Reviews
Wow. I honestly have such a soft spot for all “celebrity” books that feel real. Evelyn Hugo is one of my favorite books ever and this book has definitely made its way high up on my list as well. Frankie felt so incredibly real. I loved the way the book was written and the storyline was honestly incredible. I am just blown away by this book.
Like every other book I've read by Mitch Albom, this one was amazing. At first I was afraid that it wouldn't live up to my expectations but after finishing the first chapter all my doubts disappeared. I immediately went on a binge (just because I could) but also because I literally could not put this book down. "The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto" tells the story of a boy from various points of view. The main one being Music, the talent. A bit like Death in "The Book Thief". Throughout the book, you'll encounter many things and people who are connected to Frankie in some way. A few of them play an important role and a few of them don't. One of the things I liked when reading this was how it was divided between past and present. There's the timeline of Frankie's life but then it would occasionally switch to his funeral, where different people tell how they knew Frankie and where from. The story of Frankie Presto is a brilliant, but also tragic tale. Of course, there are the happy moments but those could only last for so long. However I could guarantee that it will still surprise you till the very end.
This is by far the best book I've read in 2016. Well of course after the "Cursed Child". The fact that music is the narrator is so amusing and overwhelming. Each letter and quote touched my heart in a sensitive way. Well done Mr. Mitch Albom :) . Inspiring as always..
I got 250 pages in before I gave up, which is a pity as I thoroughly enjoyed the start in Spain. However, after Frankie got to America I just… kinda lost interest. The dialogues are so strange: where is the description of their surroundings, who’s talking with what body language? It was just “question 1” “no sir” “question 2” “no sir” for sometimes two pages on end. I just couldn’t get used to the prose and having it told from the perspective of music, and as such I cannot really give it much higher than 2 stars
"But you cannot change your past, no matter how you craft your future." I was highly anticipating the release of this book because I always crave for more of Mitch Albom's beautiful writing. Usually I would wait until the paperback edition is released, but I wouldn't mind buying the hardback edition of Mitch Albom's books. At first I was a bit worried that I won't like this book because it started in a pretty slow pace and it has a lot to do with music—which I know little to nothing about. The story is delivered in two different ways: the first one is a story of Frankie Presto's life narrated by Music and the second one is in the form of an interview with people who've known Frankie in their life. Because the story is told this way, there's a lot going back and forth between periods of time. Music narrated the story starting from Frankie's childhood while the interviews give a glimpse his journey as a musician. This book felt a little bit like a memoir because it covers Frankie Presto's life from the moment he was born until the end of his life. It talks about the ups and downs that he had to face in his life which makes everything seems so realistic to me. I love how Mitch Albom build the characters, revealing things little by little, and by the end of the story I finally understands as everything came full circle. There's a a lot of heart-wrenching revelations (or should I say twists) in this book that caught me by surprise and made me pause for a bit because I was overwhelmed with sadness. I guess that's why whenever something good happened in Frankie's life, I felt happy for him as well. My only problem with this book is probably the fact that I could not relate to the musical portions of this book—including the popular artists/musicians mentioned, songs, or even the musical terms. I think those who has a better idea about music will be able to relate to the story better. But at least for me, the story of Frankie Presto's life has taught me a thing or two about life. I absolutely love the quote that says everyone joins a band in this life; and the term 'band' in this book is not always about a group of people who play music. The book stated that everyone joins a band in this life, and we're born into our first band: our family. We joined different bands throughout our lives: some by accident, sometimes they are the wrong ones, some to teach us to be brave, some will break our hearts, and what we play will affect other people's as well. I think it's a really interesting analogy to portray how every person or group of people that we're involved in will affect our lives, as we will affect theirs as well. "Everyone joins a band in this life. And what you play always affects someone. Sometimes, it affects the world.""I have said that music allows for quick creation. But it is nothing compared to what you humans can destroy in a single conversation." In terms of characters, my favorite will be El Maestro—I'm not going to discuss his real name in this review in case it might spoil anything. El Maestro is Frankie's teacher who might seem rough on the outside, but as we get to know him, he's actually very fragile, soft, and mushy on the inside. El Maestro is blind and alcoholic, but there's no questioning his musical talent. For me, his character is one of the biggest plot twists in this book. When the real identity of this character is revealed, I was heartbroken and devastated. Because while Frankie Presto found out the truth later in his life, El Maestro will never know about it :'((( Then of course there's Frankie Presto, the main character of this story. At a very young age he had to survive on his own with only a guitar from El Maestro by his side. But thankfully his musical talent supported him along the way as he met various musicians who helped him build his career. Despite everything, Frankie Presto is a very relatable character because he made mistakes throughout his life—just like we all do. He was consumed with fame, yet in the end he finally realized the more important things in life. I absolutely adore his love for Aurora York; it was such a bittersweet romance :') There's a lot more characters in this book, including popular artists/musicians like I said earlier. However, I was only able to recognize some of them, like: Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, and KISS. Some that I don't recognize from the get-go are Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt, Hank Williams, and many more. I do believe that if I had known the story behind these artists/musicians better, it would be easier for me to relate to the story and the journey of Frankie's career."This, by the way, is hardly the first time one of yours has discouraged one of mine. If I possessed a metal link for every tongue-clucking human who said a child was too young, the instrument too large, or the very idea of pursuing music was 'a waste of time', I could wrap your world in chains. Disapproving parents, dismissive record executives, vindictive critics. Sometimes I think the greatest talent of all is perseverance." "Man searches for courage in drink, but it is not courage that he finds, it is fear that he loses." "This is life. Things get taken away. You will learn to start over many times—or you will be useless."Although I didn't love The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto as much as I love Mitch Albom's earlier works, I still thoroughly enjoyed Mitch Albom's beautiful writing in this book. I truly admire the way Mitch Albom delivered the story of Frankie Presto's life and made everything seems so real and entirely believable. And just like with Mitch Albom's other books, there are so many quotes and passages that I repeated over and over just because I want to absorb the whole meaning of it. His writing always successfully touched my heart and played with my emotions. I don't know how much longer do I have to wait until Mitch Albom released another book, but I will be waiting faithfully for that day to finally come. I can never get enough of his writing, seriously. "You cannot unplay your notes. Time, like music, is indelible that way." "Everything is connected, Francisco. My father used to tell me a gypsy expression 'Le duy vas xalaven pe.' The hands wash each other." Read my full review here: http://www.thebookielooker.com/2015/1...
i just couldn't get into this, as much as i wanted to love it.
A very inspiration and uplifting novel which left me completely immersed within its musical atmosphere. Frankie Presto, with his heart bigger than the music that he's recorded is the central character in the story. His journey is both a heartfelt and a nostalgic one. A reminder that no matter how badly things are going, having a good heart is the hope that endure. I felt really pulled into the story because of the writing - especially how the plot and the musical metaphors are woven throughout. While this is a very romantic and non-linear novel, it's also a very smooth and heartwarming read.
