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Violin
If neatness counts for you, don't count on Anne Rice's musical-ghost novel Violin. It is an eruption of the author's personal demons, as messy as the monster bursting from that poor fellow's chest in the movie Alien. Like Rice, the heroine Triana lives in New Orleans, mourns a dead young daughter and a drunken mother, and is subject to uncanny visions. A violin-virtuoso ghost named Stefan time-trips and globetrots with Triana, taunting her for her inability to play his Stradivarius--which echoes composer Salieri's jealousy in Amadeus and possibly Rice's jealousy of her successful poet husband Stan Rice in the years before her own florid, lurid writing made her famous. The storytelling here is too abstract, but the almost certainly autobiographical emotions could not be more visceral. At one point, the narrator exclaims, "Shame, blame, maim, pain, vain!" But Rice's dip in the acid bath of memory was not in vain--she packs the pain of a lifetime into 289 pages.
367 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
405 people are currently reading
9177 people want to read
About the author
Anne Rice
492 books27.5k followersAnne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien) was a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for The Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematic focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history.
Anne Rice passed on December 11, 2021 due to complications from a stroke. She was eighty years old at the time of her death.
She uses the pseudonym Anne Rampling for adult-themed fiction (i.e., erotica) and A.N. Roquelaure for fiction featuring sexually explicit sado-masochism.
Anne Rice passed on December 11, 2021 due to complications from a stroke. She was eighty years old at the time of her death.
She uses the pseudonym Anne Rampling for adult-themed fiction (i.e., erotica) and A.N. Roquelaure for fiction featuring sexually explicit sado-masochism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 740 reviews
March 22, 2015
I'm currently on a mission to read Anne Rice's entire body of work, and I've been doing so for a couple months. I worked through the Vampire books first, then the Mayfair witches, and moved on to her erotic novels (the Sleeping Beauty books, Exit to Eden). After that came the singletons: Cry to Heaven, Servant of the Bones, Ramses the Damned, etc. I'm sure there's more, this is just off the top of my head. The last ones I read were the two books written in first person about the life of Jesus Christ, and the Angel books (whose names escape me at the moment).
I love to devour everything an author has written, and decipher their belief system and particular passions through reoccuring themes in their novels. And there is a lot to mine in Anne Rice's novels. I'm going to write a blog post about it when I'm actually finished (I think I missed one or two when I was collecting the eBooks, so I'm not quite done yet!).
The Violin received largely TERRIBLE reviews. As usual, I hopped online immediately after reading the novel to see what others had thought of the book. I was actually rather astonished at the vitriol. Perhaps it was my state of mind that predisposed me to a rather intimate understanding of this book and its main character.
I am familiar with guilt, that special guilt that can only be born in the crucible of a highly religious childhood. I LOVED my childhood, but I was very sheltered, and was brought up in a very specific belief system. Not Catholic, but I don't think that matters particularly.
Unlike the main character, I'm not in love with death, but I'm also not afraid of it. And I have an extremely finely tuned sense of guilt, which I prefer to call responsibility. And I have a tendency to take responsibility for things that are largely outside of my control, simply because I can see the cause and affect so clearly, and am able very easily to see where I could have done better, reacted better, been more accessible, been more loving...
The reviews largely slammed the book as self-indulgent twaffle. Perhaps. Or perhaps it's a book that Anne Rice needed to write for HERSELF. Because writing, in its purest form, is absolute catharsis. I know that when I write, I am able to purge myself of my excess of emotions and come out the other side feeling cleansed and happy.
Music has never been my language, but while I will never be a great composer or a violin player, I understand that desire to BE the best at something that you know you never will be. And I understand guilt. Intimately. So I understood the heroine. I understood her, and I understood all of the anguish and the love that went into the writing of this novel.
I cried, at the end.
It didn't matter to me that it was a ghost story. Anne Rice writes about the supernatural, but that's largely been a vehicle by which she is able to explore these themes that have followed her throughout her life and been threaded deftly through all of her novels. Her search for meaning in a world where the presence of God often doesn't seem to make sense. Her identification with the loners, the strugglers after truth, her knowledge of passion and love and loss.
And it seems to me that you can't write a character like the heroine in the Violin without having experienced that level and kind of emotion yourself. You simply cannot.
So for me, this book gets five stars. And I could care less that most people don't understand it, or find it self-indulgent. Not every book is written for others. Some are just written because they NEED to be written. And for me, I needed to read it. It's definitely not for everyone, however. And there's nothing wrong with that, either. I don't suppose that I would WISH the ability to understand this book on everyone. They're probably happier NOT understanding, really.
But I read it, I loved it, it made me feel that there are others in this world for whom guilt cuts like a knife and caresses like a lover. And it made me cry (not sad cry, happy cry, there at the end). So there's that. It's messy, ugly, real and beautiful. I won't be reading it again any time soon, but I WILL read it again. And it will be perfect for me again when I do.
I love to devour everything an author has written, and decipher their belief system and particular passions through reoccuring themes in their novels. And there is a lot to mine in Anne Rice's novels. I'm going to write a blog post about it when I'm actually finished (I think I missed one or two when I was collecting the eBooks, so I'm not quite done yet!).
The Violin received largely TERRIBLE reviews. As usual, I hopped online immediately after reading the novel to see what others had thought of the book. I was actually rather astonished at the vitriol. Perhaps it was my state of mind that predisposed me to a rather intimate understanding of this book and its main character.
I am familiar with guilt, that special guilt that can only be born in the crucible of a highly religious childhood. I LOVED my childhood, but I was very sheltered, and was brought up in a very specific belief system. Not Catholic, but I don't think that matters particularly.
Unlike the main character, I'm not in love with death, but I'm also not afraid of it. And I have an extremely finely tuned sense of guilt, which I prefer to call responsibility. And I have a tendency to take responsibility for things that are largely outside of my control, simply because I can see the cause and affect so clearly, and am able very easily to see where I could have done better, reacted better, been more accessible, been more loving...
The reviews largely slammed the book as self-indulgent twaffle. Perhaps. Or perhaps it's a book that Anne Rice needed to write for HERSELF. Because writing, in its purest form, is absolute catharsis. I know that when I write, I am able to purge myself of my excess of emotions and come out the other side feeling cleansed and happy.
Music has never been my language, but while I will never be a great composer or a violin player, I understand that desire to BE the best at something that you know you never will be. And I understand guilt. Intimately. So I understood the heroine. I understood her, and I understood all of the anguish and the love that went into the writing of this novel.
I cried, at the end.
It didn't matter to me that it was a ghost story. Anne Rice writes about the supernatural, but that's largely been a vehicle by which she is able to explore these themes that have followed her throughout her life and been threaded deftly through all of her novels. Her search for meaning in a world where the presence of God often doesn't seem to make sense. Her identification with the loners, the strugglers after truth, her knowledge of passion and love and loss.
And it seems to me that you can't write a character like the heroine in the Violin without having experienced that level and kind of emotion yourself. You simply cannot.
So for me, this book gets five stars. And I could care less that most people don't understand it, or find it self-indulgent. Not every book is written for others. Some are just written because they NEED to be written. And for me, I needed to read it. It's definitely not for everyone, however. And there's nothing wrong with that, either. I don't suppose that I would WISH the ability to understand this book on everyone. They're probably happier NOT understanding, really.
But I read it, I loved it, it made me feel that there are others in this world for whom guilt cuts like a knife and caresses like a lover. And it made me cry (not sad cry, happy cry, there at the end). So there's that. It's messy, ugly, real and beautiful. I won't be reading it again any time soon, but I WILL read it again. And it will be perfect for me again when I do.
March 29, 2007
Crap, crap, crap. Quite possibly the worst book I've ever read. Take all of Anne Rice's worst traits as a writer--her self-indulgence, how long-winded and overly detailed she can be, her narcissism--all of it comes full circle to create this piece of crap book. I think it's her fantasy come to life, which is why it's so bloody terrible. The one and only good part of this book is when she tells the story of the violinist. Rice is at her best recounting history; she does her research and truly loves the eras she writes about. I wish this book had been completely about the violinist. That might have made it a worthwhile read. Steer clear.
July 19, 2007
Most boring book I've ever read. I'd recommend vcr manuals over this.
March 5, 2020
A (literally) haunted novel of grief and mourning, Violin is perhaps one of Anne Rice’s more overlooked works, as it isn’t part of her vampires or witches series—but it does deal in much of what is familiar to Anne Rice readers.
A woman is mourning the death of her husband, when a ghostly figure appears across the street, playing a violin. From there the two become close, needing each other.
Violin is obviously personal, as anyone who knows of Rice’s life will be able to pick out pieces that the writer clearly drew upon from her own autobiographical experiences, especially the death of her young daughter. This is a novel obsessed with death (what Rice story isn’t?), but it is more.
Not overlong, briskly and effectively written, this is one of Rice’s tautest and most rewarding reads. Certainly a new favorite of mine.
A woman is mourning the death of her husband, when a ghostly figure appears across the street, playing a violin. From there the two become close, needing each other.
Violin is obviously personal, as anyone who knows of Rice’s life will be able to pick out pieces that the writer clearly drew upon from her own autobiographical experiences, especially the death of her young daughter. This is a novel obsessed with death (what Rice story isn’t?), but it is more.
Not overlong, briskly and effectively written, this is one of Rice’s tautest and most rewarding reads. Certainly a new favorite of mine.
March 22, 2025
I struggled so much more reading this then I am reading classic books. I do not know why but my brain had difficulty taking in what was said and I had to reread and focus more. But unfortunately it wasn't worth it. Boring and I didn't get anything from it.
September 5, 2007
My daughters, one perhaps more than the other, urged Anne Rice and her works on me and I resisted. But when this book was out, it pulled me -- the cover art snagged me, the talk about it, whatever it was -- I bought it and then gave it to the daughter. Years afterward, I sought out a copy and read it and found myself drowning in one of those books which sweep the reader under and into the current before they know what's happening -- and just as suddenly the reader finds themselves coming up for air as the book ends and tosses them aside. I will read this one again one day -- meanwhile it holds a place of honor on the shelves among my books and looks lovely.
August 10, 2022
DNF.
I just finished Lost Souls by Poppy Z, Brite. I guess I will have to pick this up for another try.
If I can finish Lost Souls then I can definitely finish the late, great Anne Rice's work. Just not today, lol.
I just finished Lost Souls by Poppy Z, Brite. I guess I will have to pick this up for another try.
If I can finish Lost Souls then I can definitely finish the late, great Anne Rice's work. Just not today, lol.
March 14, 2017
I could never put into words what this book means to me. A game changer indeed. VIOLIN rightfully deserves more than one visit, deserves my precious time again and again! Why have I only read it now is beyond me, but it has been a real treat.
Engrossing prose and an experimental narrative. Characters deeply connected to pain and desire. The exact kind of book I literally ENJOY reading probably because nobody understands it. But I do. Not a book for the basic reader. Not a book for people who enjoy "good reads" and that's probably why so many people hate it.
The book starts a little slow but then evolves white-hot as each page turns, and the pages TURNED for me as this book sucked me in. I found myself gazing, gawking, jaw-dropped, jealous, angry, amazed, drooling...and more. Stefan and Triana male quite the pair. And each character introduced plays an important and effective role even if just for a little bit in the book.
The ending is absolutely heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It brought tears to my eyes. This is Anne Rice's best book. She can never write something like this again, and that's how I like it.
Read this book. Read it again. Then again.
Engrossing prose and an experimental narrative. Characters deeply connected to pain and desire. The exact kind of book I literally ENJOY reading probably because nobody understands it. But I do. Not a book for the basic reader. Not a book for people who enjoy "good reads" and that's probably why so many people hate it.
The book starts a little slow but then evolves white-hot as each page turns, and the pages TURNED for me as this book sucked me in. I found myself gazing, gawking, jaw-dropped, jealous, angry, amazed, drooling...and more. Stefan and Triana male quite the pair. And each character introduced plays an important and effective role even if just for a little bit in the book.
The ending is absolutely heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It brought tears to my eyes. This is Anne Rice's best book. She can never write something like this again, and that's how I like it.
Read this book. Read it again. Then again.
August 24, 2022
I like a dark, mind-bending book, but this was too disjointed for me to enjoy.
November 26, 2012
A partial autobiography disguised as a "horror" novel, Violin is a daunting tale about a 54 year old widow named Triana Becker who constantly delves into her maddened depression over the death of her loved ones. She is driven into even deeper despair when the ghost of a handsome Russian violinist named Stefan Stefanovsky, a virtuoso at his art, comes to her with haunting music played on his precious Stradivarius.
Although Anne Rice does a pretty decent job at making the narration musical in rhythm, the constant repetition of Triana's woes is both boring and irritating. Triana is undoubtedly one of the winiest protagonists I have ever encountered. She is one of the primary reasons why I cannot rate this book higher than a two.
Stefan, although much more interesting than Triana, is still a rather dull character: moody, unpredictable, and without properly explained motivations.
One of the biggest problems this novel has is its unexplained plot points. We never know why exactly Stefan chose Triana, why he is the kind of ghost that he is, or what exactly is the problem with many of these various side characters, specifically Faye, Triana's youngest sister.
The ending is rushed, not explained properly, too jubilant for a "horror" story, and so superficial that you can't help but see just how shallow Triana's damn family is. To top it off Anne Rice has to mark her finish date of the novel at the end, like it is of some importance that she was the one who wrote it and when it was finished.
Violin is barely a horror story and, in truth, barely much of a story at all. Most of the book is just constant rambling and inner conflict that neither interests nor makes us like Triana any more than from the start. It is clear Anne Rice put a little too much of herself in this book, a little too much for even a Rice fan like myself can bear.
Shy away from this book if you have no patience, otherwise read it anyway to enjoy the musical prose of the narrative.
Although Anne Rice does a pretty decent job at making the narration musical in rhythm, the constant repetition of Triana's woes is both boring and irritating. Triana is undoubtedly one of the winiest protagonists I have ever encountered. She is one of the primary reasons why I cannot rate this book higher than a two.
Stefan, although much more interesting than Triana, is still a rather dull character: moody, unpredictable, and without properly explained motivations.
One of the biggest problems this novel has is its unexplained plot points. We never know why exactly Stefan chose Triana, why he is the kind of ghost that he is, or what exactly is the problem with many of these various side characters, specifically Faye, Triana's youngest sister.
The ending is rushed, not explained properly, too jubilant for a "horror" story, and so superficial that you can't help but see just how shallow Triana's damn family is. To top it off Anne Rice has to mark her finish date of the novel at the end, like it is of some importance that she was the one who wrote it and when it was finished.
Violin is barely a horror story and, in truth, barely much of a story at all. Most of the book is just constant rambling and inner conflict that neither interests nor makes us like Triana any more than from the start. It is clear Anne Rice put a little too much of herself in this book, a little too much for even a Rice fan like myself can bear.
Shy away from this book if you have no patience, otherwise read it anyway to enjoy the musical prose of the narrative.
December 26, 2025
"But this we share, this talent for suffering, yes, and for mourning, yes, and the passion for the majesty, the utter mystery of music."
There were things I liked about this book, and things I didn't, and so 2.5 stars it is.
It has been decades since I last read an Anne Rice novel, but I did read several of them, and so clearly I enjoyed her work. I do remember being pleasantly surprised by how much actually happened in The Tale of the Body Thief in comparison to her other books in The Vampire Chronicles. And now I get the same sense here with Violin: Rice was much more about vibes than she was plot.
But, oh what vibes! She deftly crafts literary atmospheres that will make your hairs stand on end. She is skilled with words, but her florid writing will go on at length without really any story development to show for it. But she sets the darkly decadent scenes so well.
The story here is about a grieving woman whose suffering draws the attention of a ghost violinist who feeds off of strong emotions such as hers. She thwarts his plans by refusing to be driven mad by the upsetting memories his music stirs up within her. He then shows her his own history, how he died and why the violin is so important to him.
I didn't find the characters here very likable, although I feel a bit bad saying that as this is clearly the most autobiographical of Rice's novels. The main character is obviously based off of the author in many ways. I was also a bit offput by the way she wrote about Black characters in this story.
I can't say how I would feel about the Vampire Chronicle books if I reread them today, but this standalone novel for me was a good read, not a great one.
May 23, 2024
This is quite literally the WORST BOOK I'VE EVER READ; evoking the great discomfort that is felt when one stumbles upon the private diary of a twisted, manic-depressive old woman who is as conceited as she is insecure.
I hated all the emotional ramblings and the unnecessarily detailed and repetitive intrusion into people's lives while they took a sh!t and discarded their period blood. It was just too much, and pointlessly so. I learned nothing and I felt nothing but a distinct hatred for Triana and a strong wish that Stefan would find the power and the nerve to strike her dead and impale her with the violin's bow; thus ending the awful, awful story!
Anne Rice should have kept this little self-indulgence into her personal life to herself. It needn't have been made public!
There is no plot, no proper character development; just aimless emotional ramblings and a crying 25 year old ghost who miraculously has his a** repeatedly kicked by a 55 year old woman, who is most definitely based on Anne Rice herself.
Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish! I wish I had never found this book and only finished it because I finish what I start.
Anne Rice is my favourite author and the writer of my favourite books, but she is also now the source of the worst I've ever come across. Her works are almost always hits or misses and this? This was a definite miss!
I hated all the emotional ramblings and the unnecessarily detailed and repetitive intrusion into people's lives while they took a sh!t and discarded their period blood. It was just too much, and pointlessly so. I learned nothing and I felt nothing but a distinct hatred for Triana and a strong wish that Stefan would find the power and the nerve to strike her dead and impale her with the violin's bow; thus ending the awful, awful story!
Anne Rice should have kept this little self-indulgence into her personal life to herself. It needn't have been made public!
There is no plot, no proper character development; just aimless emotional ramblings and a crying 25 year old ghost who miraculously has his a** repeatedly kicked by a 55 year old woman, who is most definitely based on Anne Rice herself.
Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish! I wish I had never found this book and only finished it because I finish what I start.
Anne Rice is my favourite author and the writer of my favourite books, but she is also now the source of the worst I've ever come across. Her works are almost always hits or misses and this? This was a definite miss!
September 25, 2010
As someone who reads as much as I do people are often surprised at how I haven't read many 'Classics' nor big popular authors-This is an example of that. Anne Rice is well known, If you have read her stuff or not you know her name or have had a conversation about her at some point. I have a great friend who is an Anne Rice lover to the core and she kept telling me 'You have got to read some of her stuff'', 'I really think you would like Anne Rice, Pick up one of her books' and so on. My 'To Read' list is very lengthy and all the Anne Rice novels just sort of blended in with the rest of the others until I decided to pick up a Rice novel while I was at the library. My local library isn't big by any means nor does it have all the books I would like it to but it does the trick, I found where Anne Rice's books were and began to sift through what I should get-The cover that caught my eye was that of her stand alone novel Violin.
Jumping in head first I began reading Violin, at first I was confused to say the least. Anne Rice has a style all her own and it was difficult to really see where she was going with everything. The words were beautiful, poetry in a sense, the description she uses definitely doesn't lack by any means. Violin was a mix of emotions and thoughts, Feelings of saddness, happiness and sometimes just feeling downright demented for the pictures this amazing Author was creating in the mind of her reader.
The character profiles created for each name dropped in this book are fantastic, There was no feelings of wonder when it comes to what each character was like personality wise nor was there any mystery in how the reader will feel for each one. Anne Rice truly has a way with words and an intricate mind to create such stories and characters.
Reading the First Ten chapters was definitely a treat, Something entirely new and astounding. As a reader you may get lost at some points with the 'back and fourth' memories Rice uses but it is easy to get back on track after a few paragraphs. The next Seven chapters began to lack a little, Seeming almost like a bunch of throw in stuff that did get tiresome at times. The novel picked back up in the last Four chapters ending the novel in a wonderful way.
This being the first Anne Rice novel I have ever read was a great experience and I will definitely be reading more from her.
Jumping in head first I began reading Violin, at first I was confused to say the least. Anne Rice has a style all her own and it was difficult to really see where she was going with everything. The words were beautiful, poetry in a sense, the description she uses definitely doesn't lack by any means. Violin was a mix of emotions and thoughts, Feelings of saddness, happiness and sometimes just feeling downright demented for the pictures this amazing Author was creating in the mind of her reader.
The character profiles created for each name dropped in this book are fantastic, There was no feelings of wonder when it comes to what each character was like personality wise nor was there any mystery in how the reader will feel for each one. Anne Rice truly has a way with words and an intricate mind to create such stories and characters.
Reading the First Ten chapters was definitely a treat, Something entirely new and astounding. As a reader you may get lost at some points with the 'back and fourth' memories Rice uses but it is easy to get back on track after a few paragraphs. The next Seven chapters began to lack a little, Seeming almost like a bunch of throw in stuff that did get tiresome at times. The novel picked back up in the last Four chapters ending the novel in a wonderful way.
This being the first Anne Rice novel I have ever read was a great experience and I will definitely be reading more from her.
July 29, 2016
¡Desconcertante!
Me ha encantado en este libro la capacidad de Rice de sacarte sentimientos, sensaciones....
No es una historia típica que tenga principio, trama y final.
Al principio puede liar un poco, por la falta de costumbre, y no saber si se está en la realidad o en los sueños o visiones y no siguen un orden cronológico los acontecimientos, cosa que ya se avisa al principio del texto.
En muchas ocasiones turbador. Hay veces que he cerrados sus páginas sintiendo un poco de agobio o ansiedad. En muchos momentos te crea una aprensión y te trasmite unos sentimientos angustiosos...
¡¡Es fantástico que con solo letras sea capaz un/a autor/a de despertar todo eso!!
Una lucha psicológica entre los dos personajes protagonistas, en el que sacan sus peores recuerdos y sentimientos, arrastrando al lector con ellos.
En cuanto a sensaciones se refiere, me ha desbordado mucho.
Creo que, en más de un sentido, Rice a puesto aquí su alma (cosa que también se aprecia por ciertos personajes si se conoce su vida personal).
Me ha encantado en este libro la capacidad de Rice de sacarte sentimientos, sensaciones....
No es una historia típica que tenga principio, trama y final.
Al principio puede liar un poco, por la falta de costumbre, y no saber si se está en la realidad o en los sueños o visiones y no siguen un orden cronológico los acontecimientos, cosa que ya se avisa al principio del texto.
En muchas ocasiones turbador. Hay veces que he cerrados sus páginas sintiendo un poco de agobio o ansiedad. En muchos momentos te crea una aprensión y te trasmite unos sentimientos angustiosos...
¡¡Es fantástico que con solo letras sea capaz un/a autor/a de despertar todo eso!!
Una lucha psicológica entre los dos personajes protagonistas, en el que sacan sus peores recuerdos y sentimientos, arrastrando al lector con ellos.
En cuanto a sensaciones se refiere, me ha desbordado mucho.
Creo que, en más de un sentido, Rice a puesto aquí su alma (cosa que también se aprecia por ciertos personajes si se conoce su vida personal).
April 13, 2010
seriously? If I want to be that depressed I will think of dying babies and poke myself in the eye. I really tried to like this. I just could not get past the florid sweeps of melancholy, and all the blah blah blah. Save this for therapy Anne.
July 16, 2011
I've always liked Anne Rice. She throws in just the kind of details into her stories that get me interested from the very beginning. Violin is a stand-alone tale, and a good one at that. The soul of this story is music...its heart is the fulcrum between despair and hope. Not sure what I mean by that? Sit back and let her explain it all.
August 27, 2013
Just a short revue. A poorly done Mary Sue. Whatever happened to the author that wrote Interview With the Vampire and A Cry to Heaven?
March 3, 2016
As usual I am amazed at Anne Rice's writing style. It's like being under an enchantment when I read her work! Such a spellbinding tale of misery, mourning, hope, renewal and above all, music.
January 11, 2025
1.5
Logré terminar este libro. Es el primer libro de Anne Rice que leo, y me costó bastante trabajo. Si bien no parece ser un libro lineal, tampoco le veo un objetivo claro desde el principio hasta el final. Más allá del "misterio" que puede tener la historia, el exceso de descripciones hace que pierdas la idea principal y que ya no sepas de donde vienes o a donde vas; esto es bastante cansado después de usar ese recurso en TODA la historia. Me perdió definitivamente cuando leí la frase "Se podía pagar con American Express", totalmente fuera de lugar, confirmándome lo superficial que es la historia que pretende ser profunda. Algunas situaciones me causaron incomodidad de lo anticlimáticas y ridículas que eran.
No logré ver algún mensaje, y mucho menos me entretuvo. Quedé con la esperanza de que mejorará, pero al final... meh.
Logré terminar este libro. Es el primer libro de Anne Rice que leo, y me costó bastante trabajo. Si bien no parece ser un libro lineal, tampoco le veo un objetivo claro desde el principio hasta el final. Más allá del "misterio" que puede tener la historia, el exceso de descripciones hace que pierdas la idea principal y que ya no sepas de donde vienes o a donde vas; esto es bastante cansado después de usar ese recurso en TODA la historia. Me perdió definitivamente cuando leí la frase "Se podía pagar con American Express", totalmente fuera de lugar, confirmándome lo superficial que es la historia que pretende ser profunda. Algunas situaciones me causaron incomodidad de lo anticlimáticas y ridículas que eran.
No logré ver algún mensaje, y mucho menos me entretuvo. Quedé con la esperanza de que mejorará, pero al final... meh.
October 24, 2023
A character study of one woman's many losses, her enormous guilt and grief - Anne Rice wrote a haunting, psychological horror masterpiece with VIOLIN.
Triana has lost both parents, her only child due to cancer, and at the start of this novel, her husband Karl. I don't know if it is Anne Rice's beautiful poetic writing that struck a cord within me or if it's because I can relate with this character, but losing Karl brought back all the other deaths Triana has had to endure over the years, compounding her grief and pain. That's the way it seems to happen in life, you experience a tragedy and suddenly your brain sends you down a path where you remember ALL of the horrible things you've experienced, in vivid and seemingly total recall. Your mind traps you in a vicious circle of memories and torment.
Triana has branded herself a murderer. She blames herself for all the deaths that have occurred in her lifetime and has contemplated taking her own life. Still numb from the fresh loss of her husband, only one thing pierces the fog of her memories - the violin. A mysterious man has begun playing outside Triana's home and she realizes she first noticed him 2 days before the death of her husband.
This violinist, this ghost, Stefan, admits to Triana that his purpose is to drive her mad. The two begin a mighty struggle - one where the power of music takes them both by surprise and an ending sure to stun the reader as much as it did our main characters.
I will say that prior knowledge of music, musical instruments or composers is not required in order to enjoy the full benefit of this amazing story. Anne Rice blew me away with her gorgeous prose - I feel like I highlighted at least one-third of this book, whether it was a quote, something I thought was of importance, or just a poignant passage. I never would have imagined I would have found beauty in someone else's grief, their balancing on the brink of madness.
I really enjoyed the battle of wits between Triana and Stefan. Stefan has had a century's worth of experience, yet Triana proved to be an admirable opponent. I was astonished at the winner of this supernatural conflict and have a theory that I can't discuss here as it would spoil the novel. (Feel free to message me if you've read the book and would like to chat about it!)
I think this book would make a fantastic Winter/Holiday read as it felt like Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL with a twist. It's funny because I wrote that thought in my notes and not two chapters later, the main character referenced it!
You can find this review along with other reviews spanning multiple genres at The Nerdy Narrative or if you prefer video format, I do have a BookTube Channel
A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing!
Special thanks to my highest level Patrons: Ev, Sharon, Andrew, Stacy, Amanda L., Kate, Gail, Amanda F., Lourdes, Tara, John, Sharon A-B, Ann, Chad K. & Ashley E.
"It's so easy to wish for death when nothing's wrong with you! It's so easy to fall in love with death, and I've been all my life, and seen its most faithful worshippers crumble in the end, screaming just to live, as if all the dark veils and the lilies and the smell of candles, and grandiose promises of the grave, meant nothing."
Triana has lost both parents, her only child due to cancer, and at the start of this novel, her husband Karl. I don't know if it is Anne Rice's beautiful poetic writing that struck a cord within me or if it's because I can relate with this character, but losing Karl brought back all the other deaths Triana has had to endure over the years, compounding her grief and pain. That's the way it seems to happen in life, you experience a tragedy and suddenly your brain sends you down a path where you remember ALL of the horrible things you've experienced, in vivid and seemingly total recall. Your mind traps you in a vicious circle of memories and torment.
"In all my wanderings amongst the dead, I'd talked to memories and relics and fed their answers to them as if they were dolls I held propped in my hand."
Triana has branded herself a murderer. She blames herself for all the deaths that have occurred in her lifetime and has contemplated taking her own life. Still numb from the fresh loss of her husband, only one thing pierces the fog of her memories - the violin. A mysterious man has begun playing outside Triana's home and she realizes she first noticed him 2 days before the death of her husband.
"You come like something I would conjure. A violinist, the very thing I once wanted with all my heart to be, perhaps the only thing I ever tried with all my heart to be. You come. But you're not my creation. You're from somewhere else and you are hungry and needy and demanding. You're furious that you can't drive me mad, yet drawn to the very complexity that defeats you."
This violinist, this ghost, Stefan, admits to Triana that his purpose is to drive her mad. The two begin a mighty struggle - one where the power of music takes them both by surprise and an ending sure to stun the reader as much as it did our main characters.
I will say that prior knowledge of music, musical instruments or composers is not required in order to enjoy the full benefit of this amazing story. Anne Rice blew me away with her gorgeous prose - I feel like I highlighted at least one-third of this book, whether it was a quote, something I thought was of importance, or just a poignant passage. I never would have imagined I would have found beauty in someone else's grief, their balancing on the brink of madness.
I really enjoyed the battle of wits between Triana and Stefan. Stefan has had a century's worth of experience, yet Triana proved to be an admirable opponent. I was astonished at the winner of this supernatural conflict and have a theory that I can't discuss here as it would spoil the novel. (Feel free to message me if you've read the book and would like to chat about it!)
I think this book would make a fantastic Winter/Holiday read as it felt like Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL with a twist. It's funny because I wrote that thought in my notes and not two chapters later, the main character referenced it!
You can find this review along with other reviews spanning multiple genres at The Nerdy Narrative or if you prefer video format, I do have a BookTube Channel
A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing!
Special thanks to my highest level Patrons: Ev, Sharon, Andrew, Stacy, Amanda L., Kate, Gail, Amanda F., Lourdes, Tara, John, Sharon A-B, Ann, Chad K. & Ashley E.
May 14, 2022
This book was so hard to read. I was bored. This book fell short of even being something I wanted to pick up. I force-feed myself this book hoping that it would get better somewhere, but it never did.
December 30, 2023
3,75⭐️
bangier tak szczerze
bangier tak szczerze
January 19, 2025
“I thought the curse of memory is this: to be ever present”
This was our first book club’s book of the year and in some way it gravely disappointed me, yet at the same time it gave me everything I was expecting and hoping for. This book had one of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever read and what in the actual F was that ending; however, the prose and the way she mixed the gothic with the modern was exquisite, attesting to what an incredible writer she truly was.
This was our first book club’s book of the year and in some way it gravely disappointed me, yet at the same time it gave me everything I was expecting and hoping for. This book had one of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever read and what in the actual F was that ending; however, the prose and the way she mixed the gothic with the modern was exquisite, attesting to what an incredible writer she truly was.
March 12, 2016
As someone who generally enjoys Anne Rice stories, I bought this book on a whim expecting to be blown away. I was metaphorically blown away the same way I imagine the people of Hiroshima were tragically blown away in 1945. It's that bad. It was boring, depressing, and it reads like a middle-aged woman's creepy fantasy fan fiction at times.
There were times when I wondered if this is the same Anne Rice who wrote Interview with the Vampire because that Anne Rice could surely never write such a crap load of a story. I suppose I expected too much and after reading some of the other reviews on here, it seems I'm not the only one who was very disappointed. Do yourself a favor and leave this book on that bookshelf, or get ready to gouge your eyes out.
There were times when I wondered if this is the same Anne Rice who wrote Interview with the Vampire because that Anne Rice could surely never write such a crap load of a story. I suppose I expected too much and after reading some of the other reviews on here, it seems I'm not the only one who was very disappointed. Do yourself a favor and leave this book on that bookshelf, or get ready to gouge your eyes out.
June 6, 2009
This book called to me from the library shelf when I was learning to play the violin, something that I always wanted to do. I related to the main character's longing for the music, and more specifically, to be able to produce the music. I was just discovering the connection between playing the violin, and the musician's mood. It is amazing, but if I'm anxious (not necessarily about playing - I could be practicing with no audience at all) or in a bad mood, I can't play the violin at all. Anyway, the book is very obsessive, and haunting, and I enjoyed it, but that might have been just where I was at the time. I can also see why others called it tedious.
February 9, 2018
Tedious, boring, depressing - pick one or more.
April 21, 2020
Sudor, sangre y lágrimas es lo que me ha costado terminar este libro. ¡Qué tortura! Epic fail :/
December 2, 2025
La novela tiene elementos prometedores y algunas descripciones sobre la música y los sonidos que resultan interesantes y evocadoras, pero lastimosamente queda todo en nada. La historia está cargada de tragedias intrascendentes y conexiones gratuitas entre la heroína y el fantasma que no tienen ningún propósito ni trascendencia, llegando incluso al climax con el violín que solamente resulta una pelea de niños cuyo infantilismo raya en lo pueril. Adicionalmente, no queda ningún mensaje o propósito en todo lo relatado, pues aparte de la fortuna material de la protagonista aunada a la fortuna espiritual que la convierte en una grandiosa intérprete, no queda nada... se retrató a ella misma que se vio sorprendida por la fama literario de su obra llevada al cine? Y de cinematográfico son también los desfiles de cameos de músicos famosos, sin ninguna trascendencia.
Me parecieron mucho mejores los fantasmas de la vida real que nos muestra Salvador Garmendia en sus relatos de tierra calcinada.
Me parecieron mucho mejores los fantasmas de la vida real que nos muestra Salvador Garmendia en sus relatos de tierra calcinada.
June 16, 2022
Anne Rice writes in beautiful prose and that is the only positive thing about the book. It's depressively slow and tedious with lackluster characters. The first chapters captured had me hooked with the descriptive prose making me feel everything The MC felt. Up till the moment Stephan was introduced, after that it all went downhill. I wish it was more about Stephan, the ghost violinist haunting Triana. Instead we got a middle aged depressed widow who went on and on about the deaths of her loved ones. The story doesn't have much of a point except being a semi biography of Anne Rice which I think we could have done without. The Violin plays an insignificant part and the ending was lame. Even the part where the talentless Triana started playing the violin perfectly was ludicrous.
There's a line where Triana asks Stephan why he was haunting her. I never got the answer. The plot is messy and confusing. Not what I was hoping for.
There's a line where Triana asks Stephan why he was haunting her. I never got the answer. The plot is messy and confusing. Not what I was hoping for.
March 7, 2019
DNF
Stopped at a 100 pages.
I think that counts as trying.
Anne Rice has AMAZING other books that I will continue to explore.
Stopped at a 100 pages.
I think that counts as trying.
Anne Rice has AMAZING other books that I will continue to explore.
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