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The Words of Every Song
by
Liz Moore
The Words of Every Song is a literate and original debut novel in the form of fourteen linked episodes, each centered on a character involved with the music industry in some fashion. There’s the arrogantly hip, twenty-six-year-old A&R man; the rising young singer-songwriter; the established, arena-filling rock star on the verge of a midlife crisis; the type-A female ex...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
July 3rd 2007
by Broadway Books
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(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
Uh-oh; another musician's written a novel about the music industry. I don't know about you, but this always tends to be my first thought whenever hearing about a famous non-literary artist who's written a novel, especially when it's a novel about the industry in which they first got famous, whether t...more
Uh-oh; another musician's written a novel about the music industry. I don't know about you, but this always tends to be my first thought whenever hearing about a famous non-literary artist who's written a novel, especially when it's a novel about the industry in which they first got famous, whether t...more
This is a beach novel. It is a beach novel for hipsters, music people and plain old indie kids. The book is good, not great. Each chapter has lyrics that encompass each chapter and the story is interconnected as oppose to short stories. This aspect was a bit crafty and interesting.
The writing leaves something to be desired. It is a very, very easy read. You do not need a dictionary near your side at all!
If you are looking for a light read that isn't complete trash, this is a great book!
The writing leaves something to be desired. It is a very, very easy read. You do not need a dictionary near your side at all!
If you are looking for a light read that isn't complete trash, this is a great book!
I'm a sucker for books about music and the music industry. Having said that, this is one of those easy, fun, quick reads that leaves very little lasting impression. Everything wraps up nicely, all the vignettes tie together pretty smoothy, but there's nothing that notable about the overall package of a whole.
Also, as much as I really hate to knock an author's style, Moore's third person narrative was just a little heavy-handed and clunky for me. For a book like this, where your'e trying to port...more
Also, as much as I really hate to knock an author's style, Moore's third person narrative was just a little heavy-handed and clunky for me. For a book like this, where your'e trying to port...more
Wonderfully insightful in a gritty, truthful manner. Moore’s novel is broken down into chapters that each focus on a different character; while this seems impersonal and more of a collection of short stories, this is not the case. Every story/chapter is linked to another and by the end there is a feeling of whole – that is, that everything fits together.
The voices of the characters are real. Their emotion is raw, which is a nice change from the fluff that sometimes accompanies other novels. But...more
The voices of the characters are real. Their emotion is raw, which is a nice change from the fluff that sometimes accompanies other novels. But...more
This was an amazing random find at a book fair. I picked it up on a whim but devoured it once I started. Of course it's lyrical; it was written by a songwriter. But it's also interesting - I really cared what happened to the characters and wondered what random link was going to tie the stories together. It didn't hurt that all the stories revolved around some aspect of the music business -- it defintely appealed to my music interest.
I loved "Heft," and enjoyed some aspects of this book (artful phrasing, some sock-you-in-the-gut sentences), but not enough to make it a good read. It's a collection of short stories, and while they all revolve around the same basic premise (record industry), every story feels incomplete. Shallow and superficial looks at characters you don't end up knowing or caring about. Without any real plot, any real conflict, or any real character development, what's the point?
I ran into this book by accident while pulling books off of a too-full shelf at our library last week. I was surprised I hadn't heard of it because I tend to be all over any book with a rock music industry setting. After reading it, I think I know why I hadn't heard of it. It's one of those books you can enjoy while you're reading it and then promptly forget once you're done.
The Words of Every Song is more like a series of vignettes, with characters who might pop up every now and then, than a t...more
The Words of Every Song is more like a series of vignettes, with characters who might pop up every now and then, than a t...more
Great novel w/ many characters connected to NYC music scene--record company reps, sound guy, aspiring DJ, bands who've made it, bands about to make it. Fun to read, makes you wonder about old timers who still tour with the band--what are they thinking about when they're playing this song for the 4,000th time?
A collection of connected short stories about folks in various aspects of the music business. Some good stories - as always, some more memorable than others. Although I'm interested in the lives and work of artists, I don't find the business side of it very appealing.
I got this first novel by Liz Moore based on how much I liked Heft, her latest novel. It's really a series of short stories about characters in the music business. The characters overlap in the stories, but sometimes they disappear. I found it less interesting as it went on, I wished there were less characters.
Jul 20, 2007
Emily
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
music lovers, people who live or have lived in new york city
Shelves:
fiction
I really enjoyed this novel. It's basically 15 or so short vignettes regarding people who are involved in the music industry and are all somehow interrelated. The whole "interrelated" thing usually kind of annoys me (e.g. Magnolia) but I thought it worked really well in this book. Since the vignettes are short and are all written in the first person, you get to know about the background of a character in Part I who might end up being a bit character in Part 7, which enriches the entire book. It...more
I enjoyed the way this book was written. The change in perspective was refreshing. The style was interesting, yet intriguing. A good read.
This was a nice, easy read. I did find that I could put this book down and forget that I was reading it.
After reading Heft, I immediately looked to see if Liz Moore had written anything else. Luckily I found The Words of Every Song.
This book was right up my alley. Fourteen short stories with linked characters in the music industry. Think A Visit from the Goon Squad but better. Felt connected to the characters and was happy to see them show up again in someone else's story learning more about them.
Can't wait to see what Liz Moore does next.
This book was right up my alley. Fourteen short stories with linked characters in the music industry. Think A Visit from the Goon Squad but better. Felt connected to the characters and was happy to see them show up again in someone else's story learning more about them.
Can't wait to see what Liz Moore does next.
A very interesting interwoven story. A very light read.
Overall, I really liked this book, even though it seems to try a little too hard at times. I like how each chapter, while being its own story, gives you information about the characters from previous chapters, making their stories richer, and more complex than initially presented.
My favorite chapter had to be "Mike Has Never Seen," where a boy's first girlfriend has recently killed herself. Mike then sees this girl wandering around his apartment, where he is immobilized, waiting for her funeral...more
My favorite chapter had to be "Mike Has Never Seen," where a boy's first girlfriend has recently killed herself. Mike then sees this girl wandering around his apartment, where he is immobilized, waiting for her funeral...more
I love this book; I just reread it and noticed I didn't put a review with my rating the first time. This book is one of my favorite things--interconnected stories with different narrators, in this case all connected with the music industry (I believe on the same label). All the narrators are at different points in their careers and lives; the key moments are both full of heart and heartless at the same time. The writer is a musician, and her words also sing. I'm envious.
It's rare that I find myself unable to finish a book. I can usually push through, but I had to give up on this one. The concept of several connected vignettes certainly works, but I just couldn't help but feel like it was missing something. Also, the portrayal of many of the characters seemed a little too cliché for my taste. Perhaps I'll give it another try sometime soon, when I'm looking for a lighter read, but I've put it aside for now.
LOVED this book!
this is a collection of short stories about people in new york city who are somehow tied to the music business. each story stands alone, but also subtly intertwines the characters together. i enjoyed the writing style of liz moore (this is her first book, she's a musician by trade) and the character development was pretty satisfying. it's a quick, but enjoyable read.
I picked this book up because I like reading books that deal with music. (I think I was actually the first person to check this one out at the library!) It is actually a fun read because each of the 14 chapters is told from a different person's perspective, but all of the 14 people are connected to each other in some way or another. Pretty cool.
As I was reading this book, I kept thinking of A Visit from the Goon Squad. However, this was written before that book and I personally found Words of Every Song to be much more enjoyable. I'd highly recommend it to fans of A Visit from the Goon Squad and/or fans of the music business.
Written by a musician, this book in intriguing, escpecially in style. Each chapter focuses on a different character and intertwines to tell the story of struggling musicians and inexperienced A&R reps. While I was impressed with the technique, the content struck me as too cliche.
this is a good book. it contains shorts stories the are based in the music world somehow. many of the characters of these stories run into each other in some way. i highly recommend this book if you are a fan of music and the way lives run together.
This was a semi decent collection of interwoven short stories pertaining to people working in the music industry at all it's myriad levels. If that kind of thing sounds interesting to you maybe give it a go.
Pretty good set of stories. I liked how the characters were woven together, as well as the randomness of the Flash Forwards. Thought the ending was a little sneaky, but also a little predictable.
Very easy read, about intersecting lives of people working in the music industry in New York. Not necessarily the most innovative book, but it kept me engaged.
I loved it. A series of short stories that link into a novel about a record company trying to make it in difficult times. Great characters and stories.
A good book from a first time novelist. you grow to love the characters, though the ending lacks a solid conclusion for all involved.
it was good...well written...but nothing special, really.
character development is the highlight. storyline? not so much.
character development is the highlight. storyline? not so much.
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