The Masterharper of Pern

Rating:
Summary: Another view of Pern!
Review: As a long-time Pern fan, I truly enjoyed this latest venture. The character development of the Masterharper explained so much of his personality in the previous Pern novels and relationships with both dragonriders & holders. The climactic ending at Ruatha, through different eyes, sent me back to the first novel for (yet another) reread.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting but slightly disturbing book
Review: I found this "Pern" book quite difficult to get into, but it is worth the effort. Once immersed in the story, much of Robintons character traits are revealed, along with the reason for their formation in the first place. His rejection by his Father, not through real cruelty, but rather through his Father's singlemindedness in the persuit of perfect musical form, to the point where nothing else had any significance, appears to be the reason for Robinton's understanding of human nature, with all its frailties, and of his own compassion. The birth of Robinton's severly handicapped son, who we have met before (Camo) was especially disturbing to me, as he, Camo, mirrors my own son, but even this traumatic event has itas place in the shaping of Robinton for his future role of Pern's elder statesman and mediator. Not to be missed by Pern addicts, but possibly a little obscure for a first introduction to the world of Pern.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but lacking
Review: I was really pleased to read more of the dragons and the Masterharper (since I have enjoyed all the books including this one), but the booked lacked plot and was a lot of fluff and filler. I also downrated it because I think it would not be a very good read for someone not already a dragon fan.

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Summary: this one came from the heart
Review: Recent offerings from Anne McCaffrey have been disappointing. Many have been collaberations that came across as McCaffreys characters & ideas in a filled in outline. But the Masterharper of Pern is truely a labor of love. She loves Master Robinton as much as we all do. She filled out an already full character, giving him the joys and sadness that we knew had to be there. The Dragons are a very small part of this story. McCaffrey no longer needs the dragons to attract our attention. Her characters and stories are real and consuming in the MasterHarper.

Rating:
Summary: Reminiscent of Early Pern Novels
Review: This one definitely reminded me of the early Pern novels (i.e. Dragonquest, Dragonflight, etc.). The story was well developed and the characters, especially that of Robinton, were very real. Probably one of the best Pern novels in many years.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!
Review: This book is the answer to many of the burning questions left after reading the Dragon rider and Harper Hall Series. I have read all of Ms. McCaffrey's SF books, and this is by far one of her best. It follows the life of Robinton from his birth, thru his childhood, young adulthood, and into manhood, right up to the downfall of Fax, which is where the Dragon rider series picks up.

Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!!
Review: This book was ment to be a look at the man known as the Masterharper. It was that and more. I felt like I got to see into the past of an old friend. Ms. McCaffrey has out done herself once again.

Rating:
Summary: The Life and Times of Master Robinton
Review: Robinton is one of the most beloved citizens of Pern, he has figured prominently in most of the books but many personal details of his life have not been revealed ...until now. THE MASTERHARPER OF PERN is the story of those 'missing' years up to the events of DRAGONFLIGHT.

Born into a musical family and raised in the Harper Hall Robinton showed extreme talent from his earliest days to the delight of all around him but his own father. Never quite understanding or recovering from this rejection Robinton grew to excel at his profession even though his dream of becoming both a harper and a dragonrider was not to be. His friendship with F'lon, father of F'lar and F'non is shown as well as the beginnings of many of his relationships throughout Pernese society. Many of these relationships have be alluded to in other books in the series.
Perhaps the most touching aspects of the book are his ill-fated romance and the recurring losses that seem to plague Robinton's life.

For fans of the series this is a 'must read'. If you are new to Pern I highly recommend the series and this prequel would be a good place to start, then continue through the rest in the order they were written.

Rating:
Summary: Not worthy of Robinton!
Review: I don't review often. I usually feel that most of what I would have written has already been said by other reviewers. However, when I saw the high ratings this book has received and the great reviews, I felt I needed to step in. I am afraid that readers will feel lied to when they purchase this and find a mediocre book instead of the masterpiece they expected. The Masterharper of Pern should have been a triumph. Robinton is a great character that many Pern fans love. He was a major player in The Dragonriders of Pern trilogy and the Harper Hall trilogy, both of which were great, and he died before we learned much about his personal life. It is horribly depressing, then, that this is such a bad book.
Any devoted reader with a good memory will be disgusted with the errors and inconsistencies in this book. The timeline established in the earlier books has been destroyed. Petiron is fleshed out for the first time, but in a way that contradicts his portrayal in Dragonsong. Yes, we learn that he was always demanding, but why would he have changed from being an amazingly talented composer to being a teaching harper who knew that he was too limited to teach Menolly to sing?
I enjoyed the glimpses into Robinton's past that didn't contradict what we already know about him, but these glimpses didn't make up for the rest of the book. There was no suspense, because we already know how this story comes out. Final gripe: Robinton WAS a powerful and well-informed man, but why does he need to be the fly-on-the-wall for the night Jaxom was born? It makes no sense.
I love Pern, and I generally read my books several times apiece. It says something, then, that I sold this book to a used bookstore rather than waste shelf space on it. Check it out from the library instead of buying it. Then, if you enjoy it as much as many other reviewers have, you can go buy it. But, if you are as dreadfully disppointed as I was, you won't have wasted your money.

Rating:
Summary: The Master Harper of Pern
Review: The Master Harper of Pern is a great addition to the series.  This book shows a different type of life in the world of Pern.  It focuses on another one of the major crafts of the world which is the Harper Hall.  It uses Robinton as the main focus in the book.  It goes through his life until it catches up with the rest of the series.  It shows many of the reasons why he is the way he is in the rest of the series.  It shows how his hard work, natural talents, and attitude to take on any job help him throughout this book.  I liked this book and if you have been a fan of McCaffery's other works, than you will like this one too.