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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Large improvement from The Reincarnationist, February 8, 2009
The Memorist is author M.J. Rose's follow-up novel to The Reincarnationist and she has again taken themes of reincarnation, this time weaving 19th century Vienna and the musical world of Ludwig van Beethoven with modern-day terrorist plots. A fast paced historical thriller, The Memorist takes the best elements of The Reincarnationist and improves upon them.
Although there is one carry-over character present, The Memorist is most assuredly a stand-alone novel.
One of the pleasures of reading an M.J. Rose novel is her approach to historical fiction. While much of The Memorist takes place in present day Vienna, her forays into the 19th century are impeccably researched. She incorporates fascinating details into her story, many of which the reader might dismiss as part of the creative license a historical fiction writer so often invokes. It isn't until reaching the author's note at the end of the novel that the full extent of Rose's research becomes apparent.
If the plot synopsis above sounds vaguely familiar, it's because the plot of The Memorist is almost identical to that of her earlier novel, The Reincarnationist. New characters, new memories of past lives, and new artifacts for the protagonist to chase, but the plot movment is the same.
However, the improvements over The Reincarnationist are quickly apparent. Characters are more fleshed-out and their motivations better explored, giving the reader closer relationship with the characters.
Rose's penchant for over-populating her novels with characters is still present, but the improved characterizations make it much easier to keep track of just who is who.
But the very best quality of The Memorist is Rose's ability to meld time and place, even over the span of centuries, while still maintaining a tight, fast-paced thiller that keeps you guessing to the end.
Recommended, of course, for anyone with interest in reincarnation, but also for those who have a love of classical music (Beethoven plays a pretty big role in this novel!) or for those who just want to see a good example of blending modern day with the past.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breaking down the walls of time, this thriller seduces, March 8, 2009
In her newest thriller,The Memorist, MJ Rose boldly embraces the mysteries of time, memory, and music, as she once again takes on the complexities of reincarnation and its dire consequences. Set primarily in Beethoven's Vienna as well as present day Vienna, with occasional throwbacks to 2000 BCE, a thirty-something woman named Meer, plagued by unexplained visions, is at the center of controversy with deathly consequences. So is her archeologist father, Beethoven himself, Beethoven's friend, a journalist who chases modern-day terrorists, and a brilliant, monomaniacal, eccentric man obsessed with unlocking past lives. All become part of an emotional fugue that culminates in an explosive ending reminiscent of Dante's purgatory. Secret, underground tunnels twisting beneath Vienna's streets, ancient vaults and catacombs create a biblical-like backdrop as Meer, her father and others race to break down the walls of time to get at the past--one to save his son, another to save her father. Readers will love MJ's deft ability to move back and forth between the ages, and will be seduced by her knowledge of music and her ability to convey music's power to resurrect the soul.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A thriller, April 17, 2009
Meer Logan has always been haunted by the memories of someone else and the ellusive music that accompanies the memories. She has devoted her life to the study of false memories and to the study of music, hoping to rid herself of the dreads caused by these episodes.
Her father, Jeremy Logan, on the other hand, has devoted his life to the study of Jewish mystical beliefs and to recovering Jewish treasures. He believes Meer is remembering her past lives. Ever striving to help Meer, he finds a gaming box Beethoven gave to his closest friend - the same box Meer has drawn obsessively since childhood. The box possibly holds the secret to the location of one of the memory tools.
David Yalom is a journalist who earned three Pulitzers from his reporting on terrorism. His career, though, cost him everything he loved and now he's at a crossroads with his memories.
Malachai Samuels is a child psychologist who has helped hundreds of children suffering from past-life memories, but he hasn't been able to help Meer. When he hears of the gaming box and its possible connection to a flute that can aid recollection of past lives, he knows he must do everything he can to decipher the clues and find that flute.
The box is in Vienna, and all of the characters find their way there too, hoping to find the flute and make peace with their memories - past lives and present.
This was a fast-paced, intriguing, well-researched thriller. Though the general genre was firmly established by The Da Vinci Code, The Memorist is very original - due in large part to the reincarnationist background. Fun details about Beethoven's life and the romps through the historic sites of Vienna had me hooked. Though there are dozens of characters in several eras, I had no trouble following along with the clipping pace.
There were a few things that bothered me, like the stale description of what it feels like to sink into a past life memory. Also, I felt like some of the characters were a little too flat. That being said, this book accomplishes what it sets out to do - to entertain.
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