Rated of 5
by Kim Kim
I thought the book was going to be a quick easy read, and the brief sounded really interesting. I was very disappointed in it. Pearl seemed to be a self-centered person who only thought of herself. She gets Hallie, a new young promising student, and really messes her around. Pearl seemed to retaliate in many childish situations that she could not face. Hallie came from a very bad home situation and, I thought, Pearl was trying to live her life through Hallie's. Pearl was very childish in some of the decisions that she thought she was helping Hallie with and this made Hallie's life more dysfunctional.
Pearl needed to get her own life in order before trying to fix everyone else around her. By the end of the book, i was really disappointed in Pearl's choice of men and was more than ready to get through with the book.
This book is not one that I would recommend at all, I was more than glad to get to the end of it
Rated of 5
by Marissa Falls Short of A Symphony
This book is not what you expect. It is the story of a music teacher with a lot going on in her world but it misses the mark. The main character is Pearl, a violinist who never made it professionally . She teaches others in a small music store in Los Angeles. The story weaves back and forth between Pearl and Hallie an extremely gifted violinist that comes from a very dysfunctional family. The book captured my interest when the author stayed on the subject of the music and Hallie. Once the author strayed with other character development the meaning was lost.
Rated of 5
by Lori Achievement and the Definition of Self
The main character in this book, Pearl Swain, seems somewhat unlikable at first glance, self-described as the "mean music teacher." She is the survivor of failed career aspirations, a failed marriage, and seems to be largely going through the motions in her current narrow existence. But then a young, troubled musical prodigy enters Pearl's life and she begins to dream of more for herself, even if it is only through the youth and promise of others. While you may not agree with Pearl's methods or some of the choices she makes, you can't help but root for her to reclaim the music in her life.
Rated of 5
by Ruth, Downingtown, PA Too much angst
Music is a theme that runs through this book, appropriate for ‘The Music Teacher’! It’s about music, but not about music. The heroine has a lot of personal issues that intertwine with the music. The book had a bit too much angst for my taste, and the writing was in choppy sentences which is a style that generally doesn’t appeal to me. I finished it (luckily it was a short book), but it dragged on for a while without getting to the point. I wouldn’t read it again, nor would I recommend it to a friend.
Rated of 5
by Katherine Too Many Storylines
While the author of this book has a great, breezy writing style there are too many different storylines for this short book. Her relationship with Hallie isn't developed well enough to make the conflict over Hallie quitting music or her "betrayal" very moving. I was also unclear about the need for the introduction of a second talented student that heard voices while playing the violin. The storyline of the protagonist's love life is a little more compelling, but still doesn't resolve itself in a satisfying way. Overall, I can't recommend this book.
Rated of 5
by Mary (Fairfax CA) fine as a bees wing
When I saw Barbara Hall's TV credits–four of my all-time favorite shows–the bar was set high. When on page three she identified my favorite musician (RT) as Guitar God, the bar shot so high I figured it could only go down. I was wrong. The bar remained at the same high level and I couldn't stop turning the pages.
The exploration of music in general and talent in particular is fascinating and thought-provoking. There's a lot going on: the blessing/curse of an artistic gift, the responsibilities of a teacher, the responsibilities of a human. The way we care, the way we're damaged, the way we seek redemption–or not: the stories of lives. Hall is a terrific writer; every page reflects her intelligence and perception. My only major frustration was with the length of the book, or rather the lack of length. Pearl's inner life as well as her external one warrant much more attention.
A person extends herself, one of the characters says. Hall extends herself brilliantly in these pages, never shying away from hard truths. I'm certain she can extend herself a bit further and I'll be reading more of her. All in all a wonderful book that I will definitely be recommending.
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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by Kim 
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by Lori 
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by Ruth, Downingtown, PA 
