Messy

This book had potential, but doesn’t quite deliver. Elie wants to show how the recording era changed our relationship with Bach’s music. That idea is worth exploring. And there are parts of the book that work well, especially the chapters on Casals, Schweitzer, Gould, and Stokowski. They give some insight into how Bach’s music has been reinterpreted across the twentieth century.

But the book tries to do too much. It shifts between biography, personal reflection, cultural commentary, and history of technology, without clear direction. The structure is fragmented. The style is often too florid, with literary analogies that feel forced. Elie brings in names like Steve Jobs, and Hofstadter, but not always with clear relevance.

Late in the book, Elie writes more personally. Those parts are more grounded and emotionally engaging. If the book had started from that place, and stuck with it, it might have been more powerful.

In the end, I respect the effort, but the result is messy and unfocused. A two-star read for me, maybe two and a half if you’re in a generous mood.