I worked many years in the neuromodulation division for a medical device company. I really like Lisa Genova as an author. She was a neuroscientist and her books reflect it. This book was so good but hard because it dealt with als. I love how she had a concert pianist that has the disease. It made for a good contrast between the delicate nature of the music and the intense muscle control needs for the art. I also love the ex wife had to take care of him. I highly recommend this book or any of her books.

I typically love reading novels related to music, particulary ones with performers as main characters. In this book, Richard is a concert pianist afflicted with ALS. The description of his condition and his declining health were a bit disturbing for me. However, the writing is certainly effective, and the exploration of his troubled relationship with Karina is powerful.

Reading a Lisa Genova novel is a treat, which sounds a bit odd given the generally frightening subject matter. Our brains and/or bodies betraying us, refusing to do the very things we've always taken for granted they would continue to do because they always had done these things--that's terror. Being locked out of the control of a vehicle you're driving is terrifying. How much more terrifying, frustrating, and heartbreaking it is to be locked out of the control of your own body. Watching someone lose control of a vehicle he or she is driving is scary. Watching someone lose control of his or her body is terrifying. Lisa Genova paints this terror perfectly in Every Note Played, just as she did in Inside the O'Briens and Still Alice. But inside and around and woven through that terror is love and kindness, forgiveness and reconciliation. Her writing is perfectly understandable, never condescending, and beyond informative. She develops characters who are easy to become invested in because they are believable. I've met no saints in any of her books, nor have I encountered a stereotypical villain. She writes people--people who could so easily be our sisters or brothers, mothers or fathers, best friends, and ourselves. Every Note Played had no hope of having a happy ending. It did something better: it had a merciful journey toward accepting ourselves and each other, past sins and all.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an emotional and compelling story about Richard, an accomplished concert pianist who has been diagnosed with ALS and how that diagnosis effects him and those around him. His ex-wife becomes his reluctant caretaker as she works to try and move on from the fallout of their marriage and her stagnant life since they divorced. As they both try to navigate the reality of their new situation and the effects of the disease, they both are forced to deal with what it means to forgive and move on.
This was a powerful book, yet when it was finished, it felt like some of the story only scratched the surface and didn't delve in deep enough to what was happening with each of the characters. I just felt like something was missing when the story ended, but overall this was a good read.

This book is so dark and so heavy I found it impossible to like. It may be a great portrayal of ALS but I already know enough to not need the real grim details. Also her characters aren't likeable.

Lisa Genova is a genius at writing about neurological diseases and Every Note Played did not disappoint. I felt for Richard and Karina as they struggled with his ALS and reconciling their relationship. Yet another wonderful novel from Genova.

Lisa Genova writes books that touch us all. From dealing with dementia, to the current book, tackling ALS.
Her characters reveal the emotions that anyone might experience when faced with this horrible disease.
She not only presents the character afflicted, but the family also effected. Very hard but compelling read.

Richard Evans is a gifted classical pianist. At forty-five years of age he has played with the most reputed symphonic and philharmonic orchestras in the world, in filled-to-capacity world-renown halls. He is at the cuspid of his career when he is diagnosed with ALS. Suddenly his life comes into excruciating focus. Divorced from his estranged wife, Karina, three years ago, Richard has to rely on her care for the duration of his life. But with so much resentment between them, so many things left unsaid, so many betrayals, big and small, they must consider if putting a unified front to steal ALS precious time, and achieve redemption in the process, is worth it after all.

With glimpses of dark humor, without sacrificing empathy or pathos, Lisa Genova chronicles in Every Note Played the heartbreaking journey of a gifted pianist ailed with ALS and how taxing it is for the ailing as well as for his/her closest and dearest people. Genova's economic yet lyrical prose cuts to the heart of the matter, be it dissecting human nature and behavior, or the crippling symptoms of the devastating disease that is the focus of this novel.

This is the second novel I’ve read by Lisa Genova and I’m already a consummated fan of her writing style. She chronicles neurological disorders in stages, at their most gripping, heartbreaking, and personal. I’ll be reading more of Genova’s novels in the future.

Disclaimer: I received from the publisher a free e-book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Richard was an accomplished concert pianist, who received standing ovations around the world. Audiences around the world were in awe of his talent and flawless performances. That was, until eight months ago. Richard, now, has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralyzed. The loss of the use of his hand feels like a death, like a divorce, one that he has no control over. He knows his left arm will go, next, and that eventually his entire body will be affected. Three years ago, Karina replaced their wedding picture with a mirror on the living room wall. But, she never really moved on. Karina is paralyzed in an entirely different way, letting her fears and regrets keep her in an unfulfilling life as an after-school music teacher. She blames Richard and their failed marriage for everything she's unhappy about in her life. When Richard becomes increasingly paralyzed, Karina becomes his very reluctant caregiver. As Richard's muscles, voice, and even his breath begin to fade, they both struggle to put their past aside before it's too late. Lisa Genova did such an amazing job of making them all seem real.

This was such a heartbreaking, real, vivid picture of ALS. ALS is such a vicious, terrible disease that took the life of a dear friend of mine and I could truly see what he went through in this story. Not the parts about Richard and Karina's relationship, but definitely his physical struggles, of being trapped in his own body while his mind was whole. I found myself empathizing so much with both Karina and Richard, and their daughter. I honestly can't wait to read more of her work.

DNF. I am a fan of Lisa Genova's work, but this book felt too depressing for me. That's probably just a personal opinion, considering I've already nursed two parents through dementia. But something about the storyline felt slow and sad and I wasn't willing to put in the time. This doesn't mean I won't be reading Genova's future books. I do think she is a gifted writer.

This book has been one of my most anticipated books of the year and being given an early ARC made me so very happy.

It's a story about a man named Richard who seemed to have all that he wanted including a career as a talented pianist and being able to travel all over the world. Then he's suddenly diagnosed with ALS, his world comes crashing down and life is about to really throw a curve ball that will change not only his lives but those most important in his life.
This book was equal parts beautiful with the descriptions of music Richard loved to play and also heartbreaking because ALS takes away his ability to do the very thing he loved which was playing music, his freedom and his ability to even communicate. It is a horrible disease that I wouldn't wish on any one and I cried at the end of the book.

Though I know this story was fictional, there are many who are going through and have gone through the harsh obstacle course of ALS. This book gives a view into those struggles and has certainly had a lasting impression on me.

Full of emotional rollercoasters, music that I can almost hear, the power of a support system and surprises with a heart dose of heartache, I hope you'll enjoy this book as much as I have.

Every Note Played is good, but lacking something extra to be great. This book didn't touch me the same way Still Alice and Inside the O'Briens did. My eyes were opened to the plight of those affected by ALS and what having that disease would mean for me or my family. What was missing was the characters brought to life in a real way where they were fleshed out and relatable. I wanted to see flashing of Richard at his prime, more Karina struggle feeling trapped in a world she might not have chosen for herself, more couple history, and even more of the daughter's thoughts. I just wanted more. Every Note Played is heart-wrenching for its ability to paint the physical breakdown of the body.

Oof. Lisa Genova pulls no punches in this novel detailing the fate of a musician with ALS. I was interested in this book because I'm also a musician and I was curious about how that aspect of Richard's life would change with the progression of his disease. I thought that the author did a great job of explaining how musicians "see" their music and how they process their performances. Unfortunately, less than halfway through the book, Richard becomes unable to produce music any more.

This didn't make the book any less engrossing. It was all too easy to put myself in Richard's position because the author describes ALS in such realistic detail that it was almost as if she spoke from personal experience. And the end note in the book explains that she did get to know several families who were dealing with ALS, to the very end. And there is no happy ending with this disease. You are probably most familiar with Stephen Hawking if you are trying to picture the progression of ALS, but it's my understanding that Hawking lived far longer than most people with the disease can.

Do you ever empathize too much with characters? I did in this book, and it actually terrified me as I read it. ALS is a progressive disease of the neurons which gradually robs the afflicted of all of their nervous functions. In the book, Richard lost his ability to use his hands and then arms, to chew, to walk, to speak. Most ALS patients eventually lose the ability to breathe on their own, and that's when decisions must be made. Richard had bouts of railing against his illness and periods of resigned acceptance.

Richard was not alone in his struggle. His estranged wife Katrina and his daughter became his caretakers, and the book examines the role of caretakers and the toll it takes on those who perform this role. The author also gives a shoutout to those who do caretaking of the terminally ill for a living, and while I can't imagine doing that for a job, they must be like angels from above for those whom they help, as the book states. Those who choose this profession can't get enough kudos from me.

While I wasn't as interested in Katrina's story, she goes through her own growth in the book both as a person and as a musician. Through her eyes, you can see how both resentment and exhaustion and desperation grew as she devoted more and more of her time to care for someone who just couldn't give anything back.

I read this book while on vacation, and a light beach read it is not. I'm glad to have read it. Genova has a marvelous writing talent and generous empathy for her characters that allows the reader to get as close as possible to understanding the effects of this disease upon its sufferers and those who love them. It hurt emotionally to read. That's why I've given it four stars instead of five, because although I can't fault the writing, it was a difficult experience to read the book. If you think you may be triggered by the topic of terminal illness and caregiving, be aware going into the book that you won't be left unscathed. I'm still a bit shaken, thinking about it.

I want to thank the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Genova is a talented writer, able to mesh disparate subjects together seamlessly. She is also able to ‘translate’ real feelings and experiences (experienced by real ALS patients) into a coherent whole. She is a good storyteller, capturing the reader’s attention and emotions. Not all writers can move readers, make you feel what the character feels, but great writers can, and do.

I see the wisdom of fictionalizing a complicated medical disease, using it as a basis for a story, because everyone appreciates a good story. Stories dramatize and personalize; here, the author writes in such a way that the reader gradually understands the disease. This is remarkable for a physician, when you think about it, because still too many doctors have neither the patience nor the willingness to explain the progression of a disease.

A story about one man dying is also a universal story, because we will all face our own mortality at some point in life. Reading about someone else’s experiences and feelings as one faces death forces each of us to acknowledge our mortality, provides a sort of roadmap, a lesson in what to do or not do when we reach that point in our own lives.

This story is moving and educational, allowing the reader to become familiar with how ALS can affect the individual, and how having a serious illness (not just ALS) can, and often does, affect relationships. It is the final stage in life, the point at which one must try to resolve differences or estrangement and learn to forgive before it is too late.

Very sad story about a pianist who develops ALS and his ex wife who cares for him. Richard is a selfish man, concerned only with his career. He treats his wife, also a pianist in her own right terribly. He is not a good father. After he develops ALS, he has to deal with his failed relationships.

“Every Note Played” is a heart wrenching tale of a renowned pianist’s progressive decline due to ALS. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. As Richard’s illness progresses he is becoming more and more reliant on the caregivers that come to his home a few times a day. One day he walks out of his condo building to take a stroll in the nearby park. As he struggles to get back home he has an accident, and instead of dialing the number for his caregiver he accidentally dials his ex-wife, with whom he has quite a toxic relationship. She helps him back into his place and surprisingly to both him and her, starts taking on more of the responsibilities in his care, eventually leading to him moving back in to their home when he begins to need a live-in caregiver. The story is told from multiple perspectives through the pianist, his ex-wife, and their teenage daughter.

While the subject matter was interesting and the emotions ran deep, I was definitely in the minority with my rating of this book. I had the hardest time wanting to pick this up and keep reading, as I’m not a fan of excessive internal dialogue in book characters. It also felt more like a case study of ALS than a novel. While I empathized with the characters, I just couldn’t like the story. There wasn’t a single character I cared about, which makes for a truly unsatisfying read. I didn’t feel the emotions a book of this magnitude could have evoked, and that felt like a shame. It had great potential, but for me it fell short.

Oh how I wish I had read this earlier. I know very little about ALS, aside from knowing a bit about Stephen Hawking. The detail that Genova has in Every Note Played, to really show how debilitating & horrible this disease is, is truly amazing. I couldn't get over how quickly Richard's condition deteriorated & how hard it was to read. I loved how he & Karina we're able to mend things, in their own ways. By then end, I was in sobbing tears, because it was just so damn beautiful. It ended exactly as it should have. Love, love, love.

Such a moving, emotional book that keeps the reader engaged and drawn into the story. A must-read for this winter!

A very well written story. I throughly enjoyed this story. Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. It's my first book by this author and I am very impressed.

ALS is such a debilitating disease. Exploring the journey of a character afflicted with the disease while he tries to come to terms with his mistakes in life is, in my opinion, what makes this book so compelling. Genova's gift is in allowing us to visualize the process, less painfully, no doubt, than how it would happen in real life. As I do with all of her books, I cried, and spent more time thinking about it than just while I was reading the pages. This was a deep story that both educated and moved me. Kudos again to Genova.