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Sonata lunii
Soarta ei a fost la fel de sfâșietoare precum muzica bărbatului pe care îl iubea.
Viena, anii 1800. Viața contesei Julie Guicciardi este pe cale să se schimbe pentru totdeauna. Tânăra de optsprezece ani ia lecții de pian de la Ludwig van Beethoven, faimosul virtuoz din capitala europeană a muzicii. Ea este fascinată de geniul lui înfocat, el este atras de dorința ei de a cunoaște, de candoarea și de personalitatea ei plină de viață. Astfel, ia naștere o dragoste unică. Însă fiecare ascunde ceva – secrete scandaloase, care riscă să le distrugă iubirea. Beethoven își transpune suferința în compoziția care avea să rămână în istorie drept Sonata lunii. Refrenul obsedant o va însoți pe Julie toată viața.
Desfășurându-se pe fundalul opulent al Vienei din secolul al XIX-lea, Sonata lunii. Romanul unei iubiri este o odă adusă pasiunii eterne. O grandioasă poveste de dragoste, întrețesută cu eșecuri, rivalități și intrigi politice. Un portret emoționant al titanului care s-a luptat cu zeii și al femeii care a înfruntat convențiile vremii pentru a-l iubi.
Viena, anii 1800. Viața contesei Julie Guicciardi este pe cale să se schimbe pentru totdeauna. Tânăra de optsprezece ani ia lecții de pian de la Ludwig van Beethoven, faimosul virtuoz din capitala europeană a muzicii. Ea este fascinată de geniul lui înfocat, el este atras de dorința ei de a cunoaște, de candoarea și de personalitatea ei plină de viață. Astfel, ia naștere o dragoste unică. Însă fiecare ascunde ceva – secrete scandaloase, care riscă să le distrugă iubirea. Beethoven își transpune suferința în compoziția care avea să rămână în istorie drept Sonata lunii. Refrenul obsedant o va însoți pe Julie toată viața.
Desfășurându-se pe fundalul opulent al Vienei din secolul al XIX-lea, Sonata lunii. Romanul unei iubiri este o odă adusă pasiunii eterne. O grandioasă poveste de dragoste, întrețesută cu eșecuri, rivalități și intrigi politice. Un portret emoționant al titanului care s-a luptat cu zeii și al femeii care a înfruntat convențiile vremii pentru a-l iubi.
432 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 453 reviews
August 2, 2020
Disappointing Read of the Passion and Pathos Behind the Moonlight Sonata
As someone who took piano lessons from childhood on, I've always had a particular love of the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. So this book's historical look at the relationship that inspired the amazing work intrigued me. The author includes a detailed character list at the beginning—needed because of the large cast of characters with long, sometimes unfamiliar names and the often complex relationships between them. This simple list fascinated me even more because other musical greats are listed, like Czerny and Rossini. Napoleon is even noted as a character, so I thought the book would be an interesting and wide-ranging one.
While I loved the idea of surrounding myself with all that was Vienna and Beethoven at such an important time in music history, I found the writing in this book disappointing, more often telling rather than showing. We are simply told of events or information, not seeing them unfold or come to light within the context of a true scene between individuals. Personally, I find that distancing, and I prefer a much more immersive “showing” reading experience. Show me the characters’ world, and let me experience it along with them; don’t just tell me about it, like a slightly amplified footnote in a musician’s biography. I did enjoy certain scenes, like the musical duel between Beethoven and Steibelt. Actually, I thought the author excelled when describing Beethoven's music and its impact on the listener. Even though I would consider this to be literary historical fiction, I felt like I kept waiting for something to happen in the early parts of the book, though; not much of any note happened for a long while—well after the 10% mark, by which time *something* of note should have happened—or so it seemed to me! So much telling, not enough action—beyond marriages, soirees, or meetings—on any front (let alone the showing of it). All that said, I am such a lover of the Moonlight Sonata that I still appreciated this fictionalized account of the story behind it. I think it is particularly well suited for those who have a love of classical music, as I do. I enjoyed being in Beethoven's world, even if it was just through imperfectly told fiction.
2.5 rounded up to 3
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
As someone who took piano lessons from childhood on, I've always had a particular love of the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. So this book's historical look at the relationship that inspired the amazing work intrigued me. The author includes a detailed character list at the beginning—needed because of the large cast of characters with long, sometimes unfamiliar names and the often complex relationships between them. This simple list fascinated me even more because other musical greats are listed, like Czerny and Rossini. Napoleon is even noted as a character, so I thought the book would be an interesting and wide-ranging one.
While I loved the idea of surrounding myself with all that was Vienna and Beethoven at such an important time in music history, I found the writing in this book disappointing, more often telling rather than showing. We are simply told of events or information, not seeing them unfold or come to light within the context of a true scene between individuals. Personally, I find that distancing, and I prefer a much more immersive “showing” reading experience. Show me the characters’ world, and let me experience it along with them; don’t just tell me about it, like a slightly amplified footnote in a musician’s biography. I did enjoy certain scenes, like the musical duel between Beethoven and Steibelt. Actually, I thought the author excelled when describing Beethoven's music and its impact on the listener. Even though I would consider this to be literary historical fiction, I felt like I kept waiting for something to happen in the early parts of the book, though; not much of any note happened for a long while—well after the 10% mark, by which time *something* of note should have happened—or so it seemed to me! So much telling, not enough action—beyond marriages, soirees, or meetings—on any front (let alone the showing of it). All that said, I am such a lover of the Moonlight Sonata that I still appreciated this fictionalized account of the story behind it. I think it is particularly well suited for those who have a love of classical music, as I do. I enjoyed being in Beethoven's world, even if it was just through imperfectly told fiction.
2.5 rounded up to 3
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
August 8, 2020
DNF at 15%. I really wanted to love this novel. Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and I was very excited to read about Vienna in the 1800s since that is not a very common setting. The storyline still sounds very interesting to me and I would like to know what happens, but I just cannot get past the amateur writing. I can't believe that in 2020 authors are still using random French words in their writing to try and make it sound fancier. I only got to page 54 and there were probably about 10-12 instances of random italicized French words. Maybe I would let random German words slide since it takes place in Vienna, but French? Another problem with the writing is that there is absolutely no flow. I felt like I was reading a weird combination between a novel and a movie script. There was one paragraph on page 30 where I knew I should've stopped reading right then and there:
"'He is a murderer,' my mother reiterated. 'He killed a man in an illegal duel and had to flee Austria.' My mother looked askance at her sister-in-law's clothing. While my mother was wearing a stylish gown, Aunt Anna had on a simple peasant dress that smelled of hay."
Where is the transition between the second and third sentence? You can't just have a line of dialogue like that and then a line of action/commentary with no transition. If you don't want to find a way to connect the two sentences, then at least start a new paragraph. It reads like stage directions.
"'He is a murderer,' my mother reiterated. 'He killed a man in an illegal duel and had to flee Austria.' My mother looked askance at her sister-in-law's clothing. While my mother was wearing a stylish gown, Aunt Anna had on a simple peasant dress that smelled of hay."
Where is the transition between the second and third sentence? You can't just have a line of dialogue like that and then a line of action/commentary with no transition. If you don't want to find a way to connect the two sentences, then at least start a new paragraph. It reads like stage directions.
June 21, 2022
“Above all, he was posing the question that has vexed philosophers for centuries:
Knowing that we are going to die, how are we to live?”
― Patricia Morrisroe, The Woman in the Moonlight
Knowing that we are going to die, how are we to live?”
― Patricia Morrisroe, The Woman in the Moonlight
August 3, 2020
In The Woman in the Moonlight, Patricia Morrisroe offers a spellbinding gift to all who treasure Beethoven’s music. Through her narrator Julie Guicciardi - a young woman drawn to, confounded and at times repelled by him, the composer emerges not as a titan, but as a fully realized, flesh-and-blood man.
Moody, yes. Difficult, of course. But through Julie's words and the push-pull of their relationship, we get to know a Beethoven who is also charming, vulnerable, and more than a little disheveled, and as capable of extraordinary tenderness as he is his infamous fits of pique.
Still, as the decades-long rondo plays out between them, The Woman in the Moonlight is ultimately Julie's story, with Morrisroe painting a vivid picture of a young woman both ahead of her time and constrained by its conventions. Spirited and sharp-witted, Julie is a wry observer of people and social mores. We can see why Beethoven–conflicted as he is–falls for her. But Morrisroe skillfully pits Julie’s desires– and their love– against the pressures of family, class, bloodlines, and money (and with lesser nobility, there’s never quite enough) to create the twists, intrigue, passion and inner tensions that kept me turning pages (and imagining the great movie this would make.)
As a fan of Morrisroe’s funny and insightful memoir "9 1/2 Narrow", I wondered how the author would handle literary fiction. As it turns out: beautifully. Meticulously researched, The Woman in the Moonlight weaves a gripping love story along lines of tumultuous change across early 18th century Europe. Many will know that the (later called) “Moonlight Sonata” is the three-movement piano piece Beethoven dedicated to Julie Guicciardi. But you don’t even have to like Beethoven to love this book.
Moody, yes. Difficult, of course. But through Julie's words and the push-pull of their relationship, we get to know a Beethoven who is also charming, vulnerable, and more than a little disheveled, and as capable of extraordinary tenderness as he is his infamous fits of pique.
Still, as the decades-long rondo plays out between them, The Woman in the Moonlight is ultimately Julie's story, with Morrisroe painting a vivid picture of a young woman both ahead of her time and constrained by its conventions. Spirited and sharp-witted, Julie is a wry observer of people and social mores. We can see why Beethoven–conflicted as he is–falls for her. But Morrisroe skillfully pits Julie’s desires– and their love– against the pressures of family, class, bloodlines, and money (and with lesser nobility, there’s never quite enough) to create the twists, intrigue, passion and inner tensions that kept me turning pages (and imagining the great movie this would make.)
As a fan of Morrisroe’s funny and insightful memoir "9 1/2 Narrow", I wondered how the author would handle literary fiction. As it turns out: beautifully. Meticulously researched, The Woman in the Moonlight weaves a gripping love story along lines of tumultuous change across early 18th century Europe. Many will know that the (later called) “Moonlight Sonata” is the three-movement piano piece Beethoven dedicated to Julie Guicciardi. But you don’t even have to like Beethoven to love this book.
November 14, 2020
Alternate title could be "A Woman Obsessed with Beethoven Lives Through A Series of Unfortunate Events."
I'm not super sure what the point of this book is? It's the heavily fictionalized story of actual living person Countess Julie Guicciardi, a figure we have next to no info about. And while normally that's all good and well this just feels...voyeuristic.
A girl (she's still a girl at that point) encounters young Beethoven and falls inexplicably in love. You could say it's the music, and I excused it for that for a lot of this book, but she just... is really into how cruel and gross he is?
And he's not in it that much? For the most part it's Julie being miserable doing other things in other places with Beethoven on her mind. On the few occasions she was near him all I could think was "you know he's awful. You've openly admitted it. Why are we here?"
There's also a lot of historical/political info dumping disguised as flavor text. Necessary, if you aren't an expert in that part of history (I am not) but it's jarring to go from the first person narrative about a very shocking personal trauma to several long paragraphs about Napoleon's sister's position as almost kinda royalty and the geography.
I dunno. It felt like I was gloating over someone's misfortunes and the only reason it was ok to do so was because she a part of high society and also knew Beethoven.
I'm not super sure what the point of this book is? It's the heavily fictionalized story of actual living person Countess Julie Guicciardi, a figure we have next to no info about. And while normally that's all good and well this just feels...voyeuristic.
A girl (she's still a girl at that point) encounters young Beethoven and falls inexplicably in love. You could say it's the music, and I excused it for that for a lot of this book, but she just... is really into how cruel and gross he is?
And he's not in it that much? For the most part it's Julie being miserable doing other things in other places with Beethoven on her mind. On the few occasions she was near him all I could think was "you know he's awful. You've openly admitted it. Why are we here?"
There's also a lot of historical/political info dumping disguised as flavor text. Necessary, if you aren't an expert in that part of history (I am not) but it's jarring to go from the first person narrative about a very shocking personal trauma to several long paragraphs about Napoleon's sister's position as almost kinda royalty and the geography.
I dunno. It felt like I was gloating over someone's misfortunes and the only reason it was ok to do so was because she a part of high society and also knew Beethoven.
August 13, 2020
The Woman in the Moonlight is a sumptuous, riveting, and totally satisfying read.
Curiosity about Julie Guicciardi initially drew me to this book. What a remarkable, fascinating woman, who captured the heart of the brilliant composer.
The descriptions of Beethoven’s music are so evocative, the notes lift off the page.
The story is populated with wickedly funny characters, jaw dropping, devastating occurances, and multiple, absolutely hilarious situations.
The severe societal constraints young women were subject to in nineteenth century Vienna were breathtaking.
Julie’s intelligence, grit, and pragmatism propel her through decades of challenges – and throughout, there is always her deep love of this dazzling, magnetic, irascible musician.
This sweeping, heartbreaking love story traverses class barriers, countries, and continents, and brings you to a rich understanding of these people, these real people, their passions, sensuality, struggles, and ultimately their deep compassion for each other.
I was completely immersed and captivated by this beautifully written story.
G.O.S.
Curiosity about Julie Guicciardi initially drew me to this book. What a remarkable, fascinating woman, who captured the heart of the brilliant composer.
The descriptions of Beethoven’s music are so evocative, the notes lift off the page.
The story is populated with wickedly funny characters, jaw dropping, devastating occurances, and multiple, absolutely hilarious situations.
The severe societal constraints young women were subject to in nineteenth century Vienna were breathtaking.
Julie’s intelligence, grit, and pragmatism propel her through decades of challenges – and throughout, there is always her deep love of this dazzling, magnetic, irascible musician.
This sweeping, heartbreaking love story traverses class barriers, countries, and continents, and brings you to a rich understanding of these people, these real people, their passions, sensuality, struggles, and ultimately their deep compassion for each other.
I was completely immersed and captivated by this beautifully written story.
G.O.S.
March 3, 2022
Toliko razvrata, bluda, bračnih nevjera na jednom mjestu 😱
Čitav utisak mi pokvariše ti bolesni brakovi, kopilad i ljubavnici. Priča o Betovenu i njegovoj muzi osta u drugom planu!
Čitav utisak mi pokvariše ti bolesni brakovi, kopilad i ljubavnici. Priča o Betovenu i njegovoj muzi osta u drugom planu!
September 9, 2020
I wanted to read this novel because I have always been interested in the life of Ludwig van Beethoven. This book tells the story of a young countess, Julie Guiccardi, who falls for Beethoven and shares parts of his life. Of course, much of the novel is supposition, but there is also a lot of actual history related. Beethoven was a complex and hard-to-understand man. His genius was obvious, but he had an artistic temperament and a fragile ego. His deafness just made his life all the more challenging and sad. The moonlight in the title refers to his "Moonlight Sonata" that he dedicated to the countess Julie. The author did point out at the end of the book that this piece of music, one of his most famous, was not called the "Moonlight Sonata" until five years after Beethoven's death. I found the progress a bit slow at times, and all the characters a bit confusing. There is even a list at the beginning of the book to help you sift through them. Overall, I loved the story, and when I watched the movie "Immortal Beloved" again lately, it was even more enjoyable.
August 16, 2020
I couldn’t put this book down! It was a beautifully written story with fascinating characters and a wonderful journey to early 19th century Europe. Not to be missed!
March 11, 2021
Review in English | Reseña en Español
Unfortunately I did not like this book. It is well written and fast-paced, and I cannot really say I was bored at some point. However, my main issue was that I found the characters had no development and I could not understand why a musician such as Beethoven could have been inspired by such a dull woman as Julieta, and vice versa, how could she loved for more than two decades a man that showed her no real love. Put in another way, I did not find the characters relatable nor believable and hence, I was disappointed by a promising love story that was simply not there. The Woman in Moonlight is the story of a beautiful countess which inspired Beethoven to write his Moonlight Sonata. While the story is fictional, I think there was a lot of material the author could have used to make this story more passionate, more alive. Julie meets Beethoven when she’s barely 18 years old, and falls head over heels with the musician. He also falls in love with her but circumstances –economical mainly, will separate them. Beethoven will hate her and mistreat her for 15 years when they happen to meet by chance. Julie marries another man but she still thinks of Beethoven. And that is basically the plot. I must say I disliked Julie a lot –she seemed capricious, spoiled, and I hated the distain she showed to other women, those who love Beethoven too. In this, I found her personality contradictory because, while she claimed to be truly devoted to a man, I could not help but feel she was condescending to other people and women. For example, while she saw her cousin Josephine lead a very tragic life, she always held a grudge against her because Beethoven was always attracted to her. Likewise, we are led to believe she always hated her mother, who was not a good wife and did not agree with her love for Beethoven, and yet, many years later, in her deathbed, Julie mourns her passing. I mean, ok, she is your mother but you spent more than a decade away from her and fighting and out of nowhere you change your mind? This does not seem logical.
Another issue that bothered me –and perhaps the one that bothered me the most- was the love story. Why? Because there was none to be honest. While artists usually have muses from whom they draw inspiration, we never truly see what made Julie so special to Beethoven. To be fair, they were together barely a year, maybe, but I never felt there was a true exchange of words, thoughts, and feelings among them. A novel like this one could have benefited a lot from the exchange of letters, for example, or more meaningful encounters and conversations. But outside their classes, where dialogue was honestly very minimal and common, there was nothing. There was not even a hint of physical passion! So while I understand at some point this woman could have inspired a great composition, what I do not understand is why she hanged on to that relationship. She even rejects a man that truly loved her, in her idealization of a man who did not. And not only that –everything in her life was always under the shadow of the rejection of the musician and therefore, everything seemed pointless. For example, while living in Naples she is recruited as a spy. Did she find any useful information on that time? No. Did she meet and build a meaningful relationship with any interesting historical character there? No. There were so many interesting figures that appeared on the pages of this book, but Julie was so self-centered that it seemed none were interesting enough to her, outside she and Beethoven.
A positive aspect I found on the book was that it indeed had some beautiful writing, and I wished the author could have used this to make a more passionate, interesting story with unforgettable characters:
Unfortunately, this book failed to convey that.
__
Mi reseña en español será corta: no se molesten con esta novela. La premisa y la descripción pintan como que será una historia muy prometedora, pero realmente no lo es. No está mal escrita y ni siquiera podría decir que me aburrí en algún momento, pero los personajes son insportables. La historia trata sobre Julie, la mujer que en teoría fue la inspiración de Beethoven para su Sonata de Luz de Luna. Pero en verdad las personaldiades son tan malas, tan incomprensibles, que no pude más que preguntarme, ¿pues que le vio Beethoven a una mujer tan egoísta e insulza? Puede entender el carácter nefasto de un genio musical, pero no de una chica que pareció más bien obsesionarse de manera enfermiza con el compositor y que nunca maduró lo suficiente para dejarlo atrás y vivir su vida. Julie es condescendiente con otras mujeres -sobre todo aquellas que percibe como amenaza para "su relación" y toda su vida -su felicidadad- la condiciona a un hombre que no la ama. No hay química ni pasión entre los personajes y eso es terrible cuando se trata de una novela centrada en Beethoven y su musa. Fatal.
Unfortunately I did not like this book. It is well written and fast-paced, and I cannot really say I was bored at some point. However, my main issue was that I found the characters had no development and I could not understand why a musician such as Beethoven could have been inspired by such a dull woman as Julieta, and vice versa, how could she loved for more than two decades a man that showed her no real love. Put in another way, I did not find the characters relatable nor believable and hence, I was disappointed by a promising love story that was simply not there. The Woman in Moonlight is the story of a beautiful countess which inspired Beethoven to write his Moonlight Sonata. While the story is fictional, I think there was a lot of material the author could have used to make this story more passionate, more alive. Julie meets Beethoven when she’s barely 18 years old, and falls head over heels with the musician. He also falls in love with her but circumstances –economical mainly, will separate them. Beethoven will hate her and mistreat her for 15 years when they happen to meet by chance. Julie marries another man but she still thinks of Beethoven. And that is basically the plot. I must say I disliked Julie a lot –she seemed capricious, spoiled, and I hated the distain she showed to other women, those who love Beethoven too. In this, I found her personality contradictory because, while she claimed to be truly devoted to a man, I could not help but feel she was condescending to other people and women. For example, while she saw her cousin Josephine lead a very tragic life, she always held a grudge against her because Beethoven was always attracted to her. Likewise, we are led to believe she always hated her mother, who was not a good wife and did not agree with her love for Beethoven, and yet, many years later, in her deathbed, Julie mourns her passing. I mean, ok, she is your mother but you spent more than a decade away from her and fighting and out of nowhere you change your mind? This does not seem logical.
Another issue that bothered me –and perhaps the one that bothered me the most- was the love story. Why? Because there was none to be honest. While artists usually have muses from whom they draw inspiration, we never truly see what made Julie so special to Beethoven. To be fair, they were together barely a year, maybe, but I never felt there was a true exchange of words, thoughts, and feelings among them. A novel like this one could have benefited a lot from the exchange of letters, for example, or more meaningful encounters and conversations. But outside their classes, where dialogue was honestly very minimal and common, there was nothing. There was not even a hint of physical passion! So while I understand at some point this woman could have inspired a great composition, what I do not understand is why she hanged on to that relationship. She even rejects a man that truly loved her, in her idealization of a man who did not. And not only that –everything in her life was always under the shadow of the rejection of the musician and therefore, everything seemed pointless. For example, while living in Naples she is recruited as a spy. Did she find any useful information on that time? No. Did she meet and build a meaningful relationship with any interesting historical character there? No. There were so many interesting figures that appeared on the pages of this book, but Julie was so self-centered that it seemed none were interesting enough to her, outside she and Beethoven.
A positive aspect I found on the book was that it indeed had some beautiful writing, and I wished the author could have used this to make a more passionate, interesting story with unforgettable characters:
“Beethoven was and would always be the magical tiles in the cloister, the Mediterranean on a stormy day, mourning in the moonlight, morning in the dark.".
Unfortunately, this book failed to convey that.
__
Mi reseña en español será corta: no se molesten con esta novela. La premisa y la descripción pintan como que será una historia muy prometedora, pero realmente no lo es. No está mal escrita y ni siquiera podría decir que me aburrí en algún momento, pero los personajes son insportables. La historia trata sobre Julie, la mujer que en teoría fue la inspiración de Beethoven para su Sonata de Luz de Luna. Pero en verdad las personaldiades son tan malas, tan incomprensibles, que no pude más que preguntarme, ¿pues que le vio Beethoven a una mujer tan egoísta e insulza? Puede entender el carácter nefasto de un genio musical, pero no de una chica que pareció más bien obsesionarse de manera enfermiza con el compositor y que nunca maduró lo suficiente para dejarlo atrás y vivir su vida. Julie es condescendiente con otras mujeres -sobre todo aquellas que percibe como amenaza para "su relación" y toda su vida -su felicidadad- la condiciona a un hombre que no la ama. No hay química ni pasión entre los personajes y eso es terrible cuando se trata de una novela centrada en Beethoven y su musa. Fatal.
January 7, 2022
The book started great, but I felt like the third part was just lagging. It seemed to be all about Beethoven’s work and didn’t focus on the story.
April 26, 2021
I LOVE historical fiction, the detail to era in this novel is stunning!
Early 19th century Austrian Empire? Sign me up!
this beautiful love story between Countess Guilietta and Ludwig Beethoven. Is beautifully writing an array of colourful and witty characters. it was funny and devastating what more could you want from a novel?
I couldn't put it down, if you are a fan of the genre i highly recommend it.
4 stars.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
Early 19th century Austrian Empire? Sign me up!
this beautiful love story between Countess Guilietta and Ludwig Beethoven. Is beautifully writing an array of colourful and witty characters. it was funny and devastating what more could you want from a novel?
I couldn't put it down, if you are a fan of the genre i highly recommend it.
4 stars.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
September 19, 2020
Unfulfilled love on so many levels....Julie, Josephine, Beethoven, Robert, Friedrich! It seemed everyone was either having sex with someone or having someone else's baby within the royal families of Europe. The writing was opulent. The characters were well developed...I just found it to be a bit too much. Additionally, Beethoven was an extraordinarily selfish and reclusive man and Julie wasted her whole life loving him
August 8, 2020
When historical novels are well done, I love them…and when done poorly, I loathe them: it takes real skill to paint the details of the era so fully and convincingly that you’re drawn in to a different world rather than trapped in a stage set.
The author does an absolutely spectacular job of illuminating the early 19th century Austrian Empire in all its aspects, with an exemplary eye (or pen…) for animating details and descriptions. You could easily enjoy the book just for that, but happily the narrative itself is completely engrossing and delightfully non-linear, revolving around an insightful and very human protagonist who comes alive on the page. The other characters are minutely and complexly drawn, and their interactions totally engrossing. Beethoven’s genius and the power of his personality are portrayed fully—flaws and all, and the author’s description of Beethoven’s music is beautifully evocative, even for someone with no formal musical background (like me).
This is a great book and a delightful read.
The author does an absolutely spectacular job of illuminating the early 19th century Austrian Empire in all its aspects, with an exemplary eye (or pen…) for animating details and descriptions. You could easily enjoy the book just for that, but happily the narrative itself is completely engrossing and delightfully non-linear, revolving around an insightful and very human protagonist who comes alive on the page. The other characters are minutely and complexly drawn, and their interactions totally engrossing. Beethoven’s genius and the power of his personality are portrayed fully—flaws and all, and the author’s description of Beethoven’s music is beautifully evocative, even for someone with no formal musical background (like me).
This is a great book and a delightful read.
September 17, 2020
Honestly, this wasn't what I hoped for. I wanted a story mainly about Beethoven and Julie and the ups and downs of their relationship. I got a story about Julie bed-hopping across Europe, in which Beethoven showed up sometimes. Mostly it was based on the author's speculation -- not her fault, as we know so little about Julie. But some of the ideas the author came up with for her ranged from bizarre to horrific. I will say, though, that the author did a good job conveying Beethoven's personality, with all its virtues and vices, when he did turn up!
September 22, 2020
I was drawn to this book just by the amazing premise it had. It just sounded really intriguing.
I did enjoyed this book, I devoured it fast but I do feel it could've been so much more. It's interesting but I will probably not remember it after some time. It could've been developed better.
I did enjoyed this book, I devoured it fast but I do feel it could've been so much more. It's interesting but I will probably not remember it after some time. It could've been developed better.
April 14, 2021
A beautifully written imagining of Countess Julie Guicciardi's tempestuous love affair with Ludwig Van Beethoven. Julie was indeed a real person who had a relationship with Beethoven and may have been the woman referred to as Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved." She may or may not have been the woman to whom he dedicated his Moonlight Sonata. For purposes of this story, Morrisroe has assumed that she was and the result is delightful.
The Woman in the Moonlight is filled with romance, betrayal, political intrigue, and marital machinations set against the stunning backdrop of early 19th century Vienna.
The Woman in the Moonlight is filled with romance, betrayal, political intrigue, and marital machinations set against the stunning backdrop of early 19th century Vienna.
September 23, 2020
An interesting read for fans of Beethoven’s music and the times he lived in. The tone verges on melodramatic.
October 23, 2020
***NOVEL THOUGHTS***
While written well enough, it felt choppy at times and as others have also commented, the flow is stiff. The characters are developed enough to make them interesting and the time period early 1800's Austria kept my interest. But there was something lacking that since I finished it, I've struggled to write my review because I just couldn't put my finger on what it was missing for me. I think it might have been that there wasn't a satisfactory ending of the relationship with Countess Julie Guicciardi and Ludwig von Beethoven and perhaps, it was meant to be that way because it is the author's fictionalized account of the love/hate relationship the two of them had. As she points out in the author's note, while there is no evidence of an intimate relationship between the countess and Beethoven, his dedication of one of his most famous works, what became known as the Moonlight Sonata, may lend itself to consider that they very well may have had such a liaison that endured for decades. She portrays Beethoven as a chaotic genius who lived every waking moment searching for melodies and ways to create his music, too absorbed in his own world to totally commit to another individual, that he was demanding, stubborn and when he started to lose his hearing, his mood swings were more volatile. Julie is immediately smitten with Beethoven when she begins taking pianoforte lessons from him as a young woman and never loses her crush on him even after she is forced into a loveless marriage. This is probably the most heartbreaking part of the book because as Julie narrates, the author captures her sadness as she must follow dutifully into this marriage for the sake of her family. She is like currency and that was so harsh. As Julie's life goes on, Beethoven flits in and out of it while they play at fighting their feelings for each other. It was all rather weird.
The book is well researched giving background into the world of arts and political climate during the early 1800's as well as the social expectations of men and women. Since many of the marriages were made for social standing and not based on love, brothels, mistresses and syphilis were just a way of life. But it was the unconventional arrangement that Julie finds herself in that was shocking.
One of the issues I had with the story was when Julie was asked by the wife of a noble to "spy" on her husband by becoming his mistress and reporting back to her any information she could use on her husband's activities. What?? While there was a whole lotta bedhopping in this novel, that just seemed to come out of the blue and wasn't necessary.
This reminded me of Dangerous Liaisons with German accents and music by Beethoven!
While written well enough, it felt choppy at times and as others have also commented, the flow is stiff. The characters are developed enough to make them interesting and the time period early 1800's Austria kept my interest. But there was something lacking that since I finished it, I've struggled to write my review because I just couldn't put my finger on what it was missing for me. I think it might have been that there wasn't a satisfactory ending of the relationship with Countess Julie Guicciardi and Ludwig von Beethoven and perhaps, it was meant to be that way because it is the author's fictionalized account of the love/hate relationship the two of them had. As she points out in the author's note, while there is no evidence of an intimate relationship between the countess and Beethoven, his dedication of one of his most famous works, what became known as the Moonlight Sonata, may lend itself to consider that they very well may have had such a liaison that endured for decades. She portrays Beethoven as a chaotic genius who lived every waking moment searching for melodies and ways to create his music, too absorbed in his own world to totally commit to another individual, that he was demanding, stubborn and when he started to lose his hearing, his mood swings were more volatile. Julie is immediately smitten with Beethoven when she begins taking pianoforte lessons from him as a young woman and never loses her crush on him even after she is forced into a loveless marriage. This is probably the most heartbreaking part of the book because as Julie narrates, the author captures her sadness as she must follow dutifully into this marriage for the sake of her family. She is like currency and that was so harsh. As Julie's life goes on, Beethoven flits in and out of it while they play at fighting their feelings for each other. It was all rather weird.
The book is well researched giving background into the world of arts and political climate during the early 1800's as well as the social expectations of men and women. Since many of the marriages were made for social standing and not based on love, brothels, mistresses and syphilis were just a way of life. But it was the unconventional arrangement that Julie finds herself in that was shocking.
One of the issues I had with the story was when Julie was asked by the wife of a noble to "spy" on her husband by becoming his mistress and reporting back to her any information she could use on her husband's activities. What?? While there was a whole lotta bedhopping in this novel, that just seemed to come out of the blue and wasn't necessary.
This reminded me of Dangerous Liaisons with German accents and music by Beethoven!
August 8, 2020
4.5 stars
You may think, when you read the book blurb, that this would be a romantic novel about a woman's relationship with Beethoven. It is that, but it's so much more. The author takes us into their early 19th century world, in particular the world of upper class and nobility.
She's done her research. We learn about the politics, the deals cut, and the "currency" of human relations. We get a very good sense of what it was like to hear Beethoven's music for the first time. We get to know Beethoven, the man (Giulietta, the narrator and main character, is a surprisingly reliable witness and does not allow her love for him to cloud her judgment). War, government, fashion, food, theater, nature: It's all fascinating.
I was a bit surprised at the pages of the cast of characters I found at the beginning of the book. I wondered if I would have to keep flipping back and forth, which is a bit problematic on a five-year-old Kindle. But it wasn't necessary. It's easy to keep the characters straight.
I also like the humor. Giulietta is intelligent; we first meet her as a teenager, and she's got the sass down pat. Many of the characters are well fleshed out and manipulate language beautifully, insulting, complimenting, or whatever.
Why 4.5 stars? Like many novels of this type, the pacing changes from day-to-day activity to weeks and months going by as Giulietta ages and less "happens." I'm not sure how to solve the problem, but it feels a little unbalanced to me.
Still, not bad for a Kindle First Book.
You may think, when you read the book blurb, that this would be a romantic novel about a woman's relationship with Beethoven. It is that, but it's so much more. The author takes us into their early 19th century world, in particular the world of upper class and nobility.
She's done her research. We learn about the politics, the deals cut, and the "currency" of human relations. We get a very good sense of what it was like to hear Beethoven's music for the first time. We get to know Beethoven, the man (Giulietta, the narrator and main character, is a surprisingly reliable witness and does not allow her love for him to cloud her judgment). War, government, fashion, food, theater, nature: It's all fascinating.
I was a bit surprised at the pages of the cast of characters I found at the beginning of the book. I wondered if I would have to keep flipping back and forth, which is a bit problematic on a five-year-old Kindle. But it wasn't necessary. It's easy to keep the characters straight.
I also like the humor. Giulietta is intelligent; we first meet her as a teenager, and she's got the sass down pat. Many of the characters are well fleshed out and manipulate language beautifully, insulting, complimenting, or whatever.
Why 4.5 stars? Like many novels of this type, the pacing changes from day-to-day activity to weeks and months going by as Giulietta ages and less "happens." I'm not sure how to solve the problem, but it feels a little unbalanced to me.
Still, not bad for a Kindle First Book.
April 17, 2023
Countess Julie Guicciardi is a young girl, interested in the Piano Forte. Vienna in 1800 is a hotspot for rising musical stars and Ludwig Von Beethoven is at the top of the charts and Julie is instantly attracted to him. They fall in love, but a penniless musician, even a brilliant one, is not the right match for a women of her stature and they are forced apart.
Julie Guicciardi is the women to whom Beethoven dedicated he's Moonlight Sonata. One of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of classical music and arguably one of the most famous. She is also the women speculated as the intended recipient of his love letter to the "Immortal Beloved" found between Beethovens letters after he's death. We know almost nothing about her and even the little miniature found in Beethoven's belongings, which her son identified as her, is in dispute.
So, I was super keen to read a Historical Fictional novel imagining her relationship with the genius and the period in Vienna is not one often depicted in fiction. I just did not enjoy this as much as I hoped I would.
The book should've been much shorted and eventually felt a little pointless. Like it was recounting just a list of activities in a characters life, there are just to many scenes that added nothing to the story. The scenes with Beethoven also did not do him any justice. He was a difficult, and often rude, man by all accounts but some bits just made him look a little disgusting.
There were also so many characters that it was difficult to keep track of everyone and their complicated relationships. Making a story come together with so many different characters is not something many authors do well and this one failed for me. I also felt that some characters were "forced" into the story because the author came across them while researching the book but did not really belong in the story.
The narration was excellent and the only thing that kept me listening to the end.
Julie Guicciardi is the women to whom Beethoven dedicated he's Moonlight Sonata. One of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of classical music and arguably one of the most famous. She is also the women speculated as the intended recipient of his love letter to the "Immortal Beloved" found between Beethovens letters after he's death. We know almost nothing about her and even the little miniature found in Beethoven's belongings, which her son identified as her, is in dispute.
So, I was super keen to read a Historical Fictional novel imagining her relationship with the genius and the period in Vienna is not one often depicted in fiction. I just did not enjoy this as much as I hoped I would.
The book should've been much shorted and eventually felt a little pointless. Like it was recounting just a list of activities in a characters life, there are just to many scenes that added nothing to the story. The scenes with Beethoven also did not do him any justice. He was a difficult, and often rude, man by all accounts but some bits just made him look a little disgusting.
There were also so many characters that it was difficult to keep track of everyone and their complicated relationships. Making a story come together with so many different characters is not something many authors do well and this one failed for me. I also felt that some characters were "forced" into the story because the author came across them while researching the book but did not really belong in the story.
The narration was excellent and the only thing that kept me listening to the end.
August 12, 2020
Beyond his exquisite music, I knew little of Ludwig von Beethoven and came to The Woman in the Moonlight with curiosity that was richly rewarded by Patricia Morrisroe's debut novel. The thwarted love story of Countess Julie Guicciardi and the composer was captivating. Clearly, the author built her book on a foundation of extensive research. You rarely see much wit in historical fiction, but you'll find it here, along with court intrigue among nineteenth-century aristocrats and royalty.
August 11, 2020
In Woman in the Moonlight, Morrisroe has written a beautiful love story between Countess Guilietta and Ludwig Beethoven. While the book is historical it is modern in its dialogue. Thoroughly researched, beautifully written and incredibly creative. And while the cast of colorful characters are many the book itself is fast moving. I laughed. I cried. And was sad when it ended as I felt I lost a friend in Julie.
August 22, 2020
I’m a hugeeee historical fiction junkie. Outlander, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, The Great, I’ve run through them all since quarantine started. Honestly, this book was the perfect find! Romantic and sensual, but real and heart wrenching. Morrisroe really knows her stuff! I can’t recommend this enough! My friends are going to love it!
August 6, 2020
A mesmerizing read which I couldn’t put it down. The story follows the powerful and endearing relationship between Beethoven, the greatest composer the world has known, and the beautiful Countess Julie Guicciardi, to whom he dedicated the “Moonlight Sonata”. The quick paced writing and deep historical research covers the tumultuous times during Beethoven’s life including his major compositions and growing fame, Napoleon’s conquering of Europe, Julie’s extraordinary life at court and how their relationship endured throughout.
August 9, 2020
Well written.Gives a very good insight to Beethoven's life
September 9, 2020
Not as interesting as one would hope. I love Beethoven’s music, historical fiction and a bit of occasional light romance within a good plot so this was a surprising fail. Beethoven was made into a very unlikeable character. He throws things against the walls, is “ugly” and often talks about his digestive ailments. He does not come across as a sexy tortured artist, is just kind of gross and unlikeable. I couldn’t feel any tension between Giulietta and him.
July 7, 2021
2,5
Cartea asta seamana cu o telenovela, iar unele scene mi s-au parut complet neverosimile. De exemplu, Armgard ii cere Giuliei sa devina amanta sotului ei, cu toate ca nici macar nu o cunostea prea bine. Biografiile romantate de la Polirom sunt mult mai bune.
Cartea asta seamana cu o telenovela, iar unele scene mi s-au parut complet neverosimile. De exemplu, Armgard ii cere Giuliei sa devina amanta sotului ei, cu toate ca nici macar nu o cunostea prea bine. Biografiile romantate de la Polirom sunt mult mai bune.
August 18, 2020
I fell in love with Moonlight Sonata way back in the late 90s when I played as Jill in the first Resident Evil game. Ever since it's been on every one of my playlists, and I listen to (it) almost daily. I, however, never gave any thought to the story behind such an emotionally charged masterpiece. This novel takes care of that for me (thank goodness), even though I never knew I'd wanted to know until I read the synopsis... And oh my gosh- what an imagining this novel is. I felt SO much. My heart ached. My spirit soared. I cried. I laughed. I cringed. I'm just overwhelmed with the beauty the author captured and I refuse to think Beethoven wrote 'Moonlight' under any circumstances.
Also, kudos to Ms. Morrisroe for capturing the *madness* within. This was a heavy read in all the right ways; illustrating life & the political games of Europe in the 1800s while telling the story of a mysterious woman in Beethoven's small, social circle: Countess Julie Guicciardi.
Trigger warnings for rape and miscarriage.
I just want you to read this novel. Then listen to Moonlight Sonata en loop. This book gives life and a plausible explanation in a heartbreaking way to what has always been an unexplainably beautiful and gut-wrenching composed piece of art.
To sum up, this novel is written from Julie's POV is 1st person, and there's a quote she "says" which is so relatable to who I was when I first heard that enchanted melody: "I was accustomed to loving absent men." And that's a *mood* if ever I read one.
Also, kudos to Ms. Morrisroe for capturing the *madness* within. This was a heavy read in all the right ways; illustrating life & the political games of Europe in the 1800s while telling the story of a mysterious woman in Beethoven's small, social circle: Countess Julie Guicciardi.
Trigger warnings for rape and miscarriage.
I just want you to read this novel. Then listen to Moonlight Sonata en loop. This book gives life and a plausible explanation in a heartbreaking way to what has always been an unexplainably beautiful and gut-wrenching composed piece of art.
To sum up, this novel is written from Julie's POV is 1st person, and there's a quote she "says" which is so relatable to who I was when I first heard that enchanted melody: "I was accustomed to loving absent men." And that's a *mood* if ever I read one.
October 10, 2020
I love historical fiction since I enjoy learning about people or events in history of which I know nothing or at least very little. This was one of those books. I really didn’t know anything about Ludwig van Beethoven except he was a famous composer who wrote Moonlight Sonata and I’ve seen pictures of him with a wild, white mane of hair. The author clearly did a great deal of research in writing this book and it shows in the description of events that were occurring during that time period.
This book is based on a mystery woman in Beethoven’s life, Countess Julie Guicciardi to whom he dedicated Moonlight Sonata. The author builds a story around Beethoven and Julie which is interesting but I had to keep reminding myself that most of the story is supposition and that’s why it is historical fiction and not fact. But it was intriguing to imagine, along with the author, the life of a girl who meets Beethoven and loves him the rest of her life.
This book is really about Julie’s life and what it was like for a woman, in the 1800’s, to be treated as chattel. Julie tried to be strong and resist but women were expected to have arranged marriages and to accept their fate as wives and mothers and to expect nothing more but clever women did attain more.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to Little A and the author Patricia Morrisroe.
This book is based on a mystery woman in Beethoven’s life, Countess Julie Guicciardi to whom he dedicated Moonlight Sonata. The author builds a story around Beethoven and Julie which is interesting but I had to keep reminding myself that most of the story is supposition and that’s why it is historical fiction and not fact. But it was intriguing to imagine, along with the author, the life of a girl who meets Beethoven and loves him the rest of her life.
This book is really about Julie’s life and what it was like for a woman, in the 1800’s, to be treated as chattel. Julie tried to be strong and resist but women were expected to have arranged marriages and to accept their fate as wives and mothers and to expect nothing more but clever women did attain more.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to Little A and the author Patricia Morrisroe.
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