THE MAGIC STRINGS OF FRANKIE PRESTO BOOK REVIEW

Title: The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

Published: November 10. 2015

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 

SYNOPSIS

This is the epic story of Frankie Presto—the greatest guitar player who ever lived—and the six lives he changed with his six magical blue strings.

A lifelong musician, Mitch Albom’s passion shines through on every page. Written with an ear for rhythm and cadence, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is a classic in the making. Heartrending and inventive, Albom’s latest is infused with the message that “everyone joins a band in this life”—and that music, like love, has the power to affect us all.

READ MORE FOR THE ACTUAL REVIEW

“Everyone joins a band in this life. And what you play always affects someone. Sometimes, it affects the world.”

And he certainly did affect my whole existence with his books.

He delivered once again a novel that will clung into your heart and if it goes deeper, also in your life. It is the type of story where you will not let go easily until you are finished with it. Since I’m a partial fan of his works (because I still have three more books to read from him) I can really say that every piece he has written never disappoints.

Reading the first few pages reminds me of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief because of the point of view he used. In Markus Zusak's book, Death is narrating the story while in this Music is the center of attraction. Using that kind of style in telling a story is somehow effective. It will really catch some reader's attention and make them curious about the book. 

The story follows the life of Francisco Presto and his journey from an infant until his last stage—performance in this world. The book is split into 6 parts and each part represents the six strings on a guitar.

Actually, while I was reading this book all I could hear was a symphony, it’s like the book is singing to me. I hear its melody and tune. He made every word of the book a note that I could play with my own very eyes.

The book is switching from Music’s narrative to the people who he has affected by his life. The big question about this book that didn’t have any answer is who is the one interviewing those people before the funeral of Frankie Presto? I don’t know if I’m not just paying attention, but Mitch Albom didn’t indicate who it was. It’s just a small detail, but I really want to know who asked those questions.

Since I just want to share my thoughts and not spoiling it, I will just give you a brief explanation on how the story flow, it started with Music telling a story about Frankie; about how great he is as his disciple and how many lives were affected by his talent. Music first mentioned Marcus Belgrave, and how big Frankie's little life changed him. Then after the few pages of Marcus’s point of view, it switched to Music again narrating the first moments of Frankie Presto. How he reached out for him and how destiny managed to keep him still.

There is a lot of twist in this book. When I say a lot. I’m not exaggerating it, I’m literally speaking that from the first part up until the last it does have those unexpected turns. And those twists were actually heart-wrenching. I can really feel the joy of Frankie and also his sorrow. When he’s hopeless, I am too. When he’s happy, that’s what I feel. We are sharing one mind throughout the story. If I have a one on one talk with Mitch Albom, I would say “Job well done” for making me feel what your character feels. That’s the best thing about being a writer and the accomplishment— of making your readers live the life of your books.

Mitch Albom is one of the remarkable writers out there. By simply stating out the simple truth and turning it into something spectacular, something that you cannot forget. He really means what he is writing. For example the scene where Frankie learned about the truth in his bewildering life, he wrote these words:

“I have said that music allows for quick creation. But it is nothing compared with what you humans can destroy in a single conversation.”

And with that, I am left astounded and feeling the ache of what he has done to our beloved Frankie Presto. So when a book has a lot of twists, it’s expected to be filled with heartbreaks. This book made me realize that heartbreak is really important to us, because it’s what make us human in this inhuman world we live in. Not just heartbreak of romance, but heartbreaks in all aspects of life.

“And, as is usually the fate with bands, most of them will break up—through distance, differences, divorce, or death.”

This book has a lot to offer, it is so much more than just a novel. It can be your comfort if you feel like solitude is coming in your way. Like what happened to Frankie, he only has his guitar in bad times. Additionally, it follows Frankie’s greatest love. I can say that his love story is one of the genuine love stories that has been made. This is just a work of fiction and it looks like a memoir for me. Hands down to him for making this story believable.

A great amount of life lessons was written in this book that you can reflect on. That’s why I’m truly in awe with this book. It really left me both satisfied and asking for more,