Instrumental - Softcover

Rhodes, James

4.22

7,284 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 178211534X ISBN 13: 9781782115342

Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd, 2015

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James Rhodes has had an astonishing life. Told through a searingly honest narrative, he recalls the physical and sexual abuse he suffered as a child, his ensuing struggle with drugs and alcohol, and the nervous breakdown that led him to spending months in a locked ward. But there is a bright, broad beam of light piercing through the darkness, and it is James' passion for classical music - a passion that enabled him to get through his tumultuous upbringing, to resign from his mind-numbing job, and to become a renowned concert pianist. It is an extraordinary achievement that, after years of self-harming, suicide attempts and lots of therapy, James has got to where he is now thanks to sheer determination, countless hours of piano practice and a chance encounter with a stranger: fragile, scarred, but performing sold-out concerts around the world and establishing himself as a presenter and commentator. A passionate tribute to the therapeutic powers of music, this book also weaves in fascinating facts about how classical music works and the lives of some of the great composers. The result is a stunning, raw and inspirational memoir that will provoke, enlighten and inspire.

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Review:

The Supreme Court overthrew an injunction unanimously in May 2015, saying: 'A person who has suffered in the way that [James Rhodes] has suffered, and has struggled to cope with the consequences of his suffering in the way that he has struggled, has the right to tell the world about it. And there is a corresponding public interest in others being able to listen to his life story in all its searing detail -- THE SUPREME COURT "You might expect James Rhodes to have been crushed by his experiences. On the contrary I don't think I've ever read an autobiography which is this exuberant, this full of life, this addictively readable -- MARK HADDON A poet once said great books help you to live your life. They also help you survive your ruin, and James Rhodes's Instrumental is a masterpiece of creative endurance. His passion is his programme, his heart is his true instrument, and you might not read a more moral or more loving book this decade -- ANDREW O'HAGAN A searingly honest, moving and compelling account of a life damaged by abuse but saved by music. James Rhodes is a rare and gifted spirit with something vital to tell us all. This is a tough but beautiful book -- VICTORIA HISLOP The publishing sensation of the year * * MAIL ON SUNDAY * * A mesmeric combination of vivid, keen, obsessive precision and raw, urgent energy -- ZOE WILLIAMS * * GUARDIAN * * Thrilling and harrowing . . . Unsurpassed and unsurpassable * * SUNDAY TIMES * * Instrumental is no 'misery memoir' . . . I have rarely read so cogent account of the nature of victimhood . . . Visceral and palpable . . . Among the most powerful pages I've read all year * * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY * * Bravo to a survivor who refused to be silenced . . . What really marks this book out is his confrontation with the unsaid (or rarely said) aspects of child sexual abuse and mental illness . . . Some of these thoughts verge on the taboo and it takes clarity, courage and intelligence to say them as plainly and honestly as Rhodes does * * INDEPENDENT * * We're locked inside his head for long periods and it's a manic place to be. But he is brilliant . . . and insightful . . . James Rhodes writes at full volume -- BLAKE MORRISON * * GUARDIAN * * There is an insight, often startling but always valuable, on almost every page . . . a tough, riveting read * * THE TIMES * *

Book Description:

The must-read bestselling memoir of the year

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