The Prague Sonata

I have to confess that I generally do not enjoy reading detective novels, but this book caught my attention since Prague is my native city. I was not disappointed: there was no murder, no violence and sex was subdued. The writer led the plot skillfully through the places and times proving his thorough knowledge of history, geography, art and psychology. At the opening chapters the reader got acquainted with the main characters and the plot keeps one so involved in the story that the introduction of other people comes very naturally. I valued the action unpredictability: whenever one thought that the plot would unfold according to one's expectations it took a surprisingly new direction. The novel is a rather thick one, but at the end I was sorry there were no more pages.

I'm glad I ignored the reviews that claimed there was too much music. This was a great story about a woman, Meta Taverner, whose career as a classical pianist is sidelined by an accident. She encounters an elderly woman who has one of three pieces of a sonata and a story about how she ended up with it. Meta sets out to locate the two other pieces of the sonata. Set mostly in Prague, the book is equal parts history, romance, mystery, music, and quest.

This intricate tale of the survival and re-discovery of a mysterious sonata has many strengths and I decided it merited four stars. But it suffered from a need for editing, tightening and attention to plot. The musicology is very impressive, the historical perspective is not. Characters are mechanical the drama of the compelling story would have greatly benefited from sharp editing. It's too long and too often just unfocused. But the story itself is haunting and engrossing. I enjoyed it but was repeatedly frustrated by its shortcomings. If you enjoy multi-generational historical murals you'll find this an entertaining if flawed read and the narrative will carry it even with its baggage.

This book got a wonderful review in Wall Street Journal, which is why I bought it. It needs editing, because there is a lot of padding that has nothing to do with the story. The first half was interesting, but the second half is really annoying as lots of distracting nonsense that interferes with plot. I would not recommend this book, even though the subject matter is interesting to me. Where was the editor for this project?

The most imaginative thing about this book is the title. Everything else is mundane. Characters are all alike, not well defined, and dialogue is boring and derivative. Plowing through it was like eating one's vegetables and there was no dessert.. In fact, the ending was even unsatisfying and abrupt, as though the author realize he had droned on too long and had to stop his overflow of words somehow; so no satisfying resolution for the Sonata, and a miraculous hand recovery for Meta and a magical successful return to concert playing (all on the last two pages.) I was hoping for another book with the beautiful prose of "The Gentleman from Moscow." This was not the book. I'm not likely to read another one by this author.

4 1/2 stars.I enjoyed this book. While it will probably appeal most to avid readers who also are classical music enthusiasts, it has enough plot twists and turns (as well as facets of an historical thriller) to reach a broader audience.The book is on the long side, but never drags. In some ways, however, I almost wish the author had lingered even longer on the loving and granular details of Prague—both in the late ‘30s/‘40s and in the (roughly) current timeframe. I felt the author scratched the surface on a wealth of local color and culture, but didn’t always deploy it to its fullest advantage in rounding out the plot-driven aspects of the story.I also felt at times the writing style was a bit clunky and some specific plot twists asked for a wee bit too much suspension of disbelief. In many novels, this might not be an issue; however in one whose credibility rests so much on historical period authenticity, the occasionally fanciful plot twists detracted from its power.All that aside, I’d recommend this novel, and will definitely look for the author’s other works.

This story spans more than a century and parallels the political catastrophes that engulf the city of Prague. The heroine has a passion for music performance and her concert pianist career is thwarted by a car accident. When she is given a piece of a lost masterpiece of unknown origin, her passion is rekindled with her search for the complete work and it's origin. The characters from both the past and present are woven around this mysterious music and as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that it may have a priceless monetary value due to it's origins. Meta is committed to the sound and the integrity of it's ownership. It has survived both the Nazis and the Communists and still it is threatened by the potential monetary value. Most of the characters are likeable protagonists who are supporting the integrity of the original music and the villains are obvious. It was a fun read and having recently visited Prague I was able to relate to the many landmarks and descriptions.

I love historical fiction, especially about WWII. The mixture of that, the in-depth information about Prague and its residents, along with the abundance of musicology, made this a wonderful read. If you love music, especially classical music, this would be enjoyable.