Rating: 
Summary: Worth the wait...almost
Review: Like many others, I've been waiting for another book from the author of "Stop-Time", a book that profoundly influenced my own, somewhat lonely, musical adolescense. This musical biography was worth the wait. I, too, like Claude, grew up to be a professional musician. And many of his lyric flights about music and how it works rang true. Unfortunately, not all did. Specifically, the audition with Frescobaldi was painful: no musician, no matter how eccentric, would act in such a fashion. Nor were the scenes with his (understandably frustrated) manager or his legendary teacher true to life. Again, no soloist would ever, for any reason, miss a dress rehearsal of a concerto -- or allow a very junior colleague (who had never played with an orchestra, yet!) to "stand in" for him at an major rehearsal. The business of music-making both on stage and off is a **lot** less poetic and glamourous than one finds here. So I am disappointed that Mr. Conroy romanticizes the main topics of his book. But.... it's a helluva good story with a more-than-sympathetic protaganist. I guess I was hoping for more of the hard-edged, bittersweet, and completely unromantic flavor of his earlier masterpiece. If you haven't read "Stop-Time" yet, do yourself a big favor!
Rating: 
Summary: "Body and Soul"- A Pianist's Point of View
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: "Body and Soul"- A Pianist's Point of View
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging and enlightening -- One of my favorites!
Review: No gimmicks. Great writing. Convincing in the demonstration of music's power to transform. My wife loved it too.
Rating:
Summary: Another Conroy winner
Review: 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
Rating: 
Summary: An Obvious Plot, Run of the Mill Writing and Ultimately Dull
Review: Nothing about this book stands out. You have probably met this plot (or one that could be it's twin) in many other half forgotten books. Lacks originality, lacks uniqueness, lacks freshness in both written technique and character development. Predictable.
Rating:
Summary: Worth Reading and Recommending!!
Review: One of the best books I've ever read. You can see the little boy who lives in the basement looking up through the window, watching the feet of the passersby on the sidewalks of New York. And you can feel how he feels as he escapes into the piano. Not only will you get lost in this wonderful story, but you may find yourself as I did actually reading paragraphs over just because they were so beautifully written. His words ARE music. This is an amazing book. Frank Conroy, if you're out there.....please, write something else!!! I want more
Rating: 
Summary: Mr. Faustus
Review: Save for Thomas Mann's magisterial Dr. Faustus, Body and Soul is the best musical novel I've read. What Johnson said of Milton's Paradise Lost -- "it is not the greatest of heroic poems only because it is not the first" -- applies. Read both books and judge for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Great beginning, Hollywood ending
Review: The first half or so of this story was a page-turner, a young boy born into not so nice circumstances turns out to be a musical prodigy. The descriptions of the boy, Claude, as he delves deeper and deeper into the world of music held my attention though I am not a musician and cannot read music. After the discovery of music beginning was over though, I feel the author had nothing else, after that every possible cliche that could be fitted into the story was, the characters were unreal and one-dimensional, everything was just too good to be true. If you're a music lover, this book will probably interest you in spite of the lame plot.
Rating:
Summary: Great beginning, Hollywood ending
Review: The first half or so of this story was a page-turner, a young boy born into not so nice circumstances turns out to be a musical prodigy. The descriptions of the boy, Claude, as he delves deeper and deeper into the world of music held my attention though I am not a musician and cannot read music. After the discovery of music beginning was over though, I feel the author had nothing else, after that every possible cliche that could be fitted into the story was, the characters were unreal and one-dimensional, everything was just too good to be true. If you're a music lover, this book will probably interest you in spite of the lame plot.
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