Product Description

In the dim light of a basement apartment, six-year-old Claude Rawlings sits at an old white piano, picking out the sounds he has heard on the radio and shutting out the reality of his lonely world.

The setting is 1940s New York, a city that is "long gone, replaced by another city of the same name." Against a backdrop that pulses with sound and rhythm, Body & Soul brilliantly evokes the life of a child prodigy whose musical genius pulls him out of squalor and into the drawing rooms of the rich and a gilt-edged marriage.

But the same talent that transforms him also hurtles Claude into a lonely world of obsession and relentless ambition. From Carnegie Hall to the smoky jazz clubs of London, Body & Soul burns with passion and truth--at once a riveting, compulsive read and a breathtaking glimpse into a boy's heart and an artist's soul.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32463 in Books
• Published on: 1998-06-08
• Released on: 1998-06-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 450 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780385319867
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Conroy's debut novel, of a young and neglected musical prodigy who is taken in by a music-store owner, was named one of PW's best books of 1993.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
?Beautifully written, and hypnotically readable?the best story I know of in a long, long time.?
--Vanity Fair

?Full of enchantment?a precise conjuring of an exceptional child?s perceptions and feelings.?
--Entertainment Weekly

?A big, old-fashioned book as satisfying as a fine evening at the symphony.?
--Dallas Morning News

?A literary event?a grand saga?Body & Soul was written under the spell of Dickens, not to mention Stendhal, Tolstoy and the other 19th century titans?Conroy bedazzles readers!
--Chicago Tribune
-- Review

Review
“Beautifully written, and hypnotically readable…the best story I know of in a long, long time.”
--Vanity Fair

“Full of enchantment…a precise conjuring of an exceptional child’s perceptions and feelings.”
--Entertainment Weekly

“A big, old-fashioned book as satisfying as a fine evening at the symphony.”
--Dallas Morning News

“A literary event…a grand saga…Body & Soul was written under the spell of Dickens, not to mention Stendhal, Tolstoy and the other 19th century titans…Conroy bedazzles readers!
--Chicago Tribune

Customer Reviews

Coming of age tale from a child prodigy's perspective.
Body and Soul tracks the development of a young fellow named Claude Rawlings from the first intimations that this child has a unique musical talent through his childhood and young adulthood as he hones and develops that talent, finally to emerge as a full blown classical piano star.

It's an interesting twist on the conventional coming of age story. Many cite this as the classic "rags-to-riches" tale but, in truth, there is very little of either rags or riches involved. it's mostly about the sort of commitment and dedication--and the lucky breaks- on has to engage in to be a success of this type on this order.

I'm not sufficiently qualified to judge whether the actual "apprenticeship" aspects of the book are realistic--it's been criticized by some on that score--but it all seemed reasonable to me. If it's not truly realistic it's not ridiculously unrealistic either--and no basis for not enjoying the book on it's other merits.

Conroy has a clear, concise and engaging writing style and has the ability to effectively convey mood within the story. The result is a inspiring and entertaining tale that will, for many, open a window onto a world most of us don't know much about.

This is well worth a read.

"Body and Soul"- A Pianist's Point of View
My teacher, knowing I was a pianist, recommended that I read this book for my summer reading assignment. I'm not a realistic fiction type of person, but I fell in love with this book after reading the first chapter. Conroy's style of writing, neither dry and terse nor florid and gushing, makes reading the words a pleasure.

From a pianist's point of view, it is immediately obvious that Conroy did his homework on the technicalities of that instrument and of music as a whole. The thing that impressed me the most, however, was the intensity of his descriptions of Claude's feelings about the piano and about his music. Conroy's description of the "wall" that Claude faces was a wonderful insight as well. I have yet to come across another author whose descriptions harmonize with my own experiences. I understand (or at least think I understand) Claude's feelings and his dilemmas; that is due entirely to Conroy's writing. I seldom find books that draw me in like this one has. It's one of those rare books that have the ability to let the reader lose himself in the pages.

A good, old-fashioned story
Body and Soul was named best book of 1993 by Publisher's Weekly. There's a good-guy hero, and there's adversity for him to courageously overcome to reach his dream. Director of the Writer's Workshop at the Univ of Iowa, Frank Conroy avoided the easy-out of formula fiction in favor of crafting his novel with straightforward language and careful writing. We meet 6yo Claude, trapped in a NY apartment all day while his mother drives a taxi. He discovers an old piano in his basement apartment and learns to play. As his talent is recognized, interesting people come into his life and help him along the way toward recognition as a prodigy. As a bonus, the story is set in New York in the 30s thru the 60s, so weget a sociology lesson in inner city life of that era.
Also, read Conroy's engaging memoir, Stop-Time.