapšao ju je po prsnom košu. "Ti imaš dušu, Remy. Čovjeku to ne može dati niti jedna tehnika. Nikakva količina vježbanja. Čovjek jednostavno ima ili nema emocionalnu dubinu. Ti je imaš. Zato se isplati slušati kako sviraš." Remy je kimnula i nadlanicom obrisala suze. "Nemoj odustati od sebe, Remy. Obavezala si se - svom talentu. Nemoj dopustiti da te nešto ispriječi na tom putu."
"Dok je prelazila Boylston Street, iskristalizirala se jedna misao. Njezina predanost violini upućivala je na to da može voljeti nešto složeno i zahtjevno i krajnje teško, da to može puna entuzijazma i bez srdžbe. Upućivalo je na to da zna što znači odanost i predanost, i duboko zadovoljstvo u predanom radu dok ne postigne cilj. Znala je kakav je osjećaj ostvariti nešto što se činilo pukim čudom; doživjela je ljepotu koja je ostavljala bez riječi. Iskusila je zadivljenost izbliza, znala za veličanstvene stvari koje svijet čuva za svakoga tko je spreman zaustaviti se i slušati. Ali to nije bilo dovoljno. Jer glazba nije osoba. Njezina violina nije živa stvar. Njezin talent nije ljudsko biće. Željela je voljeti, voljeti nekoga - i da ta druga osoba voli nju, voli Remy zauzvrat."
"Nikad si nije dopuštala da pobijesni, viče, da se razgnjevi. Ulazi Hazel, razbarušena. Taj stih joj nimalo nije pristajao. To jednostavno nije činila. Ljudi koji su se ponašali na taj način bili su sebični."
"Poput oblaka mušica cijelo ju je vrijeme pratila svjesnost (svačija svjesnost, pretpostavljala je) da postoji nešto nedolično u tome što je rastavljena žena. Možda zbog tajne vezane uz to kakva je osoba ili zašto je tako privlačna žena još uvijek sama. Možda je to bilo i nedolična predodžba o ženi koja u četrdesetima još uvijek odlazi na spojeve poput tinejdžerice. Možda je to bio klišej o očajnoj raspuštenici, ogorčenoj i u lovu."
"U jednom sam trenutku shvatila da svi imaju nešto takvo." "Što misliš pod 'nešto takvo'?" "Svi imaju nešto što žele, a ne mogu dobiti." Yoni je zakratko razmotrio njezine riječi. " Misliš li stvarno da je tako?" Remy je kimnula. "To nas čini ljudima. Ili nas drži... moralnima."
"Činjenica da može opet osjetiti ono što nije osjetila od studentskih dana, to stalno otkrivanje, pobudio je u njoj mješavinu nade i straha. Nada da će opet naći ono za što se prije tolikih godina zaklela da nikad neće izgubiti: predanost vlastitom talentu. I obeshrabrenost zbog onoga što je dopustila da postane: neka niža verzija sebe."
"Bio je jedan od onih rijetkih ljudi koji su bili dovoljno sigurni u svoja dostignuća da bi iskreno mogao hvaliti talent drugih. Umjetnici bez samopouzdanja, puni straha i nesigurnosti u vlastiti talent, bili su oni čija se uskogrudnost ogledala u pompoznosti i vjernosti ideji da su određene umjetnosti uzvišenije od drugih."
May 3, 2022
Remy se nalazila na zadnoj godini na Konzervatoriju i bila je druga violina u orkestru, kada joj je Nicholas postao profesor. Hazel, Nicholasova žena se opet spremala za novo mjesto življenja u Bostonu sa svojom kćeri Jessie. Pratila je muža Nicholasa u stopu na svim njegovim poslovima po cijelom svijetu. No dok su živjeli u Bostonu, a nakon što je Remy završila školu i od kada joj ju je Conrad Lesser podučavao, Nicholas i Remy su se zbližili. Provodili su neko vrijeme zajedno i Nicholas je odlučio ostaviti Hazel. Nakon par godina Hazel je i dalje prolazila kroz život, dok su Nicholas i Remy pokušavali dobiti dijete. Nije im išlo jer su Nicholasovi spermiji bili loši. No Remy je prigrlila Jessie kao svoju kćer i Jessie je voljela Remy. Izmijenjivali su se za Jessie svaka dva tjedna. Yoni koji je radio sa Nicholasom i kroz godine mu postao najboljim prijateljem, bio je zaljubljen u Remy i prigovarao je Nicholasu kako ne zna što ima i da bi se on borio za nju. Jednu večer kad je Remy na Konzervatoriju tražila Nicholasa, a njega nije bilo, Yoni joj je ponudio društvo i na kraju su otišli u njegov stan. Priznao joj je da je voli i vodili su ljubav. No Remy je sutradan odlučila da je to bilo prvi i zadnji put da su to napravili. Ostala je trudna s njim, ali je to dijete pobacila. Da bi ju prebolio, Yoni se vjenčao sa Cybil s kojom je imao kćerkicu. Hazel je jedno vrijeme imala dečka Hugh-a no kada su trebali voditi ljubav, on je prekinuo vezu s njom. Slijedeće godine je upoznala Roberta s kojim je bila u sretnom braku. Nakon par godina Jessie je javila da se zaručila. U to vrijeme Nicholas se udaljio od Remy, upoznao je Paulu u baru za ples i ondje provodio vrijeme kad bi Remy svirala u orkestru. Remy je mislila da je vara i izbacila ga je iz stana pa je on spavao kod Garya. Zvao je Yonija da mu se požali, ali Yoni mu je rekao da je on već sve učinio i što još želi od njega. Par dana nakon toga Yoni je doživio infarkt i umro je. Tada je Nicholas shvatio da je Remy voljela Yonija i shvatio je Yonijeve riječi. Kada se nakon noći provedene kod Cybil vratila kući, ona i Nicholas su se pomirili. A sve zbog skladbe koju je svirala danima dok su bili posvađani a koju je on napisao da izrazi ljubav prema njoj. Mjesec dana poslije su se okupili kod Hazel koja je organizirala zabavu za Jessine zaruke.
December 29, 2019
After loving Russian Winter I was really hoping Kalotay would blow my socks off again.
Instead, all I got is a light baby's breath on my feet that was straddling that area between nice and annoying.
I found that the first half moved really quickly and then it lost all momentum. Hazel's story was basically a yawnfest and if I'm being completely honest, I'm not sure why she even got her own perspective in the first place. The story is really about Nicholas and Remy, and distracting my attention to Hazel for such long periods of time didn't do anything to heighten the domestic melodrama.
Not only that, but nothing even really happened?...Sure, It just left me expecting, demanding, and wanting more from each of these characters.
None of this detracts from how well Kalotay writes - it just wasn't all I had hoped it to be after loving her other work so fiercely.
Instead, all I got is a light baby's breath on my feet that was straddling that area between nice and annoying.
I found that the first half moved really quickly and then it lost all momentum. Hazel's story was basically a yawnfest and if I'm being completely honest, I'm not sure why she even got her own perspective in the first place. The story is really about Nicholas and Remy, and distracting my attention to Hazel for such long periods of time didn't do anything to heighten the domestic melodrama.
Not only that, but nothing even really happened?...Sure, It just left me expecting, demanding, and wanting more from each of these characters.
None of this detracts from how well Kalotay writes - it just wasn't all I had hoped it to be after loving her other work so fiercely.
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