Bradford Morrow has delivered a literary novel that traces a Prague Sonata from its emergence in the Second World War Prague through its disappearance and reemergence in New York City. The Prague Sonata is reconnected with its Prague beginnings.

I'm really sorry I can not give a better review, but this book disappointed me by the time I reached the end. A rather interesting story is embedded in an inexplicable number of details that do not contribute to the plot, and the action is so extravagant and, as an average reader, at some point you will probably lose the will to find out the remaining secrets hidden in this book. I believe this is an excellent idea, but a weak performance. The whole story could be purified and presented to a broader audience much better. This way, it's just a mediocre novel.

A very pleasant and pretty undemanding read, but enjoyable, especially as I read it around the time that I visited Prague for the first time. It was good to pick up snippets of history and recognise the locations - though once or twice I found myself shouting at the book for having the geography wrong! A decidedly predictable ending, but none the worse for that!

At the turn of the millennium, a young musicologist Meta Taverner is bequeathed an original sonata manuscript by a Czech immigrant, whose dying wish is that the manuscript is returned to its original owner whom she has not met since they were separated by the Second World War as locating the missing parts of the three-movement piece.As she sets out to fulfill the lady's dying wish as well as in the land of Kafka and Dvorak, Meta has to deal with her own self-discovery.

Morrow provides the reader with snapshots of Czech history shifts back and forth in time from the from the First World War through the Velvet Revolution as well as glimpses of postwar London and immigrant America. I was captivated with his descriptions of Prague life that I was convinced to add it to my bucket list.

Though the book is more focused on Meta's European adventures, the author does include multiple points of view of the main characters to drive the plot forward. The Prague Sonata was definitely a change of pace for me since over the last couple of months, I have been accustomed to reading less than 300 paged- YA historical fiction. Morrow's work challenged me with its sophisticated language, vivid descriptions and constantly looking up historical events like the Velvet Revolution that I was not even aware of (I was still in diapers then, so that could also explain it). Plus the book is 480-pager.

An appreciation for classical music, in general, would be a requirement for reading this book so that you can be able to flow with the dialogues. I am one of those people who actually to bring to life characters by imagining how they would say helps me to connect with characters or 'to be omnipresent' in the scenes. Unfortunately, I found myself glossing over some of those sections that I did not resonate with. I have to admit I normally brag about my (tiny)knowledge of the greats-Mozart, Bach Debussy and Beethoven but the references in this book had me my Google tab constantly open.

When you pick up The Prague Sonata, be ready for a mysterious but musical adventure.

Prague is one of my favorite cities in Europe, and that, combined with my musical background made this book very appealing to me, and thankfully this book lived up to at least some of my expectations. First, I love historical fiction, and Morrow gave me a good portion of this, with pieces of the action taking place during both World Wars and the Czech “Velvet Revolution,” although most of this novel takes place at the early part of the 21st century. Of course, my love of Prague was satisfied by many loving descriptions of that city, which made me nostalgic to walk those charming streets again. In addition, Morrow is either very musically knowledgeable, or he has done some excellent research for this book (I understand it took him 10 years to complete it), because he certainly seemed to know his stuff in that area. For example, not many people would know what a WoO is, or understand so fully how a sonata is constructed. Finally, there’s a nice little romance that runs through the book, balanced with a good heaping of mystery and intrigue, to keep the emotional tensions up and move the plot along. All this, together with a gently lyrical, yet unpretentious writing style gave this book a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere, despite the present complexities and clandestine history of this manuscript.

Another good thing about this book is the way Morrow develops his characters. When we are introduced to Meta, we are almost automatically sympathetic to her, and seeing as she’s the major protagonist here, that’s certainly a good thing. Also, early in the book we’re introduced to Jonathan, Meta’s boyfriend, who doesn’t seem a good fit for her, which is something that works out well later in the book. The other characters all seem to fall quietly into place like pieces of a puzzle. There’s Otylie, the manuscript’s owner, Mandelbaum, Meta’s mentor and Gerrit, an American-Czech journalist living in Prague, and Meta’s eventual romantic interest. Along with them Morrow carefully builds a set of antagonists who all seem to want to get their hands on the manuscript for various reasons. There are other characters along the way as well, all of whom seem to get about equal minor billing, and are rounded enough to be both believable and work nicely to enhance the overall story.

While all this sounds pretty good, there are several reasons why I can’t give this book five stars. One problem I had with this book was that several of the lesser characters, although realistic, felt a bit clichéd, and somewhat romanticized, as if Morrow liked them too much to give them any real flaws. There were also some inconsistencies in the plot that bothered me. For example, I wasn’t terribly convinced that Otylie’s husband would have been so protective of this manuscript that Otylie’s father gave her. Furthermore, I felt that Morrow tried to get a bit too much intrigue into this story, and that not only lengthened it (perhaps a bit too much), but also frustrated me as a reader during these passages, since I just wanted Morrow to get back to the essence of the story. On the other hand, I also felt that Morrow should have fleshed some of the sections about Otylie out a bit more, and possibly placed some of them earlier in the book, since their relative thinness and late appearance in the novel was probably what made the climax fall a bit flat for me. In other words, there were some things that were built up too much, while others didn’t get enough buildup for my taste. Finally, I was slightly disappointed that Morrow decided to attribute this sonata to such a famous composer, but I’m guessing that with everything else Morrow needed to research, raising up a lesser known maestro might have been a bit too much.

In any case, overall, this book deserves a whole lot of praise, from the fascinating story idea, to the excellent research into the music world, and with a cast of characters, most of whom were drawn beautifully, and developed with a very loving hand. The fact that it didn’t bother me that this story hits on the Holocaust, but has only one Jewish character, is also noteworthy. I think that most historical fiction lovers will enjoy this book, and despite my few niggles, I can confidently recommend it with four out of five stars.

I expected this book to be just my cup of tea. I've loved so many books about missing pieces of art that I figured that one about music would be a treat for little ol' classical music lover me.

But that just didn't happen here. I can't quite put my finger on what was missing. Moving between past and present--what made "Possession" so groundbreaking and iconic--is muddled and slumpy. Ever since "Possession" we've had so many novelists try this template that I think it's time to stop. In too many hands the modern story is lame and all the suspense and excitement are in the historical recounting, encouraging inventive readers to skim whole parts of the book. Bradford Morrow joins this crew. Meta's tale of modern New York, her foundering relationship, and squabbling music professionals are just not compelling enough to pull the reader through to the WW2 sections where the real good stuff lies.

Morrow takes on one daunting task very nicely: what does the Prague Sonata sound like? For most of the story characters hear only fragments of it, so each piece has to be so extraordinary that it will drive the search to finally reunite the missing sections. I never doubted the music's power to ignite the search, which probably the strongest element in this uneven novel.

This story starts in Prague at the time of the First World War. A man sets out for the fighting, leaving his only daughter, Otylie, with a single possession, an old manuscript of a sonata written in three movements, which he believes to have great value.

Everything now revolves around this sonata and it leads to a fascinating trail of events. The father having died in the war leaves his orphaned child with nothing but this manuscript. The story then moves on to the Second World War where the situation in Prague is deteriorating rapidly and Otylie and her husband are fighting for survival. They eventually become separated but not before she divides the sonata for safety, one movement going to her husband, another to a friend and the first movement staying with Otylie herself. In a strange series of circumstances and many years after the war, one movement of this sonata falls into the hands of Meta, a young pianist who has had to give up her concert career after a car accident and has turned to musicology instead. Meta becomes obsessed with the manuscript and leaves her home in New York for Prague, mainly to find the other two movements of the sonata, but also to find out its authenticity and original composer. Meta herself is not interested in the value of this music, but it soon turns out that others definitely are - and a tense fight for ownership ensues.

Although this book is a different kind of detective fiction, it has plenty of surprises, tension and intrigue. The writer has done impeccable research and really knows the background worlds of both classical music and Prague, where most of the book is set. We are also taken into a world of political corruption and greed in a city still damaged by the terrible legacy left by the war years.

The questions hang over the reader right to the end, not only will the three movements be reunited, but also will the composer of the sonata be identified?

Occasionally the use of the Czech language, with its necessary translation, becomes irritating and the very detailed descriptions of the city tend to hold up development of the plot. The writing of the relationships, particularly the love story, is not nearly as sure as the main narrative, almost lapsing into ‘romantic novel’ genre at times.

But these are small quibbles in a book that is a fascinating read and keeps the reader guessing the outcome right to the end.

Jane

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

The Prague Sonata is a bit of history, mystery, romance, and quest. It tells us the story of Meta and her quest to unite a manuscript that was divided in 1938 as the Nazis marched into Prague.

Meta was once an aspiring world-class pianist but an accident took that future away from her. She adjusted her ambitions and moved on, settling for the much smaller ambition of being a musicologist and giving piano lessons. But life had more interesting plans for her. A dying woman who heard Meta play gave her an old musical score and a quest, to reunite that score with the two other pieces that were split up in hopes that at least some part of it would survive the Occupation.

It sounds an impossible task, go to Prague and cast about for a trail that started in 1938 and went cold by 1945. Would you give up your studies and students to set out on a seemingly impossible search with scant information to a country where you don’t speak the language? Would you persist despite nothing but dead ends and discouragement? Meta does and I think that is why it is important that author Bradford Morrow’s decision to write her as someone who dreamed big and had those dreams torn away is crucial to the success of Meta as a character. Without that devastating loss, her persistence would not make sense.

If I were a listmaker and made a list of my favorite books, Morrow’s Giovanni’s Gift and Trinity Fields would be on it. This made me eager to read The Prague Sonata. I did enjoy the story and Morrow’s writing, though it won’t make that same list. The plot is interesting, though the machinations of a famed Czech music historian are over-explained. Wittman’s just a few steps short of Snidely Whiplash, recounting his plots and motivations to co-conspirators and his opposition, Meta’s mentor Mandelbaum. He is the evil mastermind who keeps talking to the hero instead of running him into the buzzsaw, thereby failing and ensuring the series will continue.

Morrow includes a lot of prosaic details in this book. This weighted it down for me, though it also gave it so much verisimilitude I had to look up lost sonatas and verify it was fiction. The central plot device, the idea of a lost sonata by one of the greats of classical music is all too possible. I know it the inclusion of petty details, the packing, unpacking, the daily habits are the things that made me wonder if this was true. It felt reported, not imagined. That’s how talented Morrow is, but for me, even though I understand why that level of detail is included, I sometimes longed for the story to move along.

One of my big problems with the story was a bit of the irrationality of the initial choice to divide up the score among three people so the Nazis would never get the whole of it, in hopes someday it might be found and united. Why didn’t she just hide it and tell the other two where it was hidden. That would mean three chances that the information would survive the war, three chances to find it and bring it back to the world. Instead, she divided it among three people going from three chances to survive the war to three chance to be lost. I appreciate that she kicks herself for that poor reasoning.

I received an e-galley of The Prague Sonata from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Prague Sonata follows an opt-repeated trope but with a refreshing twist. Many novels depict a current day protagonist tracking a lost work of art or artifact, which disappeared during the Nazi regime whether hidden or stolen. Think Geraldine Brooks’ People of the Book (Jewish Haggadah) or Ayelet Waldman’s Love and Treasure (jewels on a Hungarian gold train), Debra Dean’s The Madonnas of Leningrad (masterpieces at the Hermitage), Susan Vreeland’s Girl in Hyacinth Blue (Vermeer painting) to name a few. This book is set apart by the gorgeous writing and the nature of the artwork – an unattributed handwritten musical score of a three-movement piano sonata.

Otylie Bartosova is fleeing Prague following the invasion of the Nazis. Her most valued possession is a late-18th century music manuscript bequeathed to her by her father, a music teacher and collector. He advised his daughter to guard it as if it were her own child. One day it will bring you great fortune. Otylie decides the best way to insure the sonata’s safety is to separate the score into its three movements. She gives the final movement to her husband in the Czech resistance, the second movement to her best friend, Irena, and takes the first movement with her as she escapes to London.

Fast forward to the summer of 2000. Meta Taverner’s budding career as a concert pianist ends in a car accident, forcing her shift to musicology. A friend introduces her to the elderly Irena, who is in the final stages of cancer. Irena tells Meta the story of Otylie and the sonata and entrusts Meta with her fragment of the score. Thus begins Meta’s journey to Prague to find the other movements, to ascertain the identity of the composer, and to locate Otylie, assuming she is still alive.

As Meta searches neighborhoods and archives, the reader is exposed to major events in 20th century Czech history – from the German occupation to the Communist takeover to the Velvet Revolution. Tension builds as multiple parties seek the missing score - some well intentioned and some bad actors.

Although the book could be 100 pages shorter, the author’s ability to describe musical passages with colors and textures more than makes up for the length. For example when characterizing the second movement: “Melodious descending scales conducted in lyrical eddies, pools of euphony, that defied all laws of spiritual gravity when the waterfall of notes cascaded upward again. Then, abrupt as water hitting stone, its rich, poignant tapestries of sound ceased. What followed, without foreshadowing, without warning, was a passage of unspeakable darkness.” With such descriptions, the deaf could almost imagine the music.

Recommended for lovers of WWII historical fiction and those who enjoy a musically-themed mystery.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
What a disappointment! The description told me it was the kind of book I love to read. The subject, the era, the characters were all of great interest. It was well researched and but far too long with too many extraneous details. I skimmed a lot and just wished it would be over. 2.5 Stars. Some may have more patience with the wordiness than I.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get past the 34 % mark. This book failed to grab me in anyway,but I am not going to give it a rating on Goodreads. I chose this book because I love the WW2 era. No doubt the author put a lot of heart and soul into this story. However, I just had to admit defeat.

2.5 stars. As I read The Prague Sontag, I kept thinking "Please let this book end..." What a terrible reaction to what should and could have been a really good novel. The Prague Sonata is a good idea left untamed. It takes place throughout the 20th and early 21st century, and focuses on a found musical manuscript that is suspected to be by a famous composer. Just at the beginning of WWII, Prague resident, Otylie, who has inherited the manuscript from her father, must find a way to keep it safe during the war. In later years, in New York, Meta comes into possession of part of the manuscript and goes on a quest to figure out its origin. The historical backdrop includes Prague as the Nazis we're taking over and later as communism was coming to an end. Sounds pretty good, right? Unfortunately, rather than refining this idea into a tight readable narrative, the author and editors allowed it to flounder and wallow. The timelines and perspectives are choppy and disjointed. There are far too many uninteresting unnecessary bits and pieces -- especially in the contemporary timeline -- such as Meta's failing relationship in New York and her new romance in Prague. And there is a ridiculous contemporary intrigue amongst competing musicologists. But mostly, it's just way way way too long. How could an editor allow this one to be published without far more cutting and refinement? I am usually so happy to read books set in 20th century Eastern Europe, but this one was especially disappointing because it promised so much but failed to deliver. The only reason I'm not rating it a flat 2 stars is because I really liked the parts depicting Otylie and some of the older Czech characters. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

This was another monthly buddy read with Angela and Diane. Thanks to both of you for making this tedious journey so much more tolerable.

What I liked?

The history, had read little before of the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia, and none at all of The Velvet Revolution of the nineties.
The tour of Prague, fascinating city with a long history.
A few of the characters, Otylie, Sam, Garrett, Tomas and Irena. All interesting and touching, living in hard times and trying to survive the best way they could. Their lives afterward, what happened to them.

What was mixed? Love music, find searching and identifying lost things fascinating, this was, however, quite lengthy,and it was difficult to maintain my interest.

What I had trouble with.

The less than smooth transition from past to present.
I felt this story went on too long, some parts seemed like they could have been done away with, making a tighter less lengthy read.
Musical villians. Turning a historical into or rather trying to make it a thriller didn't work for me, the historical society alone held more appeal to this reader.
Something happens that I felt was a little unbelievable considering the gap in time between present and past.

So, as you can see this for me was a mixed read. I'm sure others who look for different things will find some of what bothered me, more to their liking. Only way to tell is to try it and see.

ARC from Netgalley.

he Prague Sonata is a tough book for me to review because I had such conflicting opinions whilst reading it. On the one hand, I loved the human aspect of the story but on the other hand, I often found the musical aspects of it quite dull and hard to get through.
“All wars being with music…War is music and music is war, he said, breath strong from his evening stew and mulled wine.”
Otylie’s father, a formed piano teacher , had been given leave to bury his wife and make arrangements for his daughter. Within a month he had died and Otylie was on her way to live with an Aunt in Prague. The above words were among the last he spoke to her before he left.
Otylie has no siblings to comfort her in her loss and her has already succumbed to influenza. On the morning of her departure he left her a music manuscript which she knew to be his prized possession.
“Otylie made a pact with herself. She would never again listen to men who talked war. And she would never again sing or play music as long as she lived.”
Despite this promise both music and war keep finding her throughout her lifetime.
It next found her when she was 30 and living with her Jewish husband Jakub in Prague. Having seen the effects of war before Otylie immediately begins to worry for her husband who is at his shop in the Jewish quarter.
When Otylie learns her husband is involved in the underground resistance and she needs to leave her home Otylie comes to a drastic decision about the manuscript – to save it she first had to ruin it.
She split it into three separate parts. One for her, one for her best friend Irena and a final piece for Jakub if she managed to see him again before fleeing Prague.
Meta Taverner lives in the East Village with her boyfriend Jonathan and it is her 30th birthday when we first meet her. Her best friend Gillian has an unusual present for her from a woman she looks after in the hospice where she works.
The present is a music manuscript from the 18th Century of unknown origin which has a ‘whole saga’ behind it.
Jonathan is less than thrilled that she has decided to pursue the origins of the manuscript to Prague and even less impressed that she has chosen to do so alone. This puts an enormous strain on what was already an unusual relationship.
The Prague Sonata tells some heart-wrenching stories from the lives of those who have come into contact with the manuscript. These were the stories that made the book for me.
Bradford Morrow has a gift for creating characters you fall in love with and they are what makes the book one highly recommend.

I thought I would like this more since at it's core, this is story of courageous resistance against the Nazis during the German occupation of Prague. I’ve read stories before about how people have tried so hard under almost impossible circumstances, to save paintings. This time it’s a music manuscript. For a moment I ask why - when your life and the lives of others are so much more precious. But it is a matter of saving a part of history, a part of one’s culture, a part of oneself. Certainly meaningful, yet I felt like I've read this story before. Well, not this one in particular but stories like it. The structure is formulaic- alternating narratives between the past and present connecting characters, a common mechanism, but this felt somewhat disjointed. For me the older story is usually the most captivating and it was the case here as well. The modern story has a romantic relationship that isn't going well and the modern character could find the love of her life in the quest for the lost piece of art . The same story as some other novels.

Odylie and her husband Jakub, try to save themselves during the occupation of Prague. Odylie trying to save a valuable music manuscript left to her by her father, divides it in three parts. She takes one and gives one to her husband Jakub, and one to her friend Irena. Meta in the present day is at a time of uncertainty in her life, deterred by an accident from becoming the concert pianist she was destined for. She connects with Irena and becomes engaged in the search for the rest of the sonata. Sounds like a moving story so why just barely three stars? While I enjoyed the early stories of Otylie and Jakub, the descriptions of Prague, the courage of the resistors and the meaning of saving the music from the Nazis, it was too long , too drawn out and the journey was like a wild goose chase with bad guy musicologists after the sonata as well. The story, just the story of finding the pieces of the sonata , the stories of Otylie and Jacub would have been enough. The execution of it was just too much.

This was the monthly buddy read with Diane and Esil. We gave up in our original choice but managed to stay the course with this one . I think we always hope for one we will all love so we're trying again next week with another book.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Atlantic Monthly Press through NetGalley.

The Prague Sonata is a book with great depth. The narrative jumps between the great war, modern USA, the dark days of the Czech Republic, and the Velvet Revolution. Yet, the story is not about war, but about the passion for music played out by many of the characters. While Meta is the main character, the life and loves of Otylie strings the story together across time and distance. The entire cast of characters provides greed, lust, kindness, bitterness and lasting loyalty. The waves of emotion run high as Meta travels to Prague and beyond to gather the pieces of the manuscript for a lost classic. Suspense runs hot and cold as the personalities involved create tension and danger. The whole area of musicology is covered in great depth, along with the works of classical composers. This is not an easy read, but is fulfilling and satisfying.

With thanks to the author, Bradford Morrow, and the publisher, Atlantic Monthly Press for the Advanced Reader Copy.
Meta, a former concert pianist and musicology student, receives a unique round-about birthday gift from a friend: an introduction, of sorts, to a Holocaust survivor who has carried one movement of an unpublished sonata for closed to 60 years, with a challenge to find it's owner and the remaining two movements. What follows is, she discovers, a twisting mystery over two continents and through multiple cities. Aided by her mentor, who refers her to multiple music professors in Prague, some who are helpful and others duplicitous. Fellow students and new friends help in her sometimes challenging search, and slowly the stories of the manuscript, and the people who have been caretakers of the various portions over the years since WW II are told.
I found The Prague Sonata to be very enjoyable and a gripping story. While some of the in-depth description of composers and musical styles dragged on (in fact, the book could have been shorter without some of the deeply researched and explained minutia), the overall story lines were great. IF you enjoyed The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, I think you will find a similar tale here, with a slightly different vibe as it centers on the world of music manuscripts. Highly recommend.

I loved this novel as a writer, historian and musician.

Bradford Morrow’s understanding of the power and meaning of music is masterful. Otylie’s father, a soldier and collector of music manuscripts, tells her that all wars begin with music. After the death of her mother, Otylie’s father heads off to fight in WWI and never returns.

Otylie swears she will never sing or play music again. Secretly, however, she watches over the unsigned manuscript her father left her. While doubtful of his claims about its origins, she has enough faith that she risks her own life and the lives of those she loves to protect the sonata manuscript from Nazi destruction. While the culture of her homeland is being destroyed around her, she manages to preserve this one treasure by splitting it into three parts and fleeing the country.

Meta’s fight to reunite the manuscript in the modern day echoes the same themes. This is a personal matter – for Meta it is almost a spiritual quest she feels bound to. But for those who believe the manuscript segments should not be allowed to leave Prague again, the matter is also deeply political.

It’s the eternal question – who, after all, can truly own art? Is it the creator, the purchaser, or a whole nation?

This is easy-to-read literature at its best. The writing is so lyrical, so exquisitely insightful, yet so accessible. Mostly I allowed the words to just wash over me but a few times there were passages so wonderful that I had to sit back and just savour them.

I’ve read widely about WWII, but nothing I’ve come across has revealed the history of Prague is so much detail. At times the novel verges on providing too much detail, but for the most part Morrow has managed to strike a balance between story and history. The investigative nature of the story is on his side – Meta soaks up all the knowledge she can in her quest to trace the story of the manuscript.

Prague was crushed once by Nazi rule which sought to obliterate her culture. She was then ‘liberated’ by the Soviet Union and her culture oppressed by communist rule for another 40 years. It’s a depressing tale, but the modern story is wonderful – Meta arrives in modern-day Prague. Post-communist rule, the country is resurrecting its own unique culture. She meets young musicians, artists and writers who struggle against poverty to reinvigorate the modern artistic landscape.

3.5 stars

I loved the base story line in The Prague Sonata; it was completely engrossing, clever and unique. My one complaint, which altered my overall thoughts on the book significantly, was that the book was WAY too long and included too much extraneous information. I ended up having to skim pages and pages to pick up the next section on the sonata story line. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale regarding the missing manuscript, and the resolution of that tale brought tears to my eyes. The Czech history was interesting too, but I felt it should have been briefer. Thanks to Grove Atlantic for my ARC; all opinions are my own.

Well written though at times confusing story. I still enjoyed it. The descriptions were lovely.