Valerie Niemerg

I love opera and I have often thought that more of those stories would deserve a modern retelling, so when I saw this book up for review I knew I had to read it!

Elizabeth Kirtenpepper is a coach and accompanist who loves music, playing the piano, and helping young opera singers find their voice. After receiving some devastating news and receiving a mysterious book, she somehow finds herself thrown straight into The Marriage of Figaro.

I haven't read many time travel stories recently, and I certainly enjoyed that element. So many of the situations Elizabeth finds herself involved in as a modern woman stuck in 18th-century Spain were equal parts terrifying and hilarious. I particularly enjoyed all the humourous elements that were laced throughout! The setting felt very real and the descriptions helped bring the daily routine on Count Almaviva's estate to life.

I also really enjoyed Elizabeth's flashbacks to episodes from her real life as they helped me to truly understand her and give depth to her character and appreciate her growth. There is a big cast of secondary characters, both from the original and some new entries. I liked the character dynamics playing out between most of them, and a few made it all the way to favourites of mine, but I would have liked to see a little more depth to some of the characters who came across as a little one-dimensional.

I had loads of fun with the plot! I was familiar with the story of the original opera, so I wasn't thrown by the large cast, and I really enjoyed seeing all the ways in which the story playing out on page was veering off track… and all of Elizabeth's attempts at bringing it all together. Some scenes were absolutely hilarious, but there was plenty of time for reflection and enough space was left for the painful experiences. There is a healthy dose of musical jargon in here, which I really liked as it helped lend authenticity to Elizabeth's thoughts but, even if you're less familiar with it, fear not for the author included some very helpful notes to guide readers! The major plot points in the original opera are also fleshed out here, so even readers who are unfamiliar with the original or don't remember all the details can fully enjoy this without fear of missing some crucial element.

Although I ended up enjoying the book, I had some serious issues getting into it at first. The pace starts off very slow and there is a lot of setting the scene and introducing the characters in which not much else happens. The book then starts to suddenly pick up the pace until almost flying through the explosive ending. This does tend to somewhat follow the structure of an actual opera, but ended up making some sections very hard to read and struggled to hold my attention for a while. There were also quite a few repetitive passages throughout that contributed to this.

Overall, Elly Uncomposed is a highly original and very pleasant read sure to delight both opera lovers and non-fans!

I received an advance review copy for free via Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.… (más)

Elizabeth Kirtenpepper loves the opera and loves to play the piano for the opera. She is completely caught off-gaurd when she is sent back in time into an opera: The Marriage of Figaro. She meets the whole cast of memorable characters, but no one is sticking to their story. If she wants to return to her own time-period, Elizabeth will have to put everything right and that will take everything she has learned from the opera.

I was eager to read this one because I don't know much about any opera. I also don't read many time travel books. The idea of a modern day woman being sent into the events of an opera seemed amusing. And parts of this were funny with Elizabeth being the fish out of water.

But, there were more moments when I was very confused about what was happening. I think I grasped what happens in the opera, but there were so many times when I didn't understand the hints being shown in the story. And I was very frustrated with the persistent mentions of the historical undergarments being pulled right and how awful it was. It goes against everything I understand about dress history.

This did take me some time to get through: nearly six weeks. While parts were interesting and amusing, there were enough parts that seemed to drag and slow down that I could easily put the book down and read something else.

Overall, it was an alright read. Elizabeth was entertaining as she tries to come to terms with herself in an unfamiliar place. Readers who understand this particular opera may find this retelling more interesting than I did.

I received a free copy from the author, and all opinions expressed are my own.… (más)

I received this via Library Thing Early Readers

Elizabeth Kirtenpepper, Elly, loves opera. The story,emotion, the characters but most of all the music. Playing on her piano in the back of the orchestra pit she watches the performers bring the stories to life.

Going through her father’s possessions after his recent passing, she finds he has left her a book. It is a special book which has some strange and special power. While reading it, she finds herself transported back in time to the 18th century and the world of “The Marriage of Figaro.” Instead of being a pianist, she is a scullery maid, dressed in a tight corset and some very impractical shoes.

Elly finds the characters are the same as in Mozart’s opera, but they are not behaving as per the original script. She also finds it is up to her to somehow get things back on track, or else she may be stuck where she is forever! This means finding the villain (probably a baritone) who is causing problems. She also has to do this without their finding out she is from the future!

Missing indoor plumbing, warm baths, comfortable clothes and other modern amenities, Elly finds she is stronger than she things and has learned many tactics from opera that help her straighten things out.

The characters are delightful and the descriptions and actions put life in the story without slowing it down. There are references to opera terms, but it doesn’t bog things down as there is a list of definitions in the back of the book. The action and humour and writing style make this a fun read!… (más)

Elizabeth is living a quiet, well-ordered life as an accompanist and coach for her local university's fledgling drama school--until her father dies unexpectedly and leaves her a book. While he possessed many books, this one is special, and comes with a warning "Read Carefully."

As she begins the book, she realizes it is a retelling of the opera "Figaro." After the first couple of paragraphs, she realizes she is no longer in the modern world but has been transported magically through time and space to the era in which the opera is set. However, nothing is as it is supposed to be, or least not as the opera is performed, and she faces challenge after challenge in trying to correct the scenes and get the characters to behave the way they are supposed to do. Each time she thinks she has the plot straightened out, a new twist occurs and sends everything in a different direction.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, although I felt I would have understood more of it if I had ever seen "Figaro." There are some neat turns of phrase which add to the enjoyment, and as each chapter ends, the reader is left wondering what poor Elizabeth will face next.

I received this book through the Early Reviewers list in exchange for my honest opinion.… (más)