Body & Soul

I read this book about 2 years ago and am preparing to read it again, something I almost never do. But I am a serious musician and this is the first fiction book I have read (people constantly give me books about "musicians" and I can never get past the first few innacurate,idealized pages), to portray the life of a classical musician accurately. (Try Hilary and Jackie for a non-fiction account, although now that's a very depressing story, Body and Soul is not.) For those who aren't musicians it may be hard to understand, that yes, people do "sponsor" and mentor young musicians with talent. No amount of money can instill this gift, it's a democratic talent. When musicians have this gift, and not just the ability, you can feel it radiating off of them, and it's intoxicating. I've been loaned gorgeous instruments I could never afford, been given ridiculously low prices for repair; once I had my instrument stolen and bought a cheap one to replace it,which I took to the repair shop. It was returned to me in an expensive case, completely outfitted and repaired--like Cinderella and the pumpkin. (And I'm nowhere near as talented as Conroy's hero.)So, the story rings true although it's not a common story. The hero's talent is massive, and there is only a handful of musicians it could pertain to in the entire world, but it's accurate as well as beautifully told and skillfully written. I was sad to come to the last pages, so I'm returning to this wonderful book.

After reading other reviews, I felt compelled to add my own. This is the best book I have ever read and as a musician, there are things about this book only musicians would understand. yes, you can be six and love to practice, you can turn out normal even if all you do is music, and music is a natural talent. One can develop the talent at a very young age without any guidance. Conroy displays all these traits with his character, Claude, and he does it beautifully. When I was a child, I'd sit at the piano for hours and I did somewhat teach myself how to read music. I didn't have a piano teacher yet but I still figured songs out and loved everything about the instrument. But I want to defend Conroy in that some children truly have a calling and will motivate themselves. Besides my argument, this book is extremely entertaining and when it was over I searched the back to make sure there were no hidden pages.

I read this, then all my teenage children read it, one after the other. Just wonderful. More please from Mr. Conroy. Bravo!

My teacher, knowing I was a pianist, recommended that I read this book for my summer reading assignment. I'm not a realistic fiction type of person, but I fell in love with this book after reading the first chapter. Conroy's style of writing, neither dry and terse nor florid and gushing, makes reading the words a pleasure. From a pianist's point of view, it is immediately obvious that Conroy did his homework on the technicalities of that instrument and of music as a whole. The thing that impressed me the most, however, was the intensity of his descriptions of Claude's feelings about the piano and about his music. Conroy's description of the "wall" that Claude faces was a wonderful insight as well. I have yet to come across another author whose descriptions harmonize with my own experiences. I understand (or at least think I understand) Claude's feelings and his dilemmas; that is due entirely to Conroy's writing. I seldom find books that draw me in like this one has. It's one of those rare books that have the ability to let the reader lose himself in the pages.

No, this isn't Pat Conroy, but it's the acclaimed teacher, Frank Conroy; and his book is wonderfully made. The scenes of Claude's childhood, like Peekay's first school experiences in The Power of One, will hit and stick. For those of us not familiar with the way music is taught to virtuosos and the kind of music theory their teachers indulge in, Conroy is kind yet instructive. If you ever played the piano, you'll love this book; and if you enjoy unusual characters and great characterization, grab this Conroy's book and enjoy