Liszt's Kiss

by Susanne Dunlap

The romantic story of a young female pianist in cholera-ravaged Paris of 1832, whose own tragedy leaves her susceptible to the passions and scandals of the composer Franz Liszt

At the height of the Romantic era in Paris, there was no bigger celebrity than the composer and pianist Franz Liszt. A fiery and gorgeous Hungarian, he made women swoon at soirees and left a trail of broken hearts behind him. Anne, a countess and talented young pianist whose mother has just died of cholera, hears Franz Liszt in concert and is swept up in his allure. The enigmatic Marie d'Agoult, a friend of Anne's late mother, takes her under her wing and introduces her to the artistic world -- despite the objections of Anne's sullen and sorrowful father.

Anne soon finds herself in the midst of dangerous intrigues, discovering a family secret so shocking that her father will go to any lengths to protect it.

With the ominous presence of Paris's most deadly epidemic looming over every turbulent event, Liszt's Kiss is a rich evocation of a remarkable period as seen through the eyes of a sensitive young artist.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Music, Romance, Fiction, Historical, Young Adult, France

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2007

About the author

Susanne Dunlap is the author of more than a dozen historical novels for adults and teens. Susanne grew up in Buffalo, New York and has lived in London, Brooklyn, Northampton, MA, and now Biddeford, ME. Her love of historical fiction arose partly from her PhD research at Yale.

Susanne is also an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach in fiction and nonfiction, specializing in coaching historical fiction and historical nonfiction.

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book for two reasons: Franz Liszt and the time period – set against cholera-ravaged Paris.

There are mentions of cholera, for example how it was perceived as the sickness of the poor who were not so clean. So when it reached the members of the aristocratic families it was extra shocking. But the time period could be better explored.

The story of Anne, a young countess and talented pianist, who meets Franz Liszt and gets swooned by him as many other women, is interesting.

However, the prose is the problem. It is simple with step by step descriptions. It doesn’t make the read engaging.

@FB/BestHistoricalFiction

[La Tonya Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance, poetry, music, love, opera, innocence, and hidden secrets makes this novel set in Paris, France in 1832 a pleasant read. Anna, a countess, and accomplished inspiring pianist grows into a young lady and meets society with misunderstandings, mishaps, and yearings of feelings that are completely foreign. With the aid of Marie d'Agoult, a lady of society, she is guided through pitfalls of societal expectations in a social class conscious period of time and prevails as the winner.

Marie d'Agoult discovers her true self and the need for authentic love from Hungarian pianist and composer, Franz Liszt. The celebrated love story of Marie d'Agoult and Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt is still researched, debated, and written about in the 21st century. This book is a good read.

Quote:

"What shall I say when Monsieur Liszt returns?" asked the concierge, who was now awake enough to notice that a young girl had asked to be admitted in the dead of night to a single gentleman's apartment.

As the priest droned on in Latin, scraps and shreds of thoughts and memories passed through Anne's mind like casual visitors, barely stirring her consciousness.

[Laura U · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character was annoying and the whole book was too much of a soap opera for me.

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could give an advice to a younger self, would be : never mind other people opinion... especially when it comes to books. After reading some not so ardent reviews about "Liszt´s Kiss" I was afraid of it not being very engaging but I really enjoyed it. It may not be the most groundbreaking historical novel ever but it was very readable given its fluid prose. So do as I did: dismiss others´opinions, play " Liebestraum" as background music, sit back , relax and enjoy this novel. As for me, I will check Susanne Dunlap´s other novels.

[Belinda Kroll · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a good example of a story that chose third person omniscient, but might have been better with first-person multiple point-of-view. Dunlap wrote her third-person narrative from the views of her characters anyway, so I’m confused why she didn’t write it in first-person. I felt completely detached from the entire story. I read it because I liked the young doctor Pierre…he was the only character I liked. (Which means Vonnegut was right: always write at least one character for the reader to like.)

The insipid way Anne reacts to things, the two-dimensional father with a mea culpa reason for his coldness, the way the ending felt thrown together…I admit, I’m disappointed in this book. The last two paragraphs, however, were amazing. And yes, I do read the last page first to decide if I’ll like a book. Sometimes it doesn’t work out.

Originally posted at http://worderella.com/2007/07/book-li...

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book probably would have been a 3.5. Overall, it was decent, but I've read a lot of historical fiction lately and it definitely wasn't my favorite as compared with those. A good read though...perhaps it was just the ending that I just wasn't too satisfied with--wrapped up too quickly in my mind. I did like the musical aspect of it, since I could relate since I used to play the piano.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh...not my favorite. I should love it, given the setting, the music, all that. But I find the actual history more interesting than this invented dramatic plot. Characters were difficult to keep track of, and I didn't really like any of them. I kept hoping it would improve as time passed, but alas, nope.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got about half way in, I couldn't put it down. The lack of communication among the characters was a bit frustrating but it got me thinking about the restraints society has placed upon us, particularly upon women.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the time. Stupid plot. Tries to make use of real historical figures but not well written or interesting.

[Nicole Gerrand · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tis is one of the silliest stories I have read for a long time. But now I realize who the author was I am not surprised. I haven't enjoyed any of her books. Must remember that

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful read.

[Irina Popa · Rating 4 out of 5]

📌Romanul ăsta istoric a fost interesant. Anne și-a pierdut mama recent, iar tatăl ei e foarte sever, încât nu o lasă se iasă din casă și nici să cânte la pian. Marie, prietena mamei ei o ajută să iasă din casă și să poată exersa la pian. Anne mi s-a părut foarte naivă, o copila care abia descoperea viața, dar mi-a plăcut de ea. Cel mai mult mi-a plăcut că a avut un pic de adevăr în carte și anume relația dintre Marie și Frantz Liszt.

📌M-a deranjat un pic că Anne era prinsă într-un fel între bărbați: Frantz, Armand și Pierre, însă cu niciunul nu a rămas și nici nu știu de care era îndrăgostită. Finalul m-a dezamăgit un pic, deoarece Anne nu a rămas cu nimeni. Chiar mă așteptam la o poveste de dragoste, dar nu a fost să fie, cu toate acestea mi-a plăcut mult romanul.

📌Nu am înțeles de ce cartea s-a numit Sărutul lui Liszt. Nu am găsit nicio legătură cu ce se petrecea în cartea, chiar dacă Anne a avut parte de un sărut din partea lui Liszt. Părerea mea este că mergea un alt titlu pentru carte.

📌Cartea a avut câteva intrigii care avea legătură cu moștenirea lui Anne, cu Armand, dar și cu mama ei. De la început nu am crezut că tatăl ei voia să pună mâna pe avere, așa că mă bucur că am avut dreptate. Totuși nu i-am înțeles comportamentul sever de la moartea mamei lui Anne.

📌A mers repede această carte. În două zile am terminat-o. Recomand această carte, mai ales celor iubitori de cărți istorice. Nu prea sunt informații despre istorie, dar arata cum era viața atunci și câteva personalități care au trăit atunci.

[Serafina Pfalzgraff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I began to read this because I love Franz Liszt’s music, hoping that it might be something like a semi-historical novel or something that delved into his personality. While it’s not, it is still somewhat of an interesting portrait of a life that musical people might have lived in France in the time of the French Revolution and also with the cholera plagues and other plagues that often occurred in Paris and elsewhere.

Franz Liszt was so incredibly talented. He was Hungarian, and so from a neighbor of my home country, Austria, where we take music very seriously. I love very much playing his music on the piano. A study of his music utilizing Musico-Psychology indicates that he might have been an intense and passionate man. So, this novel is a rather interesting read, even though the focus frequently strays far afield from Franz Liszt himself. This book was more about Anne than Franz Liszt. So, the book was not focused enough on Franz Liszt and also considering that I prefer much darker books if I ever read a romance, then I would say that’s not terrible but was a bit too scattered to be deep enough.

[Lori Daugherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction which takes place in Paris in the early 1800’s. The story has a mystery revolving around a once aristocratic family whose father has left the king’s court and then suffers from less income. I won’t give away anything. In 1832, cholera ravaged many in Paris, which comes into play. There is a young woman named Anne, the daughter of the aristocrat who is a novice pianist and begins taking lessons from Franz Liszt. This is a romance and a mystery. I enjoyed the story but lost some interest partway into it. I think the middle of the book is not quite as interesting as the beginning and end of the book, but if you have an interest in historical fiction & classical music, you might enjoy it.

[Mikala Charron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably never would have picked up this book if it wasn’t for a reading challenge prompt. I love the time period, but am not a big fan of reading books in Paris. I don’t know any French and always feel like I’m slightly missing something. While reading this book, Anne annoyed me. She basically walked around with blinders on. She doesn’t notice anything and is very selfish. She didn’t have the best upbringing with her father so harsh, so I understand the circumstance she was in, but I still found her annoying. The mystery in this book was pretty well done and the jumping around in POVs was done well.

[Wandering Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical at first, given the title is a little soppy, but after a while, I was pulled in more and more by the plot’s twists. This work of historical fiction provides an accurate depiction of cholera-stricken Paris in Liszt’s time, the dark underbelly of the Romanticism we remember today in Liszt’s beautiful compositions. Dunlap’s work revealed new layers to the characters that ranged beyond predictability. Despite the title, Liszt didn’t turn out to be a super strong or nuanced character in this work. Rather, Dunlap focused on the surrounding characters.

[Hannah Hoyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is in fact a Liszt's kiss in this book, which is entirely the reason I read it. I never liked Countess d'Agoult and after reading this book I still don't like her. Sorry Marie.
The actual plot was engaging, there was a mystery in it and I found myself curious to what the next chapter would bring.

Five stars for Liszt kissing scene.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book from beginning to end (including the epilogue). I’m not going to say anything more, as I don’t want to give anything away.

[Minnesinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

the plot was rather convoluted. the mad dash of characters at the end was so over-the-top that it seemed more vaudeville than parisian; madcap bordering on farcical, which was not the author's intent, i'm sure.
the marquis's volte face at the end is also unbelievable. all along he's been portrayed practically as satan personified, then in the last few pages is suddenly contrite. no. way. suddenly the mysterious powder he procured from dr. mengele [oops--my bad] is not to kill his ward/nephew/distant cousin/son armand [take your pick], but himself. then why did armand recover by avoiding whatever the marquis put in his water? the plot twist that most strains credulity is the jesuit, suddenly revealed as the blackmailer, turning a gun on everyone. the more examples i remember, the less i believe this merits even a 3--more like a 2.5, based on the ridiculously overwrought plot. but i give bonus points to any book in which music features prominently. other implausibilities: the fact that everyone in paris is dying of cholera except anne, armand, pierre, who all have been in near proxity to many victims. [of course it's the young, sweet, beautiful mama who has to die--it's always the mother who dies in hollywood films, too, grr. it could not possibly be the ancient, crotchety marquis.]

i knew nothing about liszt other than that he was a famous musician. the author provides a bit more history in her questions at the end the book, but not much. she says she chose to create a fictional heroine rather than write about the real marie, which is is a shame, because anne seems rather vapid and 2-dimensional by comparison; pierre actually seems more real to me.
the historically true romance between marie and liszt ignites only the very end. sigh. i wish the author had made the book about them, but there are plenty of biographies, i'm sure. they were [apparently] notorious for their long affair. marie was the one who risked the most, forfeiting access to her young children, then when liszt left her, she became a famous writer. i wish the book had had more details about both she and liszt; for instance, was Delacroix a good friend in real life? it would have been nice to learn more about chopin, too.

the one aspect of life at the time that rang true to life was the cholera epidemic. it might as well have been the plague given the number of people dropping dead everyday. dunlap rather ghoulishly dwells on the stench of vomit and rotting bodies, and afterwhile i started to feel like marie, who banned any mention of the 'c' word at her evening salon.

though this book is cataloged as adult fiction in my library system catalog, i noticed that dunlap's subsequent novels--also starring young women--are classified as young adult fiction. that is probably a wise move on her part, because criticism of the books' literary merit is bound to be more lenient. not many professional book critics bother with juvenile fiction, so her books can fly under the radar.

two comments for parents of young girls: anne sets a decent example for young, impressionable readers. she is so dedicated to her music that she practices *hours* each day [grin]. she has matured and now feels ashamed of her infatuation with liszt. she had already met pierre before, and knew him to be conscientious, fond of music, and true to his word, but she finally sees him as an attractive young man who worships her, a young professional with a promising career who saves his money and is from a reputable middle-class family. no skeletons in his closet! poor anne, on the other hand... dunlap does not reveal the identity of her biological father, which is a disappointment.

so everything turns up roses for anne, but what about poor armand? he can no longer expect a fortune as an illegitimate son, only the funds sandrine left in her will to her husband, armand's biological father.

there are so many things that make no sense, but ultimately we can only throw up or hands and move on. the author doesn't care, so why should we?

[Kane Cazares · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book chose third person point of view but first person multiple point of view would have made the story stronger. It has a slow start but the descriptions of the cholera outbreak in Paris and the differences between the upper and lower classes are very well written. The book stays true to most of its historical information and how life was like for people in France in 1832. It was upsetting to keep track of all the relationships and love triangles especially between Anne and Armand, Pierre, and Franz Liszt. I am happy that all the misunderstandings were cleared up in the end, though. Marie finally learns that Franz did not have feelings for Anne and in a satisfying ending the two make up. The adventures of Anne at the end of the story and the marquis's suspicious acts make the plot much more exciting and finish the book with a surprising ending.
My reading notes on the themes and vocabulary of the book help make the story more understandable but spoiler warning as some of these notes are short chapter summaries.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel starts slow (and boring) but eventually picks up. The drama/intrigue kept me entertained til the end, in a cheap "whodunit" sort of way. I do wish this novel actually had been about Liszt, or more importantly about his affair with Countess Marie d'Agoult. Instead I was subjected to the love and financial woes of the fictional Mary-Sue Countess Anne de blahblah who annoyed me greatly. Liszt came off as a womanizing pansy and I never got to know Marie's character since both historical figures were forced to take a backseat. Anyways, apparently the real Countess Marie d'Agoult wrote a fictionalized take on she and Liszt's relationship, titled "Nelida" which I shall be checking out next.

[Breeana Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a semi-interesting novel, in my opinion. After reading about one quarter of the book, I skipped to the end to find out what happened only because it seemed to get a little slow, or just vaguely boring. Some parts were more interesting than others, and sometimes I had to force myself to keep reading, just to say I finished it (I often start books and don't always finish them).

The timeframe and place of this story takes place during an awful epidemic of cholera. How thankful I am for modern medicine and that I have not witnessed hundreds and thousands of deaths due to one, awful plague! I'm also grateful I don't live in a day of arranging marriages. Good heavens.

[Lela · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know how the formula of Three's Company was composed solely on misunderstandings that could easily had been resolved by simply talking to one another?
Set that in cholera-stricken 19th century France and lose all the comedy, you have Liszt's Kiss.
The female characters are annoyingly desperate and whiney while the male characters are oblivious, unnecessarily ambiguous, and at times unreasonably foolish.
I just couldn't really bring myself to care what happened to any of them. The ending was contrite and so rushed together, it reminded me of a farce.
Spare your time, pass this over.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved reading this book. It was the perfect mix of everything - 19th century Paris, classical music, romance, and intrigue. It was very well written -- in fact, this is the 2nd book I have read by this author. My husband jokes that she's writing these books just for me, since the subject matter is so perfect. As always, I loved reading about the interactions between the artists and composers living in Paris during that time. If you have any interest in the arts scene in Paris during the Romantic era, I highly recommend this book to you! You will not be disappointed.

[Kate Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

February is a good time to read something deliciously romantic, and this was my choice this year. It has more depth than just a romance, though; I learned quite a bit about Franz Liszt, his love Marie D'Agoult (also a historical character), and a little of what it might have been like to live in the Paris of their young adulthood. The author's knowledge of classical piano music was a bonus. I liked the fictional main character, and thoroughly enjoyed finding out how the various secrets and intrigues of the story would work out.

[Cathy Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second novel by Susanne Dunlap is much improved over her debut novel, "Emilie's Voice". So many twists and turns, my interest was kept the whole story through. My one criticism was the French phrases that sent me searching for translations. Perhaps they are obvious phrases to Ms. Dunlap, but I felt a little lost. Luckily she stopped the phrases as the story got exciting. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

[Elizabeth ♛Smart Girls Love Trashy Books♛ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it's ironic that everyone hates THIS book by this author, when there are other books she's written that are far more deserving of that hate. I liked this book! Not only does it take place during a pandemic, which is a topic that's barely explored in fiction, but it's a cholera epidemic! My favorite disease! My only qualm was that it takes place in France, which isn't a very fascinating place after you've read about a billion books about it.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was better than I thought. I had a hard time putting it down. It was historically interesting, with characters like Liszt, Chopin and Delacroix from history tied into an interesting fictional story line. It wasn't as good as "Girl with a Pearl Earring", but just as good as "The Other Boleyn Girl" (and not nearly as graphic!)

[Bambi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had the potential to be really interesting, but given the fact that the author couldn't decide which "voice" to tell the story from and had a very unsatisfying ending, I couldn't really enjoy the book as much as I might have. It did make me want to read more about Liszt, but I think I'll look for a well-written non-fiction piece on him next time ...

[Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for the historical background; 1 star for the narration. the title & story has all the juice to make the juciest historical "romance" ever but the author doesn't have a unique voice so this amazingly interesting history falls flat. and what's with the title? it's so lame. a good library e-borrow.