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The Ensemble
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From number-one New York Times best-selling author Liane Moriarty, author of Big Little Lies, comes her newest audiobook, Nine Perfect Strangers: Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amid all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these 10 days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next 10 days are going to be.
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3 out of 5 stars
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🌬🌥☁️🌦Fun, Fluffy, and Forgettable🍭🍬🍭
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Our narrator should be happy, shouldn't she? She's young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate; she works an easy job at a hip art gallery and lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn't just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It's the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?
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I love it...
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Willa Drake can count on one hand the defining moments of her life. In 1967, she is a schoolgirl coping with her mother's sudden disappearance. In 1977, she is a college coed considering a marriage proposal. In 1997, she is a young widow trying to piece her life back together. And in 2017, she yearns to be a grandmother but isn't sure she ever will be. Then, one day, Willa receives a startling phone call from a stranger. Without fully understanding why, she flies across the country to Baltimore....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Phenomenal Story Telling
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Publisher's Summary
A sweeping debut novel about four young musicians - a story of art, ambition, and love.
Brit is the second violinist, a beautiful and quiet orphan; the viola is Henry, a prodigy who's always had it easy; the cellist is Daniel, the oldest, the angry skeptic who sleeps around; and on first violin is Jana, their flinty, resilient leader. Together, they are the Van Ness String Quartet.
In The Ensemble, each character takes the spotlight and picks up the melody, from the group's youthful rocky start through to middle age, through both devastating failures and wild success. As they navigate heartbreak and marriage, triumph and loss, betrayal and enduring loyalty, they are always tied together - by career, by necessity, by the intensity of their art, by the secrets they carry together, and by choosing each other over and over again.
The Ensemble is a heart-skipping portrait of artistic ambition, friendship, and the tenderness of youth. With heart, clarity, and poignant understanding, Aja Gabel examines the relationships between trust, love, and the magical, messy world of making music.
Critic Reviews
"In Ms. Gabel’s terrifically entertaining debut, the frictions of long-term friendships are woven into the “webbed, collaborative endeavor” of the quartet. Their music doesn’t transcend the mess of living; it testifies to it." (The Wall Street Journal)
"Pitch-perfect." (People)
"Reminded me of Zadie Smith's Swing Time... The language that Gabel uses to describe both the pressures of prestige chamber orchestras and, simply, what it is to be a human in the world, is a work of art in and of itself. I found myself highlighting dozens of passages, marveling at just how impossibly relatable these people are... [I]t's the perfect form of escapism for me." (Entertainment Weekly)
More from the same
Narrator
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars33
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4 Stars30
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3 Stars22
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2 Stars4
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1 Stars6
Performance
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars39
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4 Stars31
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3 Stars13
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2 Stars3
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1 Stars3
Story
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars28
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4 Stars31
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3 Stars16
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2 Stars6
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1 Stars7
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Helene Grotans
- Tucson, AZ United States
- 07-16-18
A wonderful journey for musicians
As a violinist, living in San Francisco, I fell right instep with this novel. The author guides you through the life, woes and successes of the Van Ness String Quartet with expert knowledge of string technique and the real world of musicians. Good drama and romance- I enjoyed it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Darcy
- United States
- 05-28-18
Score!!!
Intelligent, funny and evocative. Beautiful language telling the tale. Luxurious exploration into character' pysches. Great production and narrator. Enjoy!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- tammie bitters murri
- 05-30-18
A great glimpse into the world of classical musicians
I enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the intricate way each of them develops throughout the book, in a similar way that a work of classical music does. Having played violin most of my life, I loved the details about the various classical works described, as well as the challenges and triumphs of performing in general. It is well written - rich prosaic detail. I wish I had read the actual book instead of listening. I’m not a fan of this particular narrator, and I think I will try to avoid her audible books in the future. It might be just me because she has narrated many previous books and has received good reviews. This is the second book I’ve listened to that she has narrated, and I had the same reaction both times.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Tamed
- 12-19-18
Boring
I kept waiting for this story or the characters to become interesting. Never happened. It is written in the third person so it’s like looking through a window and watching boring people live tedious lives in minute detail. Glad it’s over.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kathryn Johnson
- 09-14-18
Beautiful Use Of Language
The tone and use of language in The Ensemble was more beautiful and interesting than the story line. Listening to the words was like listening to a quartet.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Shelly Dee
- 06-27-18
Classically Slow
Even though I'm not a classical music fan I figured a musical group is a musical group is a .... I think, though, one really needs to be into this scene to truly get the storyline of THE ENSEMBLE. Difficult to follow for me. If I have to work at remembering the characters and their individual plots, it's not worth my time. It's a bit more difficult with the audio version to follow along, but this book put me to sleep. 6/27/18
0 of 1 people found this review helpful