The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music

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The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music

by Steve Lopez

3.82 · rating details · 4,037 ratings · 1,020 reviews

A moving story of the remarkable bond between a journalist in search of a story and a homeless, classically trained musiciandestined to be a major motion picture from DreamWorks, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.

When Steve Lopez saw Nathaniel Ayers playing his heart out on a two-string violin on Los Angeles skid row, he found it impossible to walk away. More than...more

Hardcover, 273 pages

Published April 17th 2008 by Putnam Adult

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Dec 15, 2009

Daniel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, books-about-writers

"The Soloist"'s story is so well-known at this point -- grizzled newspaper columnist befriends once-promising classical musician whose schizophrenia has left him long homeless -- that there's little need for me to recount it here. Steve Lopez's writing is less that of a top-tier author and more that of a solid reporter (today's poetry is tomorrow's birdcage liner), but the true story is well-served by Lopez's relatively unadorned and straightforward prose.

While Nathaniel An...more"The Soloist"'s story is so well-known at this point -- grizzled newspaper columnist befriends once-promising classical musician whose schizophrenia has left him long homeless -- that there's little need for me to recount it here. Steve Lopez's writing is less that of a top-tier author and more that of a solid reporter (today's poetry is tomorrow's birdcage liner), but the true story is well-served by Lopez's relatively unadorned and straightforward prose.

While Nathaniel Anthony Ayers's story was well-told in Lopez's original columns -- stories I read when they first ran in the Los Angeles Times years back -- "The Soloist" offers a more cohesive version of the musician's travails. There's some filler to bring the story to book length, but not much.

To call Ayers's story heartbreaking would be a severe understatement. While any story about a man living on the streets because of mental illness would be wrenching, when the man is not only as talented as Ayers is -- he plays string bass, cello, violin and piano proficiently, and experiments with other instruments -- but is also intelligent, educated, caring and well-spoken, it becomes an even harder story to get through. I know it shouldn't be that way -- we should feel the same compassion for anyone in a horrible situation not of his own making, no matter what his or her talents are -- but it's nevertheless true.

And Lopez is refreshingly honest about such inherent problems in telling Ayers's story: Ayers shouldn't get treatment different from Los Angeles's other homeless people, but he does because of his talents and because Lopez is writing about him; Lopez is using Ayers to fill his column quota and advance his career, but also genuinely cares about the man; Lopez wants to get Ayers off the streets and living a more normal life, but Lopez realizes that such efforts are partly to satisfy his own ego; Lopez wants to be a good friend to Ayers and have him in his life, but he's sacrificing time with his own family, who should be his first responsibility, to devote so much time to Ayers.

I resisted reading "The Soloist" for a while because, having read Lopez's original columns, I felt I knew the story. It turns out, though, that the book is compelling reading even for religious Los Angeles Times followers -- and easily recommended to anyone who doesn't read Lopez's column. Ayers's story is a tough one to tell, and Lopez does a good job telling it without romanticizing it or making it overly maudlin.(less)

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Jan 23, 2009

Liz Dunham rated it

Shelves: homelessness

I was originally skeptical of this book presenting too polished a case of "saving" a homeless man. Similar to "Have You Found Her," Mr. Lopez undergoes a personal development in essentially entering the social work field. He is naive, shocked, etc. Then he is intrigued, obsessed, dedicated. But he, too, crosses into a phase of boundary issues. He makes himself and his resources available to Nathaniel without a sense of boundaries or limits. He also begins his dedication...moreI was originally skeptical of this book presenting too polished a case of "saving" a homeless man. Similar to "Have You Found Her," Mr. Lopez undergoes a personal development in essentially entering the social work field. He is naive, shocked, etc. Then he is intrigued, obsessed, dedicated. But he, too, crosses into a phase of boundary issues. He makes himself and his resources available to Nathaniel without a sense of boundaries or limits. He also begins his dedication before understanding the illness that has perpetuated Nathaniel's homelessness. To his credit, Mr. Lopez does a phenomenal amount of research, field work, and background work (perks of having a journalist take this awkward role) and he learns quite a bit about the illness, the politics, the resources, and even about boundaries. This book does a good job of introducing this experience and familiarizing the public with a mental illness and social condition that are all-too missunderstood by the general public. It really delves into the complexities of offering help to Nathaniel while maintaining his dignity, working with the rhythms of his illness, and the social services capacities. However, again, like in Have You Found Her, as a non-professional he struggles with boundaries. Interestingly, both Steve Lopez and Janice in the other book reach a point (to their own horror) where they are so exhausted and frustrated that they just wish someone would take the "problem" off their hands. Although both have caring relationships, they realize that a sense of relief would come from their no longer being able to help. (with Janice, when Samantha is in rehab, Janice rejoices to have time again, she is not allowed to go see Samantha, and yet she feels that someone is taking care of it). I think it is a sensation that family members may experience when dealing with the severely and persistently mentally ill, particularly with substance abuse and homelessness mixed in. Families are not allotted the boundaries that protect professionals from being too invested or attached because families are expected to be the resource that is always there. And yet, families of people like Samantha and Nathaniel endured years and years of turmoil before their loved ones ran off, essentially releasing them from responsibility (by not being able to find them). To see how Steve and Janice felt the intensity of these feelings with people they had only known a year, and had no true ties to provides a sliver of insight into how painful it can be for families.

All of this being said, I recommend the book for anyone familiar or not with homelessness or mental illness. As a professional it was interesting and I think it must be interesting to any citizen who has walked by a homeless person on the street and wondered about what was going on there. (less)

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Dec 30, 2008

Fili rated it

Shelves: biography

I was attracted to this book when I realized it was about a subject close to my heart (schizophrenia), music and that it was the true story of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers. To top it off, the book is also a major motion picture starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr. to be released in April. I had to read it.

I finished the book today having started it just two days ago. I could've read it quicker had I no distractions. The author, L.A. Times Columnist Steve Lopez, is not the next g...more

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Apr 15, 2009

Sydney rated it

· review of another edition

This is soooooo good. Its so heartwarming, I guess you can say. Haha. Its a book for everyoneeee

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Aug 15, 2009

Rebecca rated it

Recommended to Rebecca by: Genevieve

Shelves: book-club

There was a homeless guy that my dad let stay in our unfinished house when I was a kid-- Greg. He stacked up all the slate tiles neatly... and sliced apart the antique bannister poles. I fell once and he rushed over with a first aid kit and doused my knee with witch hazel and bandaged me up. Then he stole the radio and threatened to kill my dad with a baseball bat. After he got violent, cops came, and Greg didn't come back to the house. As a kid I was fascinated and terrified and curious, and to...moreThere was a homeless guy that my dad let stay in our unfinished house when I was a kid-- Greg. He stacked up all the slate tiles neatly... and sliced apart the antique bannister poles. I fell once and he rushed over with a first aid kit and doused my knee with witch hazel and bandaged me up. Then he stole the radio and threatened to kill my dad with a baseball bat. After he got violent, cops came, and Greg didn't come back to the house. As a kid I was fascinated and terrified and curious, and totally thrilled when I spotted Greg, months later, on the metro, wearing my dad's walkman. Greg stayed a mystery-- one in a sea of unknown tragic lives.

In this story, Steve Lopez, the intrepid journalist, takes us into the life of Nathaniel Ayers, a Julliard musician, and a homeless schizophrenic. And we readers and sit by safely, applaud Ayers for his progress and Lopez for his charity where we don't dare to go.

Lopez is a straightforward writer-- his reporterly style reminds me of Heat: Driven middle-aged reporter follows impossible subject matter to dangerous personal limits, and comes out of the experience transformed!

The Soloist is not really the story of a homeless musician's recovery-- it's Lopez own journey. He realizes that Mr. Ayers (as he comes to call him) doesn't want, or possibly need, the kind of quick fix that would make a good "happily ever after" column. Lopez is obsessed with Mr. Ayers progress and his backsliding, and feels personally accountable for his public and quantifiable success. In order for his column to be more than shock value and exploitation, he feels that something positive has to come of their relationship. In the end, he decides that the positive transformation has been more in his own outlook than in Mr. Ayers life. p196: "Nathaniel turns my gaze inward. He has me examining what I do for a living and how I relate to the world as a journalist and as a citizen. Despite the many frustrations he presents, I'll never have a richer reward than knowing him well enough to tell his story."

I loved Lopez's description of the night he spent on Skid Row with Mr. Ayers. He walks by the addicts and dealers and broken veterans and prostitutes it's an still and uneasy dream. 62: "I'd make an easy mark for a quick mugging. But there's nothing behind me except my shadow. Still, my flesh rises as the man slides by like a shark." Bravo, Mr. Lopez!

He never becomes a social worker, he's not an expert on mental health, he doesn't have any big answers to these enormous social problems that Nathaniel symbolizes-- but I don't think this book is trying for anything that big. It's just the story of this strange and unbalanced friendship. It's compelling because it feels familiar. I could imagine myself in a situation like this-- wanting to help, not wanting to get hurt, wanting to understand but not be sucked into the undertow. (less)

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May 09, 2008

L.A.Weekly rated it

Review by Alan Rich

Back in September 1964, Jascha Heifetz, the formidable fiddler, was attempting an ill-advised comeback recital at Carnegie Hall. The crowd out front was enormous, and it naturally included many people with long faces hoping for a turned-back ticket to this sold-out event. I was covering it as a music critic for the New York Herald Tribune of lamented memory. At that time, there was a violinist, 20 or so, nice Jewish boy, reasonably talented, who played in a regular s...more

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Sep 08, 2010

Adam rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Believers in the power of music

Shelves: biography, music, psychology

The Soloist is a true testament to the power of music.

Always looking for a new lead and an interesting story, LA Times columnist Steve Lopez inadvertently stumbles into the life of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a Julliard trained musician battling with mental illness on the streets of Los Angeles.

Through a series of columns Lopez writes about Ayers, the very different lives of these two men begin to grow more and more intertwined. The Soloist is the story of this unlikely fri...more

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Feb 01, 2009

Lisa rated it

I was mostly curious about this book, which is why I read it. (Well, isn't that why we read anyway?) A good read, and I found that in the end I was just as frustrated as the author. This true story depicts the struggles people face when mental illness takes over their loved one's life. I've learned greater sympathy for the plight of mental illness and those who take care of them. In the end, Lopez hits the nail on the head when he realizes that "curing" Mr. Ayers is not going to h...more

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Feb 10, 2009

Krystal Racca rated it

Shelves: favs

This one is taking me away from all the others.

A moving (true) story about a musical genius living on the streets of LA when a reporter "discovers" him. He has severe mental illness, yet attended Julliard at one time. The reporter begins trying to help him put his life, and his music, back together....

and that's where I'm at so far!

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Jun 23, 2008

Lynn rated it

Recommended to Lynn by: everyone

Shelves: read-in-2008, book-to-movie

I started reading this today. So far it is good, very touching and compelling. It's a mix of "one person really can make a difference" and "our country's policies on mental health issues are really screwed up." I think they already made a movie starring Don Cheadle. In any case, so far I recommend it. The writer is very self-aware, so it's a story about Nathaniel, but it's also about the author and about LA.
I finished it! It was very good. And I like that the author avo...more

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Mar 30, 2009

Siobhan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

This is an interesting book, written in an easy-to-read, journalistic style. Which is to say it's not great literature, but it's good to read.

This book confirms my belief that everyone has a story to tell, and Steve Lopez found a particularly compelling one in the person of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers. It also shows how small actions can be life changing. A columnist stumbles across a story idea -- a homeless, mentally ill man who plays the violin -- and the column puts the man on the p...more

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Mar 05, 2009

Kathy rated it

Before I ever saw a trailer for the upcoming movie or even knew that a movie was being made, I read a review of The Soloist and made a mental note to read the book. Finally, I put it on reserve at the library and during a very long wait for the book, I saw the movie trailer a few times and realized that it was the same story. It was well worth the long wait - and now I don't know if I want to see the movie because the book left me so moved that I fear the movie can't live up that.

T...more

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Nov 03, 2008

Trixie St. Claire rated it

I read this on flights between Raleigh, NC - Atlanta, GA and Tampa, FL. It was a very quick read, but moving and honest. Usually stories like this get sugar-coated and the "helper" becomes the hero. I am glad this book didn't turn into a fairy tale ending where everything is wrapped up neat in a bow. I was glad the book focused that mental illness recovery is not linear- that you can go two steps forward and ten steps back. I hope the upcoming movie of this book doesn't ruin the l...more

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Nov 09, 2011

Sarah Michele rated it

Mom handed me The Soloist over Thanksgiving – one of her friends had just returned it. I started reading it and simply could not put it down. Like a lot of people, I hadn’t heard about the book until the movie (which I haven’t seen but I have heard it’s incredible) came out earlier this year.
The portrait that Lopez paints of Nathaniel Ayers is truly haunting. The glimmers of brilliance that come through the veil of schizophrenia, only to be lost again. It’s an unlikely friendship, and a...more

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Aug 12, 2011

Margaret Chan added it

I watched the movie before I hunted the book down. Never before, both the movie and the book gave me the exact sentiments over the story of Nathaniel Ayers which was told by Steve Lopez mixing with his own reflections over his personal experience and journey with Nathaniel. These themes still stay with me after I finished this book:

1) 'Mental health expert will say the simple act of being someone's friend can change his brain chemistry, improve his functionality in the world.' (from the movie)

...more

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Aug 03, 2011

Claudia rated it

Usually I read a book, and then see the movie. This time, however, I happened to catch the movie first. The movie was a life changer.

The book is eloquent and goes into more detail than the movie did about the frustration the author experienced trying to help a musician who is mentally ill. The mentally ill resist efforts to help them and it can be quite frustrating when they turn down an opportunity for decent housing, preferring instead to stay on the streets. This coupled with the...more

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Feb 28, 2011

Monica rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: music, instruments, movie

I have been pondering exactly what to write for my review since I finished this book. I enjoyed the book because of the music and the homeless man that finds solace in playing his instruments. Steve Lopez is a journalist who is in search of a story for his column and he finds a homeless man playing a violin. Mr. Lopez is enthralled by this man and decides that this is what or who his next column will be written about.

I found the story well written and a wonderful enthralling rea...more

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Nov 29, 2010

Derek Wolfgram rated it

Fascinating to read this right on the heels of Outliers... Nathaniel Ayers was nothing if not a naturally gifted individual who took advantage of unusual opportunities to work with amazing teachers and attend an amazing school. Turns out sometimes the world is a bit random, and severe mental illness throws a curveball into a situation where success seems otherwise inevitable. But enough about Outliers...

The story of the Soloist is pretty well known by now: newspaper columnist observes ...moreFascinating to read this right on the heels of Outliers... Nathaniel Ayers was nothing if not a naturally gifted individual who took advantage of unusual opportunities to work with amazing teachers and attend an amazing school. Turns out sometimes the world is a bit random, and severe mental illness throws a curveball into a situation where success seems otherwise inevitable. But enough about Outliers...

The story of the Soloist is pretty well known by now: newspaper columnist observes interesting and talented homeless musician, gets caught up in his story, and finds his life changed as a result. The book interweaves several interesting social themes: the appalling treatment of the homeless in America, the complexities of helping an individual with a mental illness, and the redemptive power of music to enrich the soul. The story is compelling, inspiring, and easy to get caught up in - I read the book in one sitting, which I haven't done with any other book in years (although to be fair I was on a four hour flight.)

Lopez has the spare, punchy style of really effective newspaper columnists. Short sentences comprising short chapters. An ear for compelling dialogue. An ability to paint a complex picture in just one paragraph. The ability to read people and provide insight into their personalities and their actions.

My only criticism of the book has to do with a couple of unanswered questions. Of course, I'm dying to know what happens next, as the story ends with the opening of a new music studio where Ayers will serve as Artist-in-residence (circa 2006). But my greater questions have to do with the author. Lopez alludes many times to the ways that being involved with Ayers changed his life. Throughout the book, he also raises interesting questions about journalistic ethics, what it means to get so personally involved with a subject he's writing about. However, he never fully answers the questions he raises, and I'd be curious to know more about the lasting impacts of Ayers on Lopez's life and his future work.

However, this is a minor criticism. The story is terrific, the characters are thoroughly compelling, the treatment of sensitive issues is simultaneously informative and caring, and the book packs a real emotional punch. Ayers' emotional outburst late in the book after he feels his trust has been violated was one of the most gripping passages I've read in a while. And I'll certainly see the film - the story is custom made for an Oscar-worthy picture and individual performances, and I'd like to spend more time with Lopez and Ayers.(less)

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Jun 09, 2010

Denise rated it

· review of another edition

4.0 out of 5 stars Touching and heartfelt...music for your eyes., May 25, 2009

This review is from: The Soloist (Movie Tie-In): A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music (Paperback)
This is a beautiful and hopeful book about a musician suffering from schizophrenia. Steve Lopez meets this man while searching for a story for his column one day on his way back to his office at the LA Times. Nathaniel Ayers flunked out of Julliard because of me...more

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Mar 01, 2010

Chris Ibert rated it

Book Club book pick - enjoyed it tmuch more than I thought I would. I did not vote for this book and I was initially turned off to it simply because of the movie (which I hadn't seen but thought looked too slick and "feel-goody" to me). I ended up being fascinated by Nathaniel Ayers' tragic life events and also inspired by the kindness and investment the people in this true story were willing to extend to this man. It's non-fiction and written by a journalist and reads as such, but thi...more

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Dec 22, 2009

Kate rated it

Recommends it for: those who want to learn more about the homeless

I haven't seen the movie of this book, but the topic intrigued me as my husband and I work with the homeless in our city. Lopez has a very punchy style, as he's a newspaper columnist, and this book is based on a series of columns he ran back in 2005. The story begins with Lopez racing through a tunnel on his way to work at the LA Times, when he sees a homeless man playing a violin near a statue of Beethoven. Lopez admits that with his main motive being a good story for his next column, he gets o...more

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Nov 24, 2009

Sarah Joyce Bryant rated it

· review of another edition

The Soloist follows Steve Lopez's journey as he tries to help a former Juilliard student, Nathaniel Ayers, who is now homeless and diagnosed with mental illness. What is so compelling is the honest, close-up view of those whom are mentally ill and the abandonment that has left them with nowhere else to go but the streets. Lopez hails the often unseen mental health workers and volunteers that have dedicated their lives to turning this tragedy into something made of hope. His struggles with the di...more

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Jul 24, 2009

Brenda Bissett-steinhofer rated it

Thank you Steve Lopez for reserving us a front row seat at this symphony in the big city in "The Soloist." The story was both eye-opening and heartbreaking, a score of stunning human crescendo and stark morendo, blowing the doors wide open on the stigmas and misconceptions associated with mental illness and homelessness. We are glad that Nathaniel Ayers has emerged from the shadows and that his story has been told. Anyone who has ever passed a person sleeping in a doorway or with their...more

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Jul 20, 2009

Lindsey rated it

Shelves: school-2k8-2k9

Lindsey #17 The Soloist - Steve Lopez

The back says

When Steve Lopez sees Nathaniel Ayers playing his heart out on a two-string violin on Los Angeles' Skid Row, he envisions this "Violin Man" as the topic of his next column for the Los Angeles Times--only to unearth an even more extraordinary story about the mysterious street musician.

More than thirty ears earlier, Ayers had been a promising classical bass student at Julliard--ambitious, charming and...moreLindsey #17 The Soloist - Steve Lopez

The back says

When Steve Lopez sees Nathaniel Ayers playing his heart out on a two-string violin on Los Angeles' Skid Row, he envisions this "Violin Man" as the topic of his next column for the Los Angeles Times--only to unearth an even more extraordinary story about the mysterious street musician.

More than thirty ears earlier, Ayers had been a promising classical bass student at Julliard--ambitious, charming and also one of the few African-Americans at the school--until he gradually lost his ability to function, overcome by a mental breakdown. When Lopez finds him, Ayers is alone, suspicious of everyone and deeply troubled, but glimmers of that brilliance are still there.

From an impromptu concert of Beethoven's Eighth in the Second Street tunnel to a performance of Bach's Unaccompanied Cello Suites on Skid Row, the two men learn to communicate through Ayers's music. Their bond takes tortuous turns as Lopez imagines he can change Ayers's life--finding him lodging, reconnecting him with his family, taking him to Disney Concert Hall to meet a former Julliard classmate. For each triumph, there is a crushing disappointment, yet neither man gives up. And though it's Ayers he initially sets out to save, Lopez finds that his own life is profoundly changed.

I was expecting this to drag on since it is one of those "heart-warming" stories, however I really love it. Steve's relationship with Nathaniel is an excellent portrayal of what everyone has experienced in the toxic friendship. Nathaniel is the kind of person everyone wants to root for and help but as Steve finds out it is difficult to deal with the bad times especially when they are so much more frequent than the good.

Nathaniel has his ups and downs but sadly, the small progressions he makes make the reader sad without really knowing why. The repetition of the actions become a bit daunting but I really enjoyed the moral of the story. I think it coincided well with my counseling classes. I felt like it was a good preview of some of the things I might be working with. (less)

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Jul 06, 2009

Joanne rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

In case you haven't seen the movie trailer: Lopez is a journalist for the LA Times whose soul is touched by the violin music of a man who's homeless. Then he discovers that the man, Nathaniel, attended Julliard, and his interest is piqued. Apparently he ran a series of columns in the Times about Nathaniel, and this book is an expansion of them, as well as the story about his telling Nathaniel's story.

Nathaniel's story is a fascinating one, and it takes us through genius. mental i...more

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Jun 15, 2009

Michelle rated it

I liked the film, and would recommend it, but the book is infinitely deeper and more interesting. As a beginning mental health professional dealing with a difficult population, everything Lopez says rings true. We want so much for there to be a breakthrough, a "solution," even a linear progression, but the best we can hope for is a connection that may lead to one and a half steps forward and no more than half a step back (and, often, it's really 3 steps back but sometimes 1 or 2 steps ...more

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May 12, 2009

Mazola1 rated it

The Soloist reads like a book written by a columnist, which is to say it's clear, it's compelling and it's easy to read. The subject matter is not so easy. Many reviewers have said that this book puts a face on mental illness and the homeless and that's true. The mentally ill central character of the book is not just an illness, he's a real person, with a family, a history, hopes, dreams and problems. That being said, the book also shows how difficult it is to treat mental illness, and how much ...moreThe Soloist reads like a book written by a columnist, which is to say it's clear, it's compelling and it's easy to read. The subject matter is not so easy. Many reviewers have said that this book puts a face on mental illness and the homeless and that's true. The mentally ill central character of the book is not just an illness, he's a real person, with a family, a history, hopes, dreams and problems. That being said, the book also shows how difficult it is to treat mental illness, and how much time and resources are needed to achieve even small gains. While the book might also be read as an indictment of the less than stellar job our society has done in treating the mentally ill, it's also true that the book suggests that this problem may not have any good solutions.

In this sense, the book The Soloist is just as schizophrenic as the character, the Skid Row soloist Row Nathaniel Ayers. Parts of the book are uplifting, but parts are just downright depressing. While Ayers' life does improve (in the teeth of his own stubborn opposition, and with the dedicated help of dozens of people) it's clear that he, and thousands like him, are damaged goods, and that it is beyond our current ability to really "save" them.

I suppose this touches on the debate about the civil rights of the mentally ill. There was a time when mentally ill persons were forcibly hospitalized, forcibly medicated with drugs that dulled them and even forcibly subjected to brain mutilating surgeries and electroshock treatments. Today's medications and treatments, including the new and improved electroshock, are supposed to be better, so is it now ethical to force these on the mentally ill?

All of which could be summed up by asking if there is a "right" to live on the street and refuse treatment? At times, Ayers demanded that right in no uncertain terms, but he was mentally ill, right? Should he have been forced to get into treatment and take medications? Lopez figured out that this path doesn't really work, that the person has to make that choice for themself. As The Soloist shows, getting that to happen takes an immense investment of time, patience and resources, and there is no guarantee of success.

So the grim reality is that most of the mentally ill will probably remain on the streets, largely ignored by the swirling society around them. Few will be lucky enough to receive the attention and extraordinary care that Ayers received. The truth is that most of us think that the mentally ill are just different than we are, and we can't be bothered to try to help them. For some, The Soloist will no doubt be taken as proof that bothering to help can be uplifting. For others, it will be a reminder of just how daunting that task can be. (less)

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May 06, 2009

Lanette rated it

Really good story! The movie compelled me to read the book (that's a compliment for the movie) and, of course, the book was even better because it supplied more detail than a movie can usually provide. This was quite backwards for me, as I believe in reading book first, movie second. I am interested in the topic of mental illness and learned a lot about it due to the writer's ability to speak plainly, yet, poignantly about the disease of Schizophrenia. You're learning about the disease right...more

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Apr 09, 2010

Mike rated it

I saw the movie first, and reading IMDB.com got me intrigued about "the real story". I always think it's fun to read the book after seeing the movie, to see what liberties the screenwriter and director have taken.

In this case, one big change is that the screenwriter gave the author, Steve Lopez, a divorce and a bitchy ex (played wonderfully by Catherine Keener). Why did she do that? My guess is that she was trying to support the book-jacket contention that Steve's relations...more

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Jan 11, 2009

Nancy (NE) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: bio-memoir

Had to read this before the movie comes out. I wanted the story first person, not a film interpretation that would sell to a wider audience. I can't begin to understand what caused Nathaniel Ayers to fall into the depths of mental illness. But Steve Lopez asks the question of whether or not Ayers, (with his life uncluttered by the details that concern the 'normal' person and his unorthodox perceptions of life around him) was happy in his own way? Happier than the rest of us chasing dreams de...more

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Quotes from The Soloist: A Lost Dr...

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title link	preview: The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music
avg rating	preview: The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music Goodreads rating: 3.82 (4037 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2176660.The_Soloist?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255588000m/2176660.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2176660.The_Soloist?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez[/url]

The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music

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