The Music Shop: A Novel

I recently had the pleasure of diving into the enchanting world of "The Music Shop" by Rachel Joyce, and I must say, it left me utterly captivated from start to finish. This novel is a true gem that resonated with me on a profound level, and I cannot recommend it enough.Set in a quaint and eccentric music shop in a small town, the story follows the life of Frank, a passionate and enigmatic record store owner. Frank possesses an uncanny ability to connect people with the perfect piece of music that speaks to their souls. As the narrative unfolds, we are introduced to a cast of wonderfully flawed characters, each with their own unique stories and struggles.What struck me most about "The Music Shop" is Rachel Joyce's exquisite storytelling. Her prose is lyrical, evocative, and infused with a deep understanding of the power of music to heal, inspire, and unite. With every turn of the page, I found myself transported into the melodies and emotions that permeate the lives of these characters.Joyce's ability to breathe life into her characters is truly remarkable. Each one is beautifully crafted, with their own quirks, vulnerabilities, and hidden depths. I found myself emotionally invested in their journeys, rooting for their triumphs, and empathizing with their heartaches. It is a testament to Joyce's skill as a writer that she can create such authentic and relatable characters."The Music Shop" is not just a story about music; it is a celebration of the human spirit, the power of connection, and the beauty of embracing our true selves. It explores themes of love, loss, forgiveness, and the transformative power of music in a way that is both poignant and uplifting.This book touched my heart in ways I never expected. It reminded me of the profound impact that music can have on our lives, how it can heal wounds, evoke memories, and bring people together. It made me reflect on the importance of embracing our passions and staying true to ourselves, even in the face of adversity.Prepare to be swept away by this melodic journey that will leave you with a renewed appreciation for the power of music and the resilience of the human spirit.

Music. Slice of life. Underdogs. Serendipitous romance. Small shops. England. Is this not the ingredients to indie films? I mean can we just hire Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks for the movie right now?From the very first page I just knew that I had something special. The writing is so gorgeous that I could cry. It has the perfect balance of humor and seriousness. The words flow so seemlessly and the descriptions of emotions and everyday occaurances raged from poeticly tanganle to excitingly relatable. My heart moved, my lips smiled, and I just fully enjoyed my time reading this book.And this extends to the characters. Oh, how I adore the foolish and charming Kit. Admired the memories of Peg. And shared a core of myself with Frank himself, our main character. Each and everyone of them felt so real. Like characters in a sitcom, they have quirks and irks but, time and time again come back together.The combined being of this book, every page, every word, every character, every bit of it has stored itself inside my heart. It has also opened my ears to listening to music in the way Frank expresses it. This book can seriously change your life.And it only misses the five star rating due to the last chapters in which the plot got a little too quirky and jumps 21 years. But don't get me wrong, if this was a movie it'd be the cutest thing and go right up there with sick day films such as Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. Additionally, the very end is quite sweet and makes me feel all tucked in and happy.So please do read this book if you want that feel good love story with a slice of life feeling.Thank you Penguin Random House for the e-book arc of this!

𝑰 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚! 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕! 🫶🫶🫶

Frank runs a dying record store in the beginning of the '80's, when CD's are rising and Frank refuses to sell anything other than vinyl. He has difficulty building relations, due to his flawed childhood. He gets "saved" by a mysterious customer, a beautiful lady in a green dress. The background of the story is nice; the many references to all kinds of music will please the aficionados and there are some colorful characters to spice the story up. But I couldn’t really get into the story. Frank is a very boring person and Rachel Joyce, apparently in an effort to postpone the romance as long as possible (sort of a requisite ingredient in these type of stories, of course), makes him – and also his lover Ilse – act so strangely and illogically that you just want to give them a good shake: are you guys for real? The improbable and soppy ending seems to have been written with the goal of a Meg Ryan romantic movie scenario in mind. The book is not totally bad, but I had hoped for a sort of High Fidelity story, but believe me, Nick Hornby’s novel is much sharper, funnier and believable and blows this book totally out of the water. No more Rachel Joyces for me, I’m afraid.

Those who grew up with VINYL records will love this tale! Always wondering what's going to happen next, one's kept in suspense. We wonder if the two lovers will ever get back together but the FLASH MOB provides the answer. Read and you will not forget a wonderful and nostalgic walk back in recording history plus a truly remarkable love story! By the way, I still have my VINYL records!

I didn't realize that there's a large following of vinyl collectors out there who are very specific about the sound quality of the old records vs new enhancements and advanced sound systems. "The Music Shop" is well written, a bit slow in getting the two people together, the disaster in the shop is surprising and the end was a giant surprise as usual with the gifted author who catches us in the end. Loved it.

The love of vinyl runs deep. A beautiful story about passion and simplicity and filled with rich and salty characters.

Tolle Sprache, unglaubliche Kreativität beim Bilden von Metaphern. Eine wunderbare Liebesgeschichte.

Een zoete, weinig boeiende roman die het keukenmeidengenre amper ontstijgt; jammer dat haar boeken zo wisselend van kwaliteit zijn!

jDifferent people, different tastes! I couldn't finish this totally boring book

as usual this author gifts us with a book full of emotions! Hard to put down and sad when it ended !