What I loved most about this book is that it got better the further I got into it. This is mainly due to the fact I became really invested in what would happen to characters, in particular Peter Claire and Emilia Tilsen. The characters are real. They have hopes, fears, foibles. The language is lyrical and beautifully crafted. There are elements of this writer's craft I would love to be able to master. I often avoid books which have won medals or awards as I am often disappointed. But this is a very worthy Whitbread winner.

I received this book as a gift from my Danish cousin (thanks, Marianne!), who said it was one of her favorites. I really enjoyed learning more about Danish history, specifically the Danish monarchy in the 17th century, and the story about the lute player and his love interest was compelling. I had a little trouble getting into it because of the switch in perspective among the king, his consort, and the other characters, but after the first 100 pages or so the last 300+ went very quickly. The author's style reminded me of Philippa Gregory. Highly recommended.

I have no idea as to the historical accuracy or otherwise of this novel but I found it well-written and compelling, giving a window into an unfamiliar world and set of characters. I know this period of history reasonably well from an English perspective but was woefully ignorant of it in Danish terms. I enjoyed the characters and felt it was well handled despite the number of different perspectives offered.

Overall, a lengthy but satisfying read.

Music and Silence, Rose Tremain

Rose Tremain was born Rosemary Jane Thomson on 2 August 1943 in London. Music and Silence is set in and around the court of Christian IV of Denmark in the years 1629 and 1630. The main historical event depicted is the end of Christian's second marriage, to Kirsten Munk, and the start of his third, to Vibeke Kruse "Vibeke Kruse (died 1648) was the official mistress of King Christian IV of Denmark between 1629 and 1648 and the mother of one of his three acknowledged, illegitimate sons, Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve. She was described as influential."

There are also numerous sub-plots and parallel stories, the main one being the love affair between two fictional characters, an English lutenist Peter Claire and Emilie Tilsen, a Danish servant of Kirsten's. In addition there are several references to Danish history and flashbacks to Christian's childhood and subsequent development.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز چهارم ماه ژوئن سال2005میلادی

عنوان: موسیقی و سکوت؛ نویسنده: رز تره مین (تریمین)؛ مترجم: ابراهیم یونسی؛ تهران، نشر نگاه، سال1382، در581ص، شابک9643511200؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده20م

موسیقی و سکوت؛ در اصل تصویر جرم و گناه و تمناست؛ شخصیتهای پرداخته ی بانو «رز تره مین»، با رفتار و رویاهای خویش، در ستیز هستند؛ نویسنده، با ورود به دوره ی مورد نظر خویش، در نگارش اثری شناساننده ی آن دوران، کاری ویژه را، به سرانجام رسانده اند؛ «موسیقی و سکوت» اثری ژرف، بلند و باشکوه است؛ بانو «رز تره‌ مین»، نویسنده‌ ای‌ هستند با آثاری پربار، ایشان هم اینک در «نورفوک (انگلستان)» زندگی می‌کنند، و چندین رمان، و داستان کوتاه، و نمایشنامه ی رادیویی، و فیلمنامه نیز بنوشته اند، و جوایز ادبی نیز، دریافت کرده اند؛ «موسیقی و سکوت»، اثری است پیچیده، و البته درخشان، نویسنده، با باز گفتن داستان، در جابجا کردن زمان‌، و تغییر آواها، پرداخت تصویر‌ها، و رنگ‌ آمیزی صحنه‌ ها، مهارت چشمگیری دارند؛ «موسیقی و سکوت» اثری است، بس زیبا و شگفت، که نشان از نبوغ پدید‌ آورنده ی آن دارد؛ آثار بانو «رز‌ تره‌مین» تا کنون به چهارده زبان ترجمه شده‌ اند

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 12/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 27/02/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

o,5 estrellas

Beautifully written and evocative. Almost lyrical historical fiction.

Powerful imaginings in the form of historical fiction concerning King Christian IV of Denmark. During the 1600s he build many of the spectacular castles around Copenhagen which I have had the great privilege of seeing in person. My family history comes from a Danish farmer who emigrated to New Jersey. My one older brother has travelled more than a dozen times to this home country bringing with him many of our relatives. I cherish the visits and relished learning from this book some imagined happenings in the country.

Superb historical novel carefully weaving together the narrative of King Christian IV, his second wife, his ‘angel’ the lutenist Peter Claire and lady-in-waiting, Emilia plus a number of other key characters.

My knowledge of the historical context is not strong so I have to take the novel at face value as simply a good story although there are some aspects clearly based in fact there were aspects I wasn’t sure were correct. (However, somewhat incredibly the tower you can ride a horse up does exist!) Nonetheless, asa story it works well with interlaced plot lines without becoming overworked or too forced.

Dnf at page 34. This book was chosen by my book club but I've given up this time. The flouncy style writing is not for me, nothing has happened to grab me in these pages, instead I'm bored and mind wandering. Better luck for the next book club book

The research Tremain must have done for this book is astounding but it never shows. I heard an interview with her on Woman's Hour recently (about her new novel, Merivel, A Man of his Time) in which she quoted Rudyard Kipling's attitude to research. He said (I'm paraphrasing) that you should build up your research the way you build up a fire but when you're actually writing a book you should merely riddle that fire ... and Tremain is a past mistress of that. I loved this book. It has so many stories within it (a way of novel-writing I love ... ) and so many memorable scenes: the musicians in the underground room so that music sounds in the King's rooms as if by magic; and the beautiful beginnings of two of the characters gentle love for each other in those very basement rooms. The mist and the buried clock; the (very) strange appetites of Kirsten Munk and so much more. I look forward to every Tremain novel and am looking forward to reading the sequel to Restoration, to finding out how Merivel develops - he who spoke some of the most wonderful lines about madness in fiction: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...

This was recommended to me as someone’s favourite historical novel. I can appreciate the technical brilliance to sustain a narrative with both 3rd person as well as two individual voices (Kirsten’s private papers, the Countess’s diary). And yet… I’m not sure I was drawn into this novel once. It all felt so oddly detached, as if I were watching a few puppets on a stage being moved around. It’s very slow moving. There are also the multiple story lines (Peter Clair, the King, Kirsten, the Countess, the Tillsen household) which I just had to trust would be resolved by the end. Whilst they were, it was a trudge.

I listened to the audiobook which was well narrated by Jenny Agutter.

I really enjoyed this - but it was very dense. It is hard to explain, but there was a lot of reading in it. And it took me a while to read it. Over 400 pages but it felt like a lot more. Very good value for a $1 book fair purchase!