Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author. Lindsay Pritchard, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Violin in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

I thought the premise of following the life of a violin sounded interesting, but as the book progressed through the different owners it became less and less about the violin. I found the writing at times to be slow and hard to keep my interest....was kind of relieved when it was finished. Giving it a 3 star.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I thought the premise was interesting - follow a violin through its different owners over a long period of time. Some of the stories were engaging especially the first story about why the violin was made and its first owner. However, as the book progressed the violin seemed to have less and less importance and I began to lose interest in some of the stories.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Troubador publishling Limited, Matador and the author. Lindsay Pritchard, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Violin in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I was drawn to this book by the cover initially. I thought it was beautiful. The premise of the story had me intrigued. and I knew it was a book I wanted to read. I am so glad I did.
I thought the storyline was beautifully written with engaging characters. I was spellbound from the start. I will be ordering the printed edition, I loved it that much.
Definately well worth a read.

The Violin
by Lindsay Pritchard
41376337
Karen Kilby's review Sep 19, 2018 · edit
liked it
bookshelves: arc-netgalley, books-i-own, england, acatt-first-line-challenge, netgalley-read-2018

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

"Who made it and why? Who has owned it? Played it? What celebrated characters might have heard it? How was it passed down, hand to hand, and how did its owners’ lives interlink? "

The story was interesting enough though I felt the thread of the violin story mostly got lost in the grandiose story telling of the people who were abstractly attached to it.

3☆

This book is about a story of a violin. It was really good. I really wanted to read after reading the synopsis. It is beautifully written. I really enjoyed characters lives and their love for music and violin. Cover is amazing too. It fits perfect to this book.

This novel follows a string of owners of a particular violin, made in 1750. It documents their fortunes and misfortunes and manages to paint a vivid picture of the times they lived in.

After a few chapters I felt really engaged and wanted to keep reading. I enjoyed the writing style and the story that was being told. Unfortunately, I did feel my interest wane a bit in the last third/quarter of the book. Especially the last chapters on Harriet did not feel as vibrant as previous subjects.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Violin. It was well written and plotted out. I loved how the various characters flowed into each other. The ending was good, but I just wish it had been a little stronger.

If you like historical novels and brief glimpses into different eras I am sure you will enjoy this book.

Readers o historical fiction will love this book which follows a violin from its making in the 1700's until the present. Lots of history and great characters. Keeps you reading.

The Violin by Lindsay Pritchard 4.5 stars
This book is not just for or about musicians or violin players. This is a powerfully written collection of heart-wrenchingly and touching emotional stories of the many lives and events centered around a special crafted violin, as it is handed down throughout the centuries. 1700’s to 1960’s.
The masterfully created stories are well thought-out, each with their own unique plots, twist, and turns, and incredibly memorable characters that touch your heart and soul. I won’t soon forget these stories.
I’m not sure I can find the right words to do this novel the justice it deserves.

If you are a sensitive reader, do be warned...This novel has intensely raw moments and some brutally honest authentic worded script that was hard to read at times. (I.e. Racial, poor people, and orphan references from the time period.)

Although, I absolutely loved this book, I did have my doubts and struggled with the very beginning of the book. I felt it was a little slow and wordy with too many poetic analogies used trying to convey repeatedly the deep imprinted connection between a musician and it’s instrument. I admit I thought about quitting the book, but I’m extremely glad I didn’t.
The story soon grabbed my attention and I found myself thrust on a rollercoaster of intense emotionally charged feelings and associations towards the characters and their plights.

Thank you Netgalley and Troubador Publishing for the ARC.

I was reluctant to pick up this novel, since the introduction immediately reminded me of the 1998 movie The Red Violin. I decided to watch the dvd again and then started reading.
The book is nice enough, but not original. For writer's effort sake, I'm hoping they're unrelated but there are many similarities to the movie. On a bright note; I was my own director and could picture the scenes in my head instead of seeing them on screen.
Set in beautiful surroundings it has a good pace and is well written, yet most characters lack depth and are easily dismissed.
The violin gets played a bit, but not nearly enough to earn the booktitle. The reader mainly gets introduced to various families in various circumstances. The instrument is treated as a prop that travels the world and could have been any object. In fact, I have read books like that already.
The timeline too confused me. With the changing of ownership the story also moves back and forth in years.
All in all, The Violin gave me some commuter time filled with easy historical fiction, curious only for how the story would end.

This is a story about a violin that goes from one owner to the next. It tells us about each of the owners and we learn their stories. I had a little trouble getting into this book at first, but I'm glad I stayed with it. I found a book that was hard to put down, and kept me wanting to read more.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

5 stars

What a remarkable and memorable book! I’m sitting here thinking of a way to do this novel justice.

This is a lyrical novel. It is written in clear and concise language that just sings. It is about a violin that was commissioned in 1750 by an Englishman from another Englishman named John Johnson in Cheapside, England. Mr. Johnson was a luthier who could create beautiful and very fine instruments. This is a one-off violin.

Through the centuries, this violin changed hands. This is the story of that violin and the people who owned it. It is poignant novel of love, loss and desperation. All of these varied people had one thing in common; they loved and cared for the fine instrument. They cover the gamut of society, from the wealthy to the dirt poor, from the privileged to the ordinary . Some people were chancers, some were mere children. The violin made it from the sedate and rarified atmosphere of drawing rooms, being listened to by the greats of music such as Mozart to the horrors of a WWII prison camp.

The stories about how they acquired the violin by happenstance are very engaging and interesting. He people in the story were great characters. Most were likeable, some were not.

I truly enjoyed this story. In fact, I couldn’t tear myself away from the book. It was in turns fascinating and horrifying. It was so well written that I, at times, forgot everything else but the story. This is my first Lindsay Pritchard novel, and I will certainly look for more of her books. I enjoy finding “new” authors to read and this book will remain with me for a very long time.

I want to thank both NetGalley and Troubador Publishing Limited/Matador for forwarding to me a copy of this most wonderful book to read, enjoy and review.