Frog Music in Our Shared Shelf

Nov 20, 2013 Rachel rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

I have it! I have it! It's in my hands!! Nearly hugged the postman when he handed it to me even though it was wet and snowy. Thank you to Goodreads First Reads for sending it to me!

Review: This is a historical fiction set in 1876 San Francisco. I felt very connected to the material since I have always wanted to know more after visiting a couple of years ago. The details that Donoghue provides satisfied my abundant curiosity and touched on a lot of different issues that have played such a role in I have it! I have it! It's in my hands!! Nearly hugged the postman when he handed it to me even though it was wet and snowy. Thank you to Goodreads First Reads for sending it to me!

Review: This is a historical fiction set in 1876 San Francisco. I felt very connected to the material since I have always wanted to know more after visiting a couple of years ago. The details that Donoghue provides satisfied my abundant curiosity and touched on a lot of different issues that have played such a role in the past and the ramifications of which still remain today. She did a great job bringing to life the intricate details of everyday life in that time, when today after the fires and the earthquakes all that remain, really, are pictures. Also, after studying French for 4 years in high school, I was left with only a few random curse words, but now I am well up on many more!

There were a couple of issues I had with the novel. The first was the characterization of Blanche as a sex mad prostitute and dancer. Surely she would have seen the problems with her relationship with Arthur before her life fell apart? And I find it hard to believe that she wouldn't have any idea about (view spoiler).

Also, the novel seemed to equivocate about what it actually was about, or even what genre it is aside from historical fiction. Firstly it is a mystery about the death of real-life cross-dressing frog-catcher Jenny Bonnet, it is also a dramatic attempt to answer the question of "When mother love doesn't come naturally, can it come at all?" as Donoghue asks in the Q&A section at the end. So I found it a bit difficult to distract myself from the mystery of Jenny's death while wondering what will happen with Blanche's child.

All in all I am very happy to have read this novel, and it is the perfect book to be the first I have finished in 2014! ...more

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May 31, 2016 Lacey Louwagie rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, literary-fiction, lgbtqi, 2016-aty-reading-challenge

Around the Year Reading Challenge Item #15: A Book Set More Than 100 Years Ago

Historical fiction tends to be a little hit-or-miss with me, and murder is not one of my favorite plot devices. As such, I would not have read this book if a friend had not recommended it -- but I'm glad that I did.

The thing that overcomes my ambivalence about historical fiction and my general disinterest in murder stories is Donoghue's beautifully rendered characters. The cast in this book is small, but each individua Around the Year Reading Challenge Item #15: A Book Set More Than 100 Years Ago

Historical fiction tends to be a little hit-or-miss with me, and murder is not one of my favorite plot devices. As such, I would not have read this book if a friend had not recommended it -- but I'm glad that I did.

The thing that overcomes my ambivalence about historical fiction and my general disinterest in murder stories is Donoghue's beautifully rendered characters. The cast in this book is small, but each individual is rendered exquisitely -- whether you love them or hate them, you can't deny that these people feel real. I especially appreciated the complexity of Blanche's character, a burlesque dancer/prostitute who eschews both the "prostitute with a heart of gold" stereotype and the "downtrodden" stereotype. She sees her work as a valid means of support and independence, and she loves sex. If this same character were written by a male author, it probably would have triggered my gag reflex as some male fantasy about how much hookers really LOVE having sex with these guys. But because Blanche was written by a woman, her experiences are infused with subtlety and reality -- she likes sex, but also must deal with the inconvenience of avoiding pregnancy and thwart the assumption that she is "always available" based on her line of work. Although her character arc goes through something of a feminist awakening through her short relationship with the cross-dressing Jenny Bonnet, it manages not to be too heavy-handed. (Although there were some moments near the end, (view spoiler))

The other thing about historical fiction that is often off-putting to me is that so often it reads as a "greatest hits" summary of all the most notable events of a certain era, resorting to summary often between events and using its characters as mere vehicles through which to zoom in on historical events. Frog Music all takes place within the span of one month, using as its basis an obscure, real-life murder. This allows Donoghue to examine the minutia of the era, from period costume to the sweltering heat to the fear surrounding the smallpox epidemic. She never resorts to overview but instead brings you into the middle of a historical time with exquisite, sometimes painful detail. She does not romanticize the past, and in feeling like you are "there," you will find yourself very happy to be living in the present time, with air conditioning and running water.

Finally, all of this is presented in eloquent, sensuous prose that gets out of its own way as it brings these rich characters and their era to you. Judging by its other reviews, this book is not for everyone -- but for this reader, it was historical fiction of the most satisfying sort. ...more

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May 11, 2015 alana rated it it was ok

Shelves: immigration, historical-fiction, audiobook, crime

Hmm...had I realized this would be so similar to The Paying Guests, I would have listened to them further apart...This might be another case of the audiobook version swaying my rating since the various accents drove me a bit crazy while listening. I also had to turn it off once while on my balcony gardening and a particularly graphic scene started broadcasting to my neighbors *squirm* While it deals with some broad immigrant issues in San Francisco at the end of the 19th century, the story felt ...more

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Jan 13, 2014 Stacey rated it it was ok

Despite all of the research logged in the back of the book, I never did feel like I was submerged in 1876 San Francisco in the middle of a smallpox outbreak. The characters were not engaging, and in fact, unlikeable. I did appreciate the French glossary of terms however.

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