Rating: 
Summary: Do not read this book
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.
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