Rating: 
Summary: Unremarkable
Review: As the ideal Chopin biography has yet to appear, I had high hopes for this book. But it looks as if Chopin fans are going to have to wait a while longer, because this one is unremarkable in every way. What appears to be a good idea in principle - a concise biography of Chopin's 18 years in Paris - breaks down due to Tad Szulc's complete inability to focus on any concept or topic. Szulc is an inept writer. His sentence structures are terrible. He seems to have nothing to say, and all day to say it. When the well really runs dry, he has a way of breaking off into obtuse generalities: "He must have been guided by destiny." I was unable to decipher so many of his ideas, sentences, and phrases that I wound up skimming the last 200 pages of the book. I read stacks of books -mostly about music- and this is the first book in years I've been unable to finish. Approach at your own risk. Me, I'll keep hoping for that elusive, comprehensive Chopin biography.
Rating: 
Summary: An indispensable book for Chopin fans.
Review: Hesitated to get this book for a long time because of the negative feedback from previous one, two, and three star reviewers. After finally getting my hands on it, those negative comments turned out to be either untrue, or so trivial compared to the enormous amount of information provided about our great composer. It is very readable. Lots of details. Lots of quotes directly from Chopin, his friends, Sand, AND most importantly, the circumstances for their remarks. Controversial evidences and author's own opinions were usually pointed out clearly. I felt this is very necessary. If writers inject too many their imaginations, opinions, and guidance into their biography books, then 1520 years from now, nobody will know what truly happened. I hope not only Chopin's music will last for thousands of years, his life story will also be carefully preserved. In case I'm biased, you probably want to know that I'm
1. A big Chopin fan.
2. Haven't read other Chopin biographies yet (otherwise will claim to be the "biggest fan") so don't know how this one compared to others.
3. Did read "Chopin's Letter". I'll go back to read that again because this book helped me a lot understanding all the names and their roles, and the context when a letter was written.
4. English is my second language. Since this book is very readable and easy to follow for me, you might find it too plainly written but I really doubt that'll be the case.
You'll appreciate this book if you are close to my situation. Submitted on a special day -- October 17.
Rating: 
Summary: good down-to-earth account of chopin's life and personality
Review: I have read many reviews of Chopin's music and listened to as much of his music as I could get a hold of, and so I was happy to find this book which concentrates on what Chopin was like as a person. Unlike several other Chopin biographies I have read, this one was very readable and easy to follow. Through the many accounts of his comtemporaries and selections from his own letters, we have no doubt that Chopin was a very complex person. He seems petty,insecure,and prone to speaking negatively about most of the people he knew. But he also had many friends who would do anything for him. If the author can be accused of being repetitive, it is because much of Chopin's life was repetitive-living with illness with short breaks of good health,giving lessons to survive,travelling back and forth between Paris and Nohant, and composing masterpiece after masterpiece. I particulary enjoyed anecdotes such as the story of how his friend Dr. Aleksander Hoffman suggested a slow introduction to the "Winter Wind" Etude. Imagine having your little suggestion used by one of the ultimate geniuses in music in one of the greatest bravura pieces for the piano! I wonder if Chopin had Dr. Hoffman's slow intro idea in mind when he was working on the first movement of his 2nd Sonata, Op. 35-one of the greatest intros in all of music? As a musician, I could also identify with the sad account of his last public appearance, which was at a Polish benefit concert and ball in England. Chopin gave a concert after the audience had enjoyed lively dancing, and no one was in the mood to listen. Even the great Chopin was booked in a bad "gig"-a fate which any musician, who has played for the public, is bound to experience. The book is a treat for anyone who loves Chopin's music. It leaves us to wonder how music so noble,eloquent, and simply "out-of-this-world", could come from someone who had many flaws and eccentricities, and who suffered greatly throughout his adult life.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed but STILL Fascinating
Review: I'm glad I gave this book a chance because I enjoyed it quite a lot. Why only 4 stars? A good editor would have cut out some repetitious details. It's annoying, but don't let it stop you from reading it. The tragedy of Chopin's short life was consumption (tuberculosis of the lungs). You'll marvel that he could give lessons and even perform in public when he seemed to be perpetually short of breath. In this sense, it's a story of triumphing over the odds. In another sense, it's a love story, i.e., his 8 year affair with George Sand (aka Aurore Dudevant). These were years of extraordinary creativity for Chopin. Their breakup was like many another - faults on both sides, misplaced pride, lack of communication, friends taking sides, etc. Your heart will break for Chopin in this final tragedy, particularly since we all know (with the benefit of hindsight) that his time was running short and his strength was failing. And he couldn't quite forget her, pathetically asking about her through her grown children. Was she at his bedside when he breathed his last? You'll have to read the book. One test of a good book (for me) is whether it inspires and opens the door onto other books. This book easily passes that test. Not only does it make me want to read more about Chopin and his friends, but when I listen to his music, I am more moved than ever.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely Account of Great Composer
Review: Prior to reading this book I had no knowledge of this great composer or his music. If it were not for the previous good reviews of this book I would not have bothered buying a copy. I am so glad that I did, I just fell in love with this story, it was a captivating account! During the time I read this book I purchased about five CD's of Chopin's music. This is more a book of the man and his time in Paris than an in-depth account of his music, his style and his compositions. Regardless of that, you still come away after reading the book with a deeper understanding of Chopin's music and a great feeling towards the sound of his Nocturnes, Polonaises and Etudes. The author also provides a fascinating look at the society that surrounded Chopin while in Paris, so many great names come alive during this story that you come away amazed with the amount of talent that was moving in the same society and producing great books, music, art and events. This is a great story, the narrative moved you along with Chopin, during his periods of depression and illness to his highs and accounts of his compositions. My favourite is the story of Prelude No. 15 in D flat major, Opus 28, No.15 "Raindrop". I really don't think that anyone who has a love for music or Chopin would be disappointed in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: What a Disappointment!
Review: Reading this book, I couldn't help thinking that Tad Szulc had merely stapled together his notes. I persisted in reading the entire book only because of my keen interest in the subject. However, reading the book was a chore. First, it is poorly written. Whether one looks at inidividual sentences, paragraphs, chapters, or the overall plan of the book, the writing is careless. Consider the following: "[George Sand] needed not worry about money." What a clunker! Szulc seems compelled to include digressions in parentheses in every other sentence. Topic sentences typically occur at the end of paragraphs. The same material gets repeated again and again in different chapters and in virtually the same language. The chronology both within and between chapters jumps around confusingly. Second, the book is clotted with irrelevant detail. Did you know , for instance, that Delecroix, after visiting Chopin and Sand, wrote them a letter asking that they send him a pair of underwear that he had left behind? Or how about: "Leo (his friends called him Leon)..." Third and most damning, the author lacks insight and thus fails to help the reader gain insight into Chopin's character. By the end of the book, one knows bits and pieces about who Chopin was, but there is no coherent vision, no sense of knowing the man. By comparison, the recent biography of Johannes Brahms by Jan Swafford does a superb job of illuminating the character of what would seem a far more complex psyche.
Rating: 
Summary: Where was the editor?
Review: The good stuff: Good history of Chopin and his life in Paris society. I especially liked how information about specific music pieces was woven into the biography. While the background on George Sand was a little long-winded, I enjoyed reading it nevertheless. In all, this biography brought Chopin to life for me and strengthened my interest in his music. The bad stuff: The author did not always present Chopin's life history in a sensical order - too much jumping back and forth making it somewhat difficult to follow. On many occassions I read a complete sentence or paragraph that had already been included in a previous chapter. Too much repetition - How many times can we be told how sickly Chopin was? We get it already! And the final clincher - Chopin was once referred to as "Chop in". Where was the editor?
Rating:
Summary: Where was the editor?
Review: The good stuff: Good history of Chopin and his life in Paris society. I especially liked how information about specific music pieces was woven into the biography. While the background on George Sand was a little long-winded, I enjoyed reading it nevertheless. In all, this biography brought Chopin to life for me and strengthened my interest in his music. The bad stuff: The author did not always present Chopin's life history in a sensical order - too much jumping back and forth making it somewhat difficult to follow. On many occassions I read a complete sentence or paragraph that had already been included in a previous chapter. Too much repetition - How many times can we be told how sickly Chopin was? We get it already! And the final clincher - Chopin was once referred to as "Chop in". Where was the editor?
Rating:
Summary: A Major Biography
Review: There are a lot of things to say about this book, most of them good. You come away from the book with the feeling that you have a pretty good understanding of Chopin's personality and also of what his day to day existence was like. For example, I always had a picture of him being a very serious and uptight person. And while he could be very stiff and formal in public, Mr. Szulc shows that in private he could be quite different. Chopin did not like to give public concerts and you could pretty much count on your fingers and toes how many such concerts he gave in his whole career. But he did enjoy going out at night to the homes of friends for little "get togethers" and he would play the piano for hours at a time and would get people laughing with his imitations of acquaintances. He apparently had a great gift for mimicry. One of the best features of the book is that it quotes extensively from the letters, journals, etc. of Chopin and George Sand and also of friends such as the artist Eugene Delacroix. Chopin's personality really comes through in his letters. You can see his charm and his sense of humor but also his snobbery and nastiness. It also seems pretty clear that he was an anti-semite, although Mr.Szulc tries rather desperately to rescue him from that charge by saying that Chopin really just didn't like the Jews in the music publishing business, because he felt they were trying to cheat him! He really didn't mind "other" Jews. Unfortunately, Chopin is quoted about 4-5 times making anti-semitic remarks but no examples are given of him having anything nice to say so I don't know why Mr. Szulc even tried to come to his defense in this particular area...I also learned from this book how highly regarded Chopin was as a pianist. I knew he was a great composer but he was also considered to be a great virtuoso, on the same level as Liszt. When playing at those private parties I mentioned above he would improvise for hours and it was said by knowledgeable people at the time that it was a great shame that the public never got to hear these remarkable improvisations. I also never knew that Chopin spent a great deal of his time giving piano lessons. He was apparently a very good teacher and the money he made teaching was a large part of his total income. There is a very touching section of the book that deals with the death at age 15 of Chopin's favorite (and most gifted) student, Carl Filtsch. Chopin felt that this boy had a unique and innate understanding of his music and this created a special bond between the two of them.Mr. Szulc explains early on that he is not a musician and therefore the book does not provide any musical insights. Mr. Szulc is forced into relying on and quoting the opinions of others when he makes brief forays into the technical aspects of the music. Professional musicians will probably find the book disappointing unless they only read the book to get a feel for the personalities involved. One last note of interest: The picture on the cover is an enlargement of the only known photograph of Chopin and is so revealing of his nature that it alone is almost worth the purchase price!
Rating:
Summary: Flawed but STILL Fascinating
Review: This book is a great read for anyone interested in learning more about Chopin and his love for music. You also get to learn about his love interest in George Sand. Szulc does a great job of keeping the material interesting as Chopin's contributions for all of time. This is a great book to have for anyone that loves Chopin!
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