Books like "Music & Silence" are the reason I joined a book club. I never, ever would have read this book of my own volition. In fact, when I first picked it up at the bookstore, I groaned: a book set in 1629 in Denmark. I can't even find Denmark on a map and my knowledge of world history begins and ends with the American Revolution (which is why I became a lawyer and not a geography teacher!). I opened to the first page late one night, figuring I could use the words as a sleeping aid. By page five, I was hooked.
While I was reading Rose Tremain's marvelous book, I would periodically look over at my husband and declare, "I just love this book!" I said it so often that he finally asked (in a state of what one might call exasperation) "Well what's it about?!" And then I had to pause and think for a long time before I could answer him.
It's about...King Christian of Denmark and his reign in the years of 1629-1630. King Christian is neither a tyrant nor a bad man. He loves his country and his countryfolk. He is a widow who deeply loves his second wife, Almost-Queen Kirsten. The king is older, and not well. One of the more memorable portions of the book deals with his attempt to mine silver and bring wealth to his land. The mine brings jobs and hope of riches until an explosion brings the entire project crashing to a halt. King Christian spends much of the rest of the book scrambling to bring an end to Denmark's financial woes.
It's about... Almost-Queen Kirsten Munk. Kirsten is one of the best female characters I have encountered in a long, long time. One of the most striking things about Kirsten was that she "got it"; that is, she understood the oppression of women by men and further understood how little there was to be done about it. Her awareness of sexism was refreshing and honest. She is not perfect-closer to "sinner" than "saint". Yet one does not hate her. Too often, female characters are either all good or all bad. Kirsten does some things that are arguably not so nice: she is often hostile to her husband, she becomes pregnant by her lover and tries to pass it off as the king's, and she thwarts a love relationship between two good people. Despite all of this, I found that I couldn't wait to read more about her!
It's about...Peter Claire, a lute player who is called from his home to play in the king's court. Peter plays the most beautiful music that the king has ever heard. King Christian calls for Peter day and night, commanding him to play. Throughout his time with the king, Peter suffers from pain in his ear yet plays on for the king no matter what the circumstances. Peter's background is explored in flashbacks, giving the reader a fairly comprehensive look at him.
It's about...Emilia Tilsen, a gentle woman who longs for her dead mother and finds escape from her step-mother and father by becoming a lady-in-waiting to Almost-Queen Kirsten Munk. Emilia is the soul of this novel-sweet, unquestioning and forgiving. Emilia falls in love with Peter Claire, only to be ripped away from him, never knowing if they will meet again. Emilia accepts things as they come and is never bitter, resentful or mean.
It's about Emilia's father, stepmother and brothers as their family falls apart. It's about Peter Claire's parents, sister and sister's fiancé as they plan for a wedding. It's about a former lover of Peter Claire's and her husband's descent into madness. It's about Kirsten's mother and King Christian's mother as they scheme and betray. It's about so much more.
The characters and their storylines are richly woven into the tapestry of the novel. My mind never wandered when the intertwining stories took their different twists and turns. Further, the novel's theme of opposites--love/hate, trust/infidelity, rich/poor, and yes, music/silence-blend into the pages and entice the reader to keep reading. This is a long book, but well worth the time it takes to read it. I suggest lighting some candles, getting something hot to drink and settling down for a long winter's read with this most wonderful novel.