The Maestro

by Tim Wynne-Jones

As he flees from his brutal father, young Burl Crow encounters eccentric genius Nathaniel Orlando Gow, the Maestro, who introduces the boy to piano music and opens up his imagination.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Canada, School, Read For School, Childrens, Realistic Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Tim Wynne-Jones (born 12 August 1948) is an English–Canadian author of children's literature, including picture books and novels for children and young adults, novels for adults, radio dramas, songs for the CBC/Jim Henson production Fraggle Rock, as well as a children's musical and an opera libretto.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2001): The Boy in the Burning House
Edgar Award
◊ Best Young Adult (2002): The Boy in the Burning House

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

14-year-old Burl Crow has a father who is violent. His mother struggles with mental illness. When he follows his father to his secret fishing spot he learns that his father is having an affair. Burl's cover is blown and his father beats him. As his father strikes blow after blow, a helicopter flies overhead, carrying a piano, distracting them both.
Burl runs into the woods, relying on the skills of survival he learned from his brutal father. He discovers a man in a poorly outfitted cabin, with a piano. The man is composing. He's upset at his lost solitude but can see the bruises on Burl and allows him to stay. The rest of the journey for Burl is a long, tough one but the reader knows that Burl is made of tough stuff and will survive, one way or the other. The writing is beautiful and the story holds you to it to the end.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I most enjoyed the parts where Burl is on his own in nature and the fairy tale references. A good depiction of an abusive family life. With an overall a pretty bleak tone this was not super enjoyable to read.

[Rusty's Ghost Engine (also known as.......... Jinky Spring)]

Literally zero fucking stars! I had such high expectations for this book as I thought it would be like the Wolf Brother series. I had even more high expectations knowing this story was set in Canada.


This is the first book I've given up on since I was little. It takes a lot to make me close a book especially when the blurb was so intriguing. The blurb and title promised a story of survival in the wilderness not all that legal bullshit about who gets to own that stupid Maestro's house.

The above images are just the beginning of how fucking SHIT I found this book. There was a bit of wilderness survival in the first quarter, but as soon as Burl met that fucking Maestro things seriously went down hill. Who cares about some mad Maestro living in the woods? Who cares about who inherits the Maestro's house after he dies? And how the fucking HELL did this piece of shit get an award??? This is taking the mickey when there are works of real talent out there such as Divergent, Blood Red Road, Gone and of course the Wolf Brother series which are raw talent when it comes to wilderness survival.

I can't stress enough how disappointed I am in this crap and it sickens me in a way that this book got an award! How could anyone give this book so much as one star???
Not fucking worth it!

[aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

bro was in a damn legal battle😭😭😭

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

She was read for school (barely)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel (25 yr. later) to the Maestro arrived in the mail unannounced, so it was time to read the original. As a big Tim Wynn’s-Jones fan it was surprising that it had been missed. The book stands the test of time well and even causes some nostalgia as much of what happens in this survival /coming of age novel would be averted today by cell-phone technology. But Burl Crow’s story of his frantic fleeing from his abusive father Cal is still riveting in a timeless kind of way. While Wynne-Jones was inspired by the known weirdness of Canadian pianist Glen Gould in creating the character of The Maestro, this fictional creation is possibly the weakest part of the plot and hard for the reader (particularly the young reader) to grasp the significance of his presence. Had this been fleshed out more, the story would have been even stronger. Thankfully, Burl is done so well along with every challenge he faces in order to survive, that having him discover a musical genius in the middle of the Northern Ontario bush doesn’t really matter too much.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Burl is an angst ridden fourteen year old with desperate family conditions. Although his father taught him survival skills which he does get to put into practice, he also leaves him a legacy of violence and despair. I enjoyed the Canadian factor, but there were some parts of the book that got in the way of the story. The whole Nog section was annoying because Nog was annoying. It didn't feel real. There were too many unfinished answers for the ending to be satisfying. A pair of new boots doesn't count for a great ending. New boots, New beginnings? I did enjoy the character development for Burl, his father and his mother. The tragic characters did better than the helpful characters. Although the prospector was well done at the end of the book.

[Carlos Andreey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burl, a young boy who was not glad about his life, especially about his father's way, hard though. This is a great book, the flow of the story is smooth and we are invited to understand Burl's life, which is not such easy life and easy living. I like the representation of the problems he goes through. I had read it once but I had not noticed how detailed it is. Setting, feelings and situations detailed described are one of the best I've read on a book for teens and young adults.

[Lauren Neves · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, loved the writing in that it flowed so easily. I do think the book ended too soon without there being as much resolve for the MMC. Maybe I just hoped for a much grander happy ending for him. The relationship between Burl and Cal reminded me a lot of the toxic, abusive fathers of Outer Banks. Very self-destructive and imploding of everyone around them.

[Cam Waller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really prepared to not like this book, but it quickly won me over. If I ever end up in a classroom, I will absolutely teach this hidden gem.
This story made me remember what it feels like to believe anything is possible.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was not a good book. He did not show any heroism and is is coward through most of it.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hated the ending.

[George Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too brief and the ending was unsatisfactory in my mind.

[Anson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! Ending was a little disappointing and anti-climatic.

[Emily Hean · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - beautiful writing, but the plot wasn't for me

[Beth Sulander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read Starlight Claim instead

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem. Read this in an evening. Great adventure, a page turner. A YA book for everyone. I’ll be looking for more of this author’s work.

[Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

El vaig llegir en català però no surt la edició per aquí... El llibre em va encantar i em van faltar pàgines per poder seguir llegint quan va acabar-se. Espero que en Burt estigués bé <3

[Cheryl]

because I've liked other offbeat stories by the author

[a44y · Rating 3 out of 5]

i forget most the plot but i was sad at the end

[Boniswa Makhapela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a cliffhanger because I was expecting to indulge into Burl's life growing alone in the wilderness of Ghost Lake,but the sudden change of events when the cabin burnt and everything was destroyed just ruined the sequence of events any reader would've anticipated

[Daniel Asay · Rating 3 out of 5]

After discovering the secret lake spot where his abusive father meets with an extramarital lover, Burl runs away from home. After a HATCHET-like night surviving in the woods by himself, Burl falls upon the home of NOG (Nathaniel Orlando Gow), an eccentric composer who has a piano air-lifted into his backwoods cabin for solitude. NOG takes a liking to Burl but establishing a healthy relationship is neither person's strong point. A slow rapport develops between them until NOG leaves Burl to watch the cabin while he visits the city and never returns.

A fine novel with a deal of insight into relationships both adolescent and adult. But not my favorite. As Burl bounces around between his father, NOG, and the cast of other adults (strangely all adults, not kids, in this YA novel) his eyes are opened to new worlds and ideas he hasn't fathomed before. But the main character dies shortly into the book and Burl's development lacks the full rounding the reader hopes to see achieved. Thus the ending leaves details wanting and questions unresolved. The language style is creative and beautiful and it has a quality of exploring Burl's emotions in a very deep and provocative way. Would be a good read for those with a taste for art and music, those who love the Canadian wilderness, and those with insights on difficult relationships.

Genre: wilderness survival, developing relationships, coming-of-age, music

[Caryn Lesuma · Rating 4 out of 5]

TIM WYNNE-JONES

This book is a combination of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet and Gary D. Schmidt's Okay For Now--there is wilderness survival in the Canadian wilderness and a complete jerk of a father who doesn't appreciate his son's artistic potential (the way certain school teachers and other supporters do). Burl comes from an abusive household, his passive mother addicted to prescription drugs and his father physically and emotionally abusive (as well as lecherous). After inadvertently catching his father in a secret tryst with the local coffee shop barista, Burl runs away into the late-summer wilderness to avoid any repercussions. After a few days, he comes across the remote lakeside cabin of world class eccentric and composer Christopher Orlando Gow, who leaves him in charge of the property at Ghost Lake before heading back to Toronto. While I enjoyed this story, parts of it were too slow for even me, and I can see some readers possibly losing interest about halfway through the novel. However, the climax is action-packed and heartbreaking, well worth pushing through some of the middle sections. With that in mind, male audiences will definitely enjoy reading this novel.

[Aviann · Rating 3 out of 5]

TIM WYNNE JONES

The Maestro tells the story of an abused boy, Burl, who runs away from his family. Rather than continually be physically and verbally abused, Burl takes to the woods to try and find a new home for himself. As he travels, he comes across a strange, remote cabin with only a piano as furnishings. At this cabin, a pianist is trying to compose his life's work--his Handel's Messiah. The pianist and Burl try to live together, however the pianist must have peace and solemnity to work. The pianist leaves Burl at the cabin, however the next thing Burl hears is that he died. Even so, Burl has found peace and a home at the cabin and want to stay. Thus, Burl begins his journey to find the pianist's friends and lawyers in order to permit his residence at the cabin. Of course, Burl cannot forever escape his family and he must eventually come to accept a different sense of home that what he'd imagined.

While a good story, The Maestro was not my favorite. The story seemed a bit too far-fetched to me, and I didn't feel that Wynne Jones accurately depicted Burl's voice. Still, the book would be applicable to teen readers as Burl struggles with abuse and finding his home.

[Alyssa Grenfell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Maestro was surprisingly moving without being overstated. This is a book about a young man named Burl who grows up in an abusive home and eventually runs away to try to find some type of a better life. By some turn of events, he runs into a world class musician and conductor, who takes him under his wing for a day before he returns to the city. The rest of the book is about Burl's attempts to keep the cabin left to him by the maestro. He also comes up against his dad. The whole book is about one boy's journey to find happiness and to find the path that is right for him. I really enjoyed this book. I felt a bit of apprehension going into it because it felt a little bit like Gary Paulson's writing. I do not typically enjoy books that feature a lot of description of wintery tundra. However, this book at a compelling plot and the description was enchanting but not overbearing. This is an excellent coming of age story and the book really conveys conflicts realistically. This book could appeal to a wide array of audiences, from anyone who loves books about nature, to young adults who struggle with growing up or parental problems.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the combination of survival and human connection in this novel.
Burl is a young boy whose father is an abusive drunk and his mother has medicated herself into sedation. One day Burl runs away into the woods and determines that he wont ever return home. He finds a hidden cabin where "the maestro" lives. The maestro has secluded himself rom the rest of the world so that he can compose his piano music. Burl lives with him in the middle of the woods until the Maestro leaves Burl alone in this cabin. Burl survives alone until he is hit with another tragedy that leads him down another complicated road. Even though I was so elated that Burl could find the Maestro, Wynne-Jones still didn’t allow you to be satisfied. So much is left feeling incomplete in the novel, Burl’s relationship with the Maestro, with his parents, with his teacher, and with Bea. However, it seems that by creating this unease of incompleteness that Wynne-Jones is able to string the reader along until they feel satisfied.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genres/Categories: coming of age story, abusive relationships,

Burl Crow has has a hard life: his father beats him, his mother is emotionally absent, and the only teach who has ever shown any interest in him must stay at the middle school while he goes on to high school. After a run-in with his father, Burl decides to leave this world behind and run away to see what he can make of himself. What he runs into is a world very different from his own--one that gives him hope for the future and his abilities as a human being. Throughout the story Burl must come to terms with how his parents have treated him, the loss of his mentor for a short time (The Maestro), and how the world really works. The reader will find himself rooting for Burl as he overcomes each obstacle only to have another one thrown at him. This novel tells an inspiring tale about trust and human relationships. No relationship in this novel is perfect, but some are closer than others.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

coming-of-age

Burl, a boy whose family life is far from ideal or even decent, catches his abusive father in a secret tryst and proceeds to run away. In his flight from home he comes across Ghost Lake and a cabin, whose inhabitant is the world-famous pianist and highly eccentric Nathaniel Gow. The story follows Burl as he becomes attached to Gow's hideaway and then takes steps to secure the place for his own. In his efforts to start a new life, he comes to learn more about himself and the relationship (or lack thereof) he has with his father.

This story is a bit slower, perhaps better read by an older teenager. This book makes you think, and I found myself thinking about the message and the point and the depth of the novel. It's not as fast of a read, but it's a quality read. The book is very well written, full of phrases and descriptions that make you stop and think.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly a good book. Fast-paced and to the point. Somewhat a Studio Ghibli ending but still good.


I honestly didn't hope for much from this book since the plot was something I look for in a book. I don't like the whole coming-of-age type of books so I was pleasantly surprised that this was a good book.

At the start I had to kind of get used to the novel since it wasn't my cup of tea. But soon I found out that it was very interesting. The plot hooked you in and didn't let go. I desperately wanted to know what happened in the end so this was a super fast read for me. Sure, the book wasn't long to begin with but it felt like 10000x shorter than The Secret Garden (god, that book dragged onnnn).

Full review to come (I'm too sleepy).

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Burl Crow is an angry young man, thanks to abusive treatment from his father, Cal. Finally, he runs away desperately in search of something to call his own - something Cal can't take away. He stumbles upon The Maestro's cabin. The Maestro is an eccentric man in search of solitude and privacy, in order to compose his oratorio, The Revelation.. Though subject to mood swings, he does allow Burl to spend the night. Soon, Burl is planning to become indispensable to the Maestro (he even scares away a bear) so that he can stay. But the Maestro can only handle so much of the woods and must go back to civilization. He allows Burl to stay in the cabin until his return. But when the Maestro dies, it sends Burl on an odyssey to find a place he can call home.