As is evident from my review of the first Lucy Robinson book
I read, beginning this one was an immense undertaking. I needed to clear my
Filofax, switch off my phone, and warn all friends and family members that I
would be unattainable for the next few days.
OK, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but Lucy’s books are
SO addictive I just knew I’d be dying to read all day every day once I’d
started. And I was right. Unfortunately I went on holiday to Florence soon
after I started the book (woe is me), but I still somehow managed, in between
all the sightseeing and vino guzzling and pizza gorging, to be weeping on the
plane home as I reached the last page.
So yes, you could say I had high expectations. I’m a big fan
of Lucy’s writing, and regularly visit her blog. Her writing is effortlessly
compelling – the perfect balance of subtle wit, and outright hilarity. Luckily,
she also knows how to spin a pretty great story, resulting in an amazing
novelistic combination. She creates female heroines who are realistic, relatable,
un-perfect, and totally imaginable. Unfinished
Symphony follows this trend with the introverted Sally Howlett. We join her
journey in the present day as she embarks reluctantly (to put it lightly) on
the first term of Royal College of Music, all the while getting little snippets
of the past few years and childhood of her life as we try to fit the pieces
together. I really loved the non-linear structure of the book, it made it even
more addictive! Whilst I was in the present scenes I was desperate to learn
more about the past leading up to it, but when I was in the past I just wanted
to know what was happening back in the present! It also works as an extremely
clever and effective technique of making the whole thing entirely unpredictable.
Unlike the majority of chick flick reads, the contrasting image of characters
as positive or negative in each section of the book made trying to guess the
ending impossible.
The majority of the reviews and taglines of the book mention
its comedy, hilarity, laugh-out-loud factor etc. This is of course a crucial
part of Lucy’s writing, and often hilariously subtle, although the huge
emphasis on comedy seemed a bit misleading. What really struck me about the
book were not the comic tones, but the more tragic ones. Whilst on the surface
remaining a fun-filled romance story, underneath this book really touches upon
grave and difficult subjects in an unexpected way. I found Lucy’s subtle
treatment of grief, self-confidence, and familial ties very real and very
moving. Yes, the book is about opera, and fits its over-dramatic, in-your-face
mould, but the constant more serious undercurrents often caught me unawares and
made me see both the book, and my own feelings and thoughts, in a new way.
Just writing this post makes me gutted I’ve finished the
book, I always say (and probably did say for my last Lucy Robinson review) when
you miss the characters once a book has finished, you know it was a good one!
I’d love all her books to come to life but I just know nothing would do the
characters she creates – the dreamy men, the clumsy heroines, the best friends
that always go slightly too far – justice. Whenever picking up one of Lucy’s
books, I know there’s the guarantee of all the traits of her writing and
imagination, but I also know I’m in for a truly unique and unpredictable read
with each different book. I will admit I loved this one a fraction more than
the last one, but I think that’s down to pure personal preference and
experience. I experienced this book in a very personal way and it has really
made me admire Lucy’s writing in a new way. I can’t wait to see what she has in
store next!
Read it now! Get it here
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