Hilary and Jackie: The True Story of Two Sisters Who Shared a Passion, a Madness and a Man
by Hilary du Pre, Piers du Pre
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Book Summary Information
Author: Hilary du Pre, Piers du PreEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-12-07
ISBN: 0345432711
Number of pages: 376
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of Hilary and Jackie: The True Story of Two Sisters Who Shared a Passion, a Madness and a Man
Book Review: Every classical music fan should read this book.
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is certainly one of the best books I have read in my life. Not because it has significant literature value, but because it was written by the right people, ie. the sister and the brother who were so close together and loved each other so much. This is contrasting with "Jean Christophe" by Romain Rolland, which is about a great musician, but fabricated story with great literature value. Du Pre's book made me constantly laugh, made my eyes wet, gave me insights into musicality, warm humanity, and other valuable information bits about famous living (and/or dead now) musicians. Jean Christophe did the similar thing when I read it, but the majore difference would be authenticity and "genuineness". Most importantly, the authors successfully recreated the genius, Jacqueline de Pre, into life, and made me feel as if I was watching her, her family, her performances, and her life. As a result, I really had valuable and quality experience of reading. This is really a great book, and every classical music lover should read this book.
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Summary of Hilary and Jackie: The True Story of Two Sisters Who Shared a Passion, a Madness and a Man
From the moment Jacqueline du Pré first held a cello at the age of five, it was clear she had an extraordinary gift. At sixteen, when she made her professional debut, she was hailed as one of the world's most talented and exciting musicians. But ten years later, she stopped playing virtually overnight, when multiple sclerosis removed the feeling in her hands just before a concert. It took fourteen more years for the crippling disease to take its final toll.In this uniquely revealing biography, Hilary and Piers du Pré have re-created the life they shared with their sister in astonishing personal detail, unveiling the private world behind the public face. With warmth and candor they recount Jackie's blissful love of the cello, her marriage to the conductor Daniel Barenboim, her compulsions, her suffering, and, above all, the price exacted by her talent on the whole family. For proud as they were of Jackie's enormous success, none of them was prepared for the profound impact her genius would have on each of their lives. . . .
Jacqueline du Pré saw the outlines of her short, brilliant, and tragic life when she was still very young. The first time she heard a cello (she was 4 years old), she said, "Mummy, I want to make that sound." She got a cello for her 5th birthday and made her professional debut at age 16. She went on to become one of the century's most amazing musicians for 10 years. Then her career was ended by multiple sclerosis. She seems to have foreseen that crippling illness, which killed her at age 42 after years of slow deterioration. She was 9 years old when she confided in her sister, Hilary (who coauthored this biography with their brother, Piers), "Don't tell Mum, but... when I grow up, I won't be able to walk or move." Before she was stricken down, Jacqueline du Pré led a life of unusual richness and complexity. Here that life is examined by her siblings in loving but realistic terms, including the flaws and conflicts as well as the achievements.
The biography formed the basis for the 1998 film starring Emily Watson. It is a sad chronicle of the pitiless disease that twisted Jackie's personality and sanity as well as her body, but also a joyful book about music, the tenderness and rivalries of family life, and above all a singular, tormented, but buoyant personality. --Joe McLellan
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