Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully spoken catharsis
Review: In this pain-packed volume of beautifully expressed emotion, many demons are conquered -- the most infuriating of which is Stefan, a frustrated Stradivarius-obsessed ghost from long ago Austria, who haunts Triana, a newly widowed lover of classical music. Stefan uses Triana's painful past (a drunken mother, a negligent father, a broken marriage) and various losses (a daughter killed by cancer, a husband killed by AIDS, and a sister whose whereabouts are unknown) in an effort to justify his own sin of killing his father rather than relinquish his beloved Stradivarius. Stefan tells Triana up front that he intends to drive her to madness. Using the misfortune in her life, he gives it a good effort; however, Triana proves herself stronger than he. Rather than harming her, Stefan helps Triana to heal, achieve and overcome. Rice's beautiful writing is disruptive and confusing, and it should be. She is writing about hallucinations, conversations with a ghost, void of physical reality, but filled with the tone and fiber and emotion of dreams everyone experiences. This is a unique book, the first by Anne Rice that I have read, and I believe a very under-appreciated book.
Rating: 
Summary: DARKLY CONFUSING
Review: I've enjoyed some of Anne Rice's previous books while I found others too confusing and ill-plotted with too many extraneous characters thrown in just to keep the story boiling. While Violin is as dark and lush as her previous work (the prose itself is gorgeous), I think it's probably Rice's worst. It begins hauntingly enough: the heroine cannot force herself to stop sleeping with her dead husband's rotting corpse, lest she lose the memory of him altogether. From this intriguing beginning, the waters grow ever muddier. The plot begins to meander and the characters' motivations become less and less clear. It finally became a chore just to turn the pages. What promised to be a dark, lush mood piece evolved into nothing more than a jumbled stream-of-consciousness with a very unsatisfying ending. Of course, the similarities between the main character and Rice, herself, cannot be overlooked. Anne Rice is usually too "dark" for my taste, but she IS an immensely talented writer when she sticks to her plot thread. If Stephen King is the Master of Horror (and he is), and Mary Higgins Clark the Master of Suspense, then Anne Rice has certainly earned the title Master of Darkness. Please, Ms. Rice, sit down and plot a new vampire tale, then let your imagination go to work. I'm sure you'll find yourself back on top of the bestseller list again!
Rating: 
Summary: Rice is playing to a different tune.
Review: I'm not a big Anne Rice fan. I don't dislike her, but the mention of her name kinda invokes an indifference in me. I was however pretty impressed with this book. I wasn't blown away by my enthusiasm, but I felt this book was much better than the pulp I've read that she has produced in the past. I don't want to insult the readers of Rice's "regular" novels with the name pulp, but let's be honest that is what it is and believe me there is nothing wrong with it. Literary elitist tend to pick on writers with mainstream appeal and the writers in response spend alot of time finding respect that most of them deserve. I think this was Rice's attempt at doing so. The work reads almost dreamlike, but than quickly fades into a story and neither of which is bad and actually pretty good at times. The beginning of the novel isn't as surreal as it is portrayed by many other reviewers and central part is entertaining. It ends nicely and actually as quickly as it should. This is a nice piece I recommend it, but not to readers wanting the same ole' Anne Rice.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't read it...
Review: This is the first Anne Rice book I've ever read, and I was so disappointed. I couldn't even manage to finish the whole book, but I skimmed and scanned some pages in the middle and in the end of the book. The beginning was good in the first few chapters, then out of the blue a million characters popped out, and as a reader I got so confused. There were more exclaimations than needed, which made the story/ persona sounded unrealistic and airy. Perhaps it was too abstract for me, or I didn't get to see the beauty of it, but honestly I won't recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: It took me a year to read this one...
Review: when I usually stay up all night just to get through one of Anne Rice's books. I must say I was very dissappointed with this one. I picked it up and put it down at least seven or eight times just trying to get "into" it. It took some doing but I finally managed to get through it. I must say it was a forced read. One I would take to the doctors or dentists office, because I wouldnt mind the hours of interruption. As one of her most faithful fans I usually buy or even pre-order her books... My advice for the reader is to buy only if you are curious and then with caution.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it for yourself to decide...
Review: Let me first say, the overwhelming amounts of reviews that complain that its not in line with her other styles of writting is atrocious. Mrs. Rice has, in a sense, strayed from her more Gothic/Horror novels into a world painfully real and yet surreal at the same time, but this does not mean that the book is bad.
In Violin, your taken into the haunted and slightly maddening world of Triana, a woman in her 50's whose AID's infected husband has just died, one in a string of deaths through out Trianas life, and each adding to her burden of guilt that she couldnt save them somehow. Its in this slightly deranged state that Stephen appears, a ghost that has nothing to do with her past yet can call it up with one touch of the bow to the violin. His goal is to drive her mad, as so many others he has driven mad, but she proves to be beyond the point of breaking, or ideed, she is already too broken, and in her defiance of the visions he invokes, she takes from him the one thing that he treasures, and falls into the ghostly world of Stephens life and death.
It is, beyond all criticims of 'straying from style' and 'too close to home', a deliciously good book. While Triana certainly doesnt envoke a character that one would like (indeed, her wallow in self pity and remorse for a life out of control made me hate her), Stephen proves a very dynamic and intriguing character and alone makes this book worth reading; and the places and description so comman to Anne Rice only add to its appeal. It prevokes a thoughtful response of human passions and relations, and is an attempt at looking at death that Rice avoids in her famous Vampire Chronicles. Where Lestat sees death as something horrible to avoid at all costs and purely mortal in its happenings, Triana and Stephen show that it is not the utter end to everything, and that death can be far worse for those left behind than those who die.
This is not to say that there is nothing wrong with it, but as with all Rice's books, its the same genral annoyance. That is, she delves into cvontemplating the existnce of God and poking at Christianity as she always does, but it is far less pronounce then as in, say, Memnoch the Devil or The Vampire Lestat, and can be ignored with more ease if that is your wish. Over all, I reccomend VIOLIN with full confidence and go as far as to say it is definatly my favorite out of all her books(that is, until I get my copy of Cry to Heaven. We'll see^_^)
Rating:
Summary: decent premise, overly florid
Review: The idea of a possessive ghost-virtuoso evoking madness by playing on Triana's "ghosts" from her past has the potential to be a thrilling story, though this is done in Gaston Leroux's _Phantom of the Opera_ also. Unfortunately, _Violin shares just the weaknesses of _Phantom_ and then some. Triana is, if possible, even more childish and melodramatic than Christine. Her constant interjections of "Oh, sea," or "Oh, (anything)" and overuse of exclamations ("Shame, maim, pain, blame, vain!") and tears make her seem like a breathless little girl having a tantrum. This makes it difficult to identify with her and absorb the story. She narrates some passages poetically--a description of Stefan's fiddling style, a picture of St. Sebastian--but unfortunately *everything* is described using strings of adjectives, which detracts attention from the important parts that *need* the description and just makes the book seem gaudy and bloated. Stefan also bears more than a passing resemblance to Erik (his virtuosity & jealousy), but at least I have some sympathy for Erik despite his equal melodrama in _Phantom_. While Stefan's backstory is interesting and may provide some insight into his malingering, I can't muster any sympathy. Perhaps because of the romantic narration, even his reason for dying just sounds like a child's excuse for being a bully. He remains one-dimensional even to the end--his change is never explained. Come to think of it, Triana's sudden gift is never explained either--and if there's nothing to precede the *climax*, of all things, there's a problem--we stop believing the story! I can't even criticize this being a knockoff of _Phantom_--it doesn't even have a shred of whatever dignity _Phantom_ managed. It's an easy, quick read, though--maybe from its soap-opera feel.
Rating:
Summary: Do not read this book
Review: This is by far Anne's worst book. I have never in my life read such self-indulgent tripe. I am a big fan of her particular style of writing and love her books but I have never taken so long to read such a short book. I was very disappointed to see my favourite living writer was capable of writing such drivel. I immediately reread some of her previous offerings to remind myself exactly how talented she is.
Rating:
Summary: Not my favorite Rice novel
Review: Heroine: plump Triana Becker has lost so much in her life: parents, siblings, husbands, daughter. And now it would seem her sanity has fled as well. Surely it has or she wouldn't be dreaming of lying in her loved ones' embrace deep in the silent grave, wouldn't hear the siren call of a tormented ghost and his unearthly violin's haunting music. Can Triana resist the seductive lure of the virtuoso or will she follow him into darkness?
What worked for me: I could relate to the heroine as far as her size and her fierce desire for a musical ability she has always lacked. I also understood her self-flagellation, though not the extreme depth of it. The author's use of first person point of view really drove those feelings and insights home. The spectral prince and his narrative were intriguing. (Honestly, I didn't get into "Violin" until he revealed his history to us halfway through the book, though I didn't fall for him like our heroine did. He just wasn't mesmerizing for me.)
Size-wise Triana was short and pear-shaped. One of her sisters was also quite round.
What didn't work for me: This novel felt a bit like "Amadeus" meets "A Christmas Carol" meets "The Red Shoes", as channeled by Gertrude Stein through Anne Rice. The writing was pretty convoluted at times in order to capture the essence of madness, but if you aren't in the mood for that sort of thing trying to slog through it will likely drive you mad yourself. (My own head wasn't in the right place for this book when I read it. I wanted it to recreate that delicious chilling thrill I'd had while reading "Queen of the Damned" during a house-sitting stint on a dark and stormy night. An unfair standard, I know. But frankly, the old Zebra gothics did more for my goose bumps than this particular Rice venture did.)
Overall:
"Violin" is a dark and intriguing look at family dysfunction, but don't pick it up expecting to have your hair and toes curled by page three. Or at all. Warning there is an extreme fixation with death and a few disturbing images in this book. If you liked "Violin" you might also enjoy "Etta Mae's Little Theory" and the Halloween reading list.
Rating:
Summary: This doesn't deserve a standing ovation!
Review: WOW THIS BOOK IS CORNY! Though I read this book yeaaars ago, I can remember the corny scenes that depict the character re-living her days as a violinist..pouring her "heart & soul" out from the instrument, while she plays a dangerous duet with the devil... Maybe it's because i'm a violinist..that I can laugh and shake my head at such nonsense..but besides that..it was just boring and VERY slow...it's just frustrating to read since it lacks substance. If you're just getting into reading Anne Rice novels, I suggest reading, The Vampire Lestat.
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