The Magic Strings Of Frankie Presto
By Mitch Albom
Publisher: Harper (November 10, 2015)
Purchase Links
Mitch Albom creates his most unforgettable character—Frankie Presto, the greatest guitarist ever to walk the earth—in this magical novel about the power of talent to change our lives.
In Mitch Albom's epic new novel, the voice of Music narrates the tale of its most beloved disciple, Frankie Presto, a Spanish war orphan raised by a blind music teacher. At nine years old, Frankie is sent to America in the bottom of a boat. His only possession is an old guitar and six magical strings.
But Frankie's talent is touched by the gods, and it weaves him through the musical landscape of the twentieth century, from classical to jazz to rock and roll. Along the way, Frankie influences many artists: he translates for Django Reinhardt, advises Little Richard, backs up Elvis Presley, and counsels Hank Williams.
Frankie elevates to a rock star himself, yet his gift becomes his burden, as he realizes that he can actually affect people's futures: his guitar strings turn blue whenever a life is altered. Overwhelmed by life, loss, and this power, he disappears for years, only to reemerge in a spectacular and mysterious farewell.
With its Forrest Gump–like journey through the music world, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is a classic in the making. A lifelong musician himself, Mitch Albom delivers an unforgettable story. "Everyone joins a band in this life," he observes, be it through music, family, friends, or lovers. And those connections change the world.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
“Baffa,
unmarried and in his forties, went to church regularly and kept a cross on the
wall of his bedroom, so the discovery of an abandoned child was for him a
divine act, like finding Moses in the reeds.
He took the boy in.”
“Baffa was
potbellied, with a sagging chest, thick jowls, a drooping forehead, and a
downward-bending mustache, so that when he sat, he seemed like a layer of frowns
stacked in a chair. But the boy made him
happy.”
“The blind man
played it passionately, with great care, pausing for emphasis, shaking his head
at certain notes as if absorbing their smell.”
“There is a
big war going on, boy. We are all going
to be speaking English or German soon.
Personally, I prefer English.
German sounds like someone is scolding you.”
“Man searches
for courage in drink, but it is not courage that he finds, it is fear that he
loses.”
“Silence
enhances music. What you do not play can
sweeten what you do. But it is not the
same with words. What you do not say can
haunt you. El Maestro was an artist (his
soul was surely mine), but his instincts were too musical for this life. He left out words as he left out notes.”
My Review:
Narrated by the
vast talent of Music, the craft and brilliance used in the construction of this
story was as magical as Frankie’s fabled guitar strings. This was my maiden voyage in actually reading
a Mitch Albom book, although I have viewed movies based on previous works. I am awestruck and grasping for the words to
describe the quality and skill of his writing.
The words poignant and moving seem trite and banal in what I am feeling
highly inadequate in my attempts to convey and express. The fact that I have not read his work before
now is a complete travesty, as Mr. Albom is obviously a master wordsmith whose
writing is immensely creative and has great depth. The story was well crafted and taps emotion
at all levels while keeping it close to the surface at all times. My cold heart was well squeezed and an odd and
unaccustomed wetness filled my eyes more than once.
I was quite
taken with the idea of Talents (such as Music, Math, or Reason) being bestowed and
infused in humans at birth, while coming to them as bright colors that the infants
grab and take in their hands – genius! And
as the story was narrated by Music, I found it amusingly clever that the chapters
were introduced by the tempo (such as 4/4 time) and movement of the story (i.e.
allegro). I was also enthused by the use
of current day musical celebrities such as Tony Bennett being interviewed about
Frankie - in what sounded to me as their own voices. The history of his associations with various
musicians (Elvis, Little Richard, Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, Lyle Lovett) seemed
so realistic and well researched that in the midst of reading, I was compelled
to put down my kindle to recheck that I was actually reading fiction and that Frankie
Presto had not in fact been a living breathing performer.
The story was intriguing
and mysterious, with sprinkles of clever humor, while also extremely insightful,
captivating, and at times tragic and heartbreaking. To quote Mr. Albom’s own words used to
describe Frankie’s playing, “It broke your heart, it was so sad and beautiful.” The characters were richly described and
fully fleshed out, and I adored the philosophical life lessons his teacher (El
Maestro) passed on to him about music that aptly applied to life, as well as
the staccato cadence of their dialogues.
All manner of tricks were expertly woven into the story that crossed
continents, and decades – such as the hairless dog, gypsies, war, a shadowy
figure, timely and untimely coincidences - and I was enthralled by it all. 5 stars is just not enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment