Critical Praise
“Kalotay’s writing is clear and evocative, allowing the reader to ‘hear’ the music some of her characters are playing…Kalotay infuses each of the characters with total believability stemming from her understanding of classical music and her perceptions of human nature. She is a very wise writer, at least in her understanding of human behaviour, and her brilliant intuitions are augmented by her lyrical writing. She knows music and understands musicians, and that makes Sight Reading not only a gift to the harmonically challenged but to the rest of us.”
—Toronto Star
“Fascinating…Whether or not readers have a background in and knowledge of classical music, they'll enjoy spending a brief time in this near fanatical world.”
—Bookreporter.com
“SIGHT READING…reads like an amazingly accurate biographical account of today’s music school life. Anyone who took any kind of reputable musical instruction will recognize the dramatic music teacher whose tactics seemed insane at the time, but were suddenly revealed as brilliant a few years down the road. The constant practicing and stress of ‘Will I make it?’ rings true for those of us who have been there. Focusing on three main characters --- Hazel, Remy and Nicholas --- the reader gets to watch how these lives are joined together or torn asunder with music as the backdrop to it all…Kalotay manages to capture the fleeting exultation that performers feel whenever they play. It is as if she has been on stage, bow in hand, ready to make or break her career with a single piece of music.”
—New York Journal of Books
“Kalotay’s soulful second novel chronicles the collateral damage three classical musicians inflict on the people who love them. Merging two inherently incompatible modes of expression, writing and music, presents a formidable challenge --- one Kalotay rises to admirably here.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A compelling story about love, loss and music in four interwoven lives, and an insightful exploration of the sources and expression of creativity…Compulsively readable, memorable and wise.”
—Nancy Richler, award-winning author of THE IMPOSTER BRIDE
“Set in the hothouse world of classical music, this wise, elegant novel maps the fallout from a passionate affair over the course of two decades...Kalotay writes with grace and authority, paying equal attention to the artistic and emotional lives of her characters.”
—Tom Perrotta, New York Times bestselling author of THE LEFTOVERS and ELECTION
“Deep, resonant mysteries play underneath this musical novel…Kalotay writes about music so you almost hear it.”
—Improper Bostonian
“Because Kalotay wrote so affectingly about the complicated lives of artists in RUSSIAN WINTER, it’s good to see her turn to the subject again…[She] really shines when discussing musicians making music…[and] she effectively shows us how performing artists live. Much as we ourselves do, except they then get to create something gorgeous.”
—Library Journal
“Kalotay writes elegantly and ably about music and emotion, drafting a moving meditation on the sacrifices made for art and the mysteries of the heart.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Certain to hit a deep chord among readers for its unflinching, often lyrical examination of the nuances of marriage, parenthood, and divorce, this is a novel about hard-won wisdom, forgiveness, and the rewards of self-awareness.”
—Bostonia
“Sensuous and sumptuous…A fictive musical and familial feast.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Gets the little details right, both musical and geographical, and the resulting read is engaging and often insightful...As each [character] confronts their aspirations and limitations, they find renewal in surprising and satisfying ways...Will keep readers turning the pages.”
—Boston Globe
