Hilary and Jackie

Rating:
Summary: Tragic and Extraordinary
Review: I think I read this book because I wanted to be a cellist. And when I finished reading it, I felt like a cellist. Jacqueline du Pre was humoristic, mysterious, and a genius above all. Some have gone to call her selfish and spoiled but I don't think she was either of those. She lived her life like how her famous Elgar Cello Concerto was played: Full of misery, depression, and lonliness. All who say she was just spoiled do not know what it is like to be seperated from everybody else by a rare gift. It's like they love you but they don't wish to ever get close to you. This book does go into every detail of her life, and all readers should be prepared for tears. But the result of knowing the life of a brilliant person is very worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Watch the Movie
Review: I think this is one of those rare times when the movie was better than the book. If you want a less dramatic version of the movie, read the book. Skip the parts written by Piers, it's a distraction from the main story. After all, it's called Hilary and Jackie, not Hilary, Jackie, and Piers.

Rating:
Summary: Watch the Movie
Review: I think this is one of those rare times when the movie was better than the book. If you want a less dramatic version of the movie, read the book. Skip the parts written by Piers, it's a distraction from the main story. After all, it's called Hilary and Jackie, not Hilary, Jackie, and Piers.

Rating:
Summary: It made Jackie seem so much more real, devastating to read
Review: I thought that it was extremely brave of Hilary and Piers to publish something so personal, and even though I felt that some situations could have been handled differently (Jackie and Kiffer sleeping together,to name just one)one must realize: this is not fiction, and because someone does not agree with what happened does not change the quality of the work. Masterfully written.

Rating:
Summary: A microscopic look into the live of a great musician
Review: Many thanks to Hilary and Piers Du Pré for sharing their memories of their sister with us. Reading their book makes one wonder of the difficulties and the wonderful times such a family must have had. I'm grateful to them for having shared this life with us. Jacqueline Du Pré's gave her life and her being to MUSIC and I'm thankful for her presence, although short, in this world. It's because of these "temperamental, egotistic and domineering artists" that our world is a better place to live in. I must leave you now Jacqueline Du Pré and her Elgar Concerto are calling me...

Rating:
Summary: Made my family life seem normal
Review: The intriguing story of an eccentric and dysfunctional family written solely from the perpsectives of two surviving siblings. Given the extreme sacrifices her mother and especially Hilary made for her, I would imagine Jackie to be an extraordinary personality. Unfortunately, there's not much evidence of that in this book. Personally, I didn't find her very likable, intriguing or sympathetic. It does, however, successfully portray her to be an incredible musician. Part of the problem I may have had with this book is that I have no musical abilities (or much interest), so the "brillance" of her personaltiy was mostly lost on me. And I can't imagine it was intentional, but I thought Kiffer came off looking like a big jerk. It might have been a better story if written by a more objective author who wrote from a variety of perspectives. Still it was interesting and must have taken a lot of courage to write.

Rating:
Summary: Every classical music fan should read this book.
Review: This book is certainly one of the best books I have read in my life. Not because it has significant literature value, but because it was written by the right people, ie. the sister and the brother who were so close together and loved each other so much. This is contrasting with "Jean Christophe" by Romain Rolland, which is about a great musician, but fabricated story with great literature value. Du Pre's book made me constantly laugh, made my eyes wet, gave me insights into musicality, warm humanity, and other valuable information bits about famous living (and/or dead now) musicians. Jean Christophe did the similar thing when I read it, but the majore difference would be authenticity and "genuineness". Most importantly, the authors successfully recreated the genius, Jacqueline de Pre, into life, and made me feel as if I was watching her, her family, her performances, and her life. As a result, I really had valuable and quality experience of reading. This is really a great book, and every classical music lover should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Mean spirited at best
Review: This book is the "Mommy, Dearest" for the cello set. This biography, written by Jacqueline Du Pré's sister and brother is Jackie's life as seen through the eyes of her siblings. Unfortunately, they are very jealous and, I think, petty relatives. According to this book, Jackie was a genius, but selfish, self-centered and an all-around not nice person. On the other hand, Hilary and Piers were giving and, consequently, martyred, all for the talent of Jacquelyn Du Pré. If you're in the mood for a really mean-spirited look into this cellist's life, this is the book you've been looking for!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: This is a rare book, rare as-in it is a beautifully honest depiction of Jackie Du Pre and rare for its great talent in writing. I could not put it down, literally! It is the type of book that makes you want to read more, it is the type of book that brings you to the edge and allows you to see the pain and feelings of others. I would recommend it to anybody, it is a little emotional masterpiece, it allows you to appreciate all things beautiful.

Rating:
Summary: Honest and Fair Memoir
Review: This is the story of Jackie du Pre, as told by her sister Hilary and brother Piers. It is a brave, honest, fair, and insightful account. Hilary describes both her sister's creative genius, and her emotional (or possibly chemical) frailities, and does so with intuition and, clearly, love. I did not find this book exploitive in the least - for those who only want to know the legend of Jacqueline du Pre, and not the human being, then this book is not for them. She was incredibly talented, incredibly complicated, and truly fascinating. It's sad that she did not get psychiatric care, which apparently she needed (and there is no shame in this). If you would like to read a rounded true story of Jacqueline du Pre, I would highly recommend this book.