Rating: 
Summary: Buy it, You will not be dissapointed.
Review: Rose Tremain has developed into a first-rate historical novelist. <Restoration,> which she wrote a decade earlier, was her first strictly historical novel and <Music and Silence> is her culminating point. It is all that one can ask for in a novel. Lovers of intrigue will find riches here, as will fans of romance without the treacle. As historical novels go, this one is rich in terms of story, some would say thin in terms of history. However, historical detail and accuracy is not Tremain's aim here. In fact, whole chapters owe more to the tradition of magical realism than to historical fiction. Tremain is looking to Corelli, Scarlatti and Couperin for her inspiration, with a brief sidebar or two to Marquez. So readers looking for a history fix a-la Uris or Flanagan should look elsewhere. If comparisons were needed, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to liken Tremain at her best to Mark Helprin at his. Both often take an incident in the historical tapestry and reweave it into something entirely original and bold. They are similar as well in their occasional weaknesses. Some of their characters are beautifully developed, while others are aborted before they gain any real dimension or texture. Neither goes in much for concrete details. Instead, they rely on poetic imagery and color to provide sensory impressions. Both also draw on the tradition of magical realism in that they combine the mythic with the profane, and combine the possible, the probable, the improbable and the impossible in their fictions. For Tremain, <Music and Silence> marks her furthest venture yet into this genre. The plot of the novel shifts kaleidoscopically amongst figures both real and imagined in 17th century Denmark, Norway and England. Each succeeding chapter offers a juxtaposed narrative, so those looking for pure linear story-telling might be uncomfortable with Tremain's style. However, the narrative never really drifts far afield, and Tremain remains firmly in control, presenting us with a composition that is at once baroque in terms of its spiraling dimensions, and modern in terms of its strange cadences and even its occasional dissonance. This is the one novel that I am enthusiastically and unhesitatingly recommending to friends and acquaintances when the conversation turns to books. Number One with a Bullet.
Rating: 
Summary: elegant and fabulous intertwining stories
Review: Rose Tremain has once again created a time period quite remote (the 17th century) with such intricate delicacy and charm that one feels transferred in time, without being annoyed. By craftily using tales and diaries, she manages to make the reader swoon over some characters and hate some of them as well. One is gripped right at the start with the fabulous tales of these characters one cannot help but continue to read. They simply cannot let go of the reader, now opened to these pseudo-magical world. It is heart-wraming, heart-breaking tale all at the same time. With a prose that is not overbearing, over-styled, nor simplistic, a reader can only but feel the power of language to speak for itself. Indeed, only those who watch Jerry Springer could say convincingly that they hate this book!
Rating:
Summary: Not "Restoration," but a good read
Review: Rose Tremain's "Music and Silence" marks her return both to the historical novel and to the 17th century. As in her earlier, supreior novel, "Restoration," she treats her readers to a behind-the-scenes look at the private lives of the nobility, as told from the perspective of fictionalized factotums who are but pawns in the hands of their betters. The narrative focus shifts back and forth among a large cast of characters, which includes King Christian of Denmark and his Royal Consort, Kirsten Munk, but the heart of the novel is really an English lutenist, Peter Claire, who falls in love with one of Kirsten's women-in-waiting, the emotionally fragile Emilia, and in whose features the King senses the angelic presence of a childhood friend. There are palace plots and intrigues to unravel, such as that of Kirsten's own mother to replace her in the king's affections with a serving wench, and skeletons in the royal closet, chief among which is Christian's mistreatment of the very friend, Bror Brorson, of whom Peter is a reminder, in an act of perfidy that continues to haunt him into old age. But the story is best when it focuses on the fates of lesser mortals, such as Peter and Emilia, whose happiness is imperiled by the piques and passions of their royal employers, although the king's coming to terms with the memory of Bror makes for a satisfying story arc that gives the novel closure. The historical backdrop to "Music and Silence" is much less flamboyant, and therefore less compelling, than it was in "Restoration," which drew upon the plague and the fire of London, but its quieter story is no less engrossing, and no less instructive of the period it embodies. All in all, a good read.
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Summary: Music Real and Imagined
Review: Rose Tremain's gorgeous novel, Music and Silence, is the best book I have read in several years and one of my alltime favorites, by far. The book's central character is Peter Claire, an English lutenist, who, in 1629, arrives at the palace of King Christian IV of Denmark to join the royal orchestra. Things are not quite what Peter expected, however, and he is more than surprised when he learns the king requires his orchestra to perform in a freezing cellar, among a group of squawking hens, while the orchestra's exquisite music floats up to the Vinterstue via a series of trapdoors and pipes. Although Peter Claire is the central figure in this novel, there are many others whose stories are no less important. One of these stories belongs to Kirsten Munk, wife of Christian IV and the "almost Queen" of Denmark. Kirsten despises music and chooses to spend her time either dreaming of the Swedish Count Otto or frolicking with him, whichever the case may be. Kirsten's favorite lady-in-waiting, Emilia Tilsen, also plays a very important role in this magical book, for Emilia Tilsen and Peter Claire fall in love at first sight on the grounds of Rosenborg, the palace that Christian built for his unfaithful wife. But will Peter's and Emilia's love be allowed to blossom or will it wither on the vine? When the adulterous Kirsten is banished from court, she takes Emilia with her, thus jeopardizing the young girl's future happiness with the English lute player. Music and Silence is also the story of the beautiful Irish countess, Francesca O'Fingal, a Bologna-born Italian beauty whose husband, Johnny, is the subject of a metaphorical subplot. We learn his story from Francesca via her notebook, aptly named, "La Dolorossa." And, if this isn't magic enough, Francesca and Johnny both have a connection to Peter Claire. And then there is Marcus Tilsen, Emilia's five year old brother, a fey imp of a child whose thoughts are "plucked from the air" and who seems to possess magical powers, powers that will one day be needed to save the life of Peter Claire. If these fascinating characters are not enough to keep any reader thoroughly engrossed, we also learn the story of Emilia's father, Johann and his second wife, Magdelena, a bewitching woman who has learned to use her wiles well, but never wisely. Another wonderful character is Christian's mother, the miserly Queen Sofie, a woman whose antics lend much comedic lightness to this gorgeous tale. Tremain is a master storyteller and a master at characterization. We really come to know each character through the author's skillful first-person narration. While each one occupies a special place in our thoughts, it is Peter Claire who stands at the center, the connecting point from which all the other stories radiate. While some of these characters are more good than bad, and others more bad than good, none are without both virtues and vices, something that only endears them to us. The Dowager Queen Sofie may be a miser, but she is a comic one. Kirsten may be selfish and self-centered, but she, too, has moments when she finds it in her heart to love unselfishly. Music and Silence is a lavish feast of a novel set against the fascinating historical background of 17th century Denmark. It encompasses characters of tremendous depth and a wide range of emotion. Tremain's writing is absolutely flawless; the smallest detail is given as much love and attention as is the largest set piece. This elegant and stylish book is an unparalleled accomplishment for Rose Tremain and an unparalleled treat for any sophistical reader. No one could ask for more.
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Summary: Doings in Denmark
Review: Setting a historical novel at the time of King Christian IV offers many ambiguities. For one not only is the fate of the main characters in suspense, but also are the real ones. The paucity of literture on the king and his consort adds to the suspense of the story.
This book is imbued with a strong sense of fantasy and what could be termed a form of magic realism. At times one feels as though one has entered a private world, much like the one that one of the characters a five year old named Marcus periodically inhabits.
But perhaps the most perfectly realized character in the book is not King Christian, his mother Sofia (who finds new ways of hoarding gold as Denmark heads towards bankruptcy), Peter Claire the lutinist, or even Emila, but the kings consort, Kirstin. Kirstin is the uncrowned queen of Denmark and quite the sensualist. No cruelty seems beyond her and the "selections from her private papers" are some of the best parts of the book. She is a creature of pure selfish instincts however she might argue against this view. Rose Tremain says in an interview published at the end of the book that she enjoyed writing these sections most of all. The reading of these sections are just as enjoyable.
Tremain also has a good sense of creating a fantastic world filled with many stimulating details. Her gift for prose makes even a blank piece of paper appear sexy, quite a feat for even the most polished prose stylist.
This is a remarkable book and the author well-deserves all the praise that she has received for this work.
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Summary: Conquering Silence
Review: Setting the stage in a cellar in the midst of 17th century Denmark, a somewhat deranged monarch assembles some of Europe's best musicians to entertain him year round. As winter falls, the musicians struggle to stay warm as their melodic sounds waft through the floorboards and entertain the king. The interchanges, the intrigues, are of great fascination. Never would one think they would become some entranced in a story of this nature. But it is one of the most seductive books I have read all year....compelling me to turn each page faster and savor the last several pages...wanting the story to continue indefinitely. The language is rich, the secrets are many, and the history is a plus. A wonderful discovery and a must read for the discerning reader not won over easily by today's bestseller and club recommendations.
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Summary: Written from a woman's perspective
Review: This book is a very well written and spellbinding book about the danish court as it was around 1630 when Christian the Fourth was king and it's about his relationship with his mistress (and only true love) Kirsten Munk when they were leaving each other. There are many good things about this book, the first thing that I must mention is the impressive research that Rose Tremain has done in order to write this book. I'm danish and I have not been able to find a single historical inaccuracy about the events she describes, exept when it is clearly something fictional that she has made up to make the story coherent and exiting, like f.eks. the private conversations (and the juicy sex-scenes!) The second thing is that the caracters are very sympathetically described, we can recognize them and their feelings and reactions. The third thing is that she is a feminist and very much anti-war minded, her disgust for macho behavior, violence and her desire for equality between the sexes shines through the whole story. I won't give away too many details, you may read the exerpts or some of the other reviews, I will only say that if you wan't an exiting adventure, partially based on real historical events, presented in a beautiful and apealing language then this is THE book for you!
Rating:
Summary: A stirring fairy tale of old...
Review: This is a wonderful historical novel set in the early 1600s in Denmark. King Christian IV is a decent king (as a result of his boyhood) with growing concerns (perhaps somewhat paranoid) about the financial state of his kingdom. He lives with his ghastly adulterous wife Kristen, and retreats from his daily miseries in his chamber music. The musicians he has are the finest in Europe and they must play for him at will from the unheated basement beneath his sitting room. Enter Peter Claire, an English lute player of fine repute and a beautiful face. Peter falls in love with Emilia, the adulterous queen's lovely young hand-maiden - but the evil queen works to destroy this love (probably mostly because it so real that she envies it).
The tales of the various personalities in this novel are expertly woven and while there is hate and destruction, there is also kindness, true love and some sweet (albeit late) revenge. The reviewer who wrote that this was the stuff of fairy tales has it right. Although this is a fairy tale, it is so well written that the reader can hear the sweet calm of the chamber players' music, can smell the virgin forests in which King Christian and his dear boyhood friend, Bror learn about life and loyalty, and can rejoice in the few moments of true passion in this novel. A wonderful tale of old, very well written, with an excellent story
Rating:
Summary: Spellbinding
Review: This is my first exposure to the writing of Rose Tremain. I cannot put this book down...it is with me constantly. I wish I could simply stop my life for a full day, to journey back to 17th century Denmark, instead of snatching moments of it here and there. Her characters are so vivid, and so delightfully crafted! I don't feel like an outside observer, but I feel part of the story itself. And every so often Ms. Tremain turns a phrase that I must stop and relish, read and reread, only to go back to it later on to enjoy it yet again. Marvelous writing. I can hardly wait to explore her other titles.
Rating:
Summary: sensational read
Review: This novel of 1629 Denmark is a wonderful read, brimming with a huge cast of colourful, odd and amusing characters. There are many subplots within this novel which centres around King Christian IV and his wife Kirsten. There are servants, musicians, mothers, children, families of servants and slaves to contend with, and this huge cast left me satisfied that I had learnt something of the era of King Christian's reign. A truly excellent book which I will follow up with Restoration!
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