Showing posts with label maybe books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maybe books. Show all posts

Stitches in Air: A Novel About Mozart's Mother Review

Stitches in Air: A Novel About Mozart's Mother
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I just read this wonderful novel. It is the story of Mozart's mother. The author wanted to write a nonfiction book on this subject but could not find enough source material. So she took what she had and wrote a book assuming that Mozart's mother, Anna Pertl Mozart, was a gifted composer who studied at the Nonnberg convent before her marriage to Leopold. It is a beautifully written and imagined book. In the Afterward the author makes it very clear what information she did have and which ideas she invented.
The title refers not only to the lace that she made but also to the fact that all her music and almost all her letters disappeared into the air. Mozart's sister and fellow composer, Nannerl, is a major figure in this family novel. The world's effect on all musicians of the day, especially the women, is dramatically brought to life.

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STITCHES IN AIR: A NOVEL ABOUT MOZART'S MOTHER is the compelling story of Anna Pertl Mozart, mother of the inspired and heralded 18th-century composer.A gifted musician in her own right, Anna's talents and aspirations were denied during the Age of Enlightenment, which championed the Rights of Man but held that Nature had designed Woman to cook, clean, knit and darn stockings.

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Smoke and Mirrors Review

Smoke and Mirrors
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The introduction almost holds together as John Leonard ignores the scientific basis of television research and counters it with indefensible but plausible-sounding arguments. Then he talks a little about Ed Sullivan. Then he wanders around for another few hundred pages tossing factlets into our faces, seemingly without ever making a point, using logic, or doing anything other than showing off his immense knowledge of TV trivia and inability to use reason. This is the worst book I have ever read, and that's saying something.
Each chapter is a wandering group of lists, as Leonard tosses out name after name after name, dazzling us with both the amount of time spent in front of the TV and his wonderful memory for actors and series - but there is no depth behind anything. No point seems to ever be made. It's like watching the images flashed in movie commercials - but for hours instead of 30 seconds. Watching too much TV seems to have left Leonard without the ability to focus his attention for any length of time.
Do yourself a favor and find a book written by someone who (a) can actually make arguments, (b) understands how research is conducted, (c) has something to say, and/or (d) can actually provide information rather than rambling on and on for nearly 300 pages about his opinions on this, that, and the other thing, in the end without imparting any information other than some useless facts about Ed Sullivan (in chapter one so you can save lots of time by stopping there).
I borrowed this book for free from the library and did not find it to be worth the price.
PS> Most of my other reviews have all been positive so I'm not some sort of crank ... nor do I think I disagree with whatever Leonard's main point is, though I have no idea what that might be. And ignore the "this refers to the hardcover edition" comment, it's both!

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