This is one of the best novels I've ever read. Though I'm not a musician, I was mesmerized by the stunning description of about the first third of the book where Claude learns not just how to play the piano, but what music IS. Nothing I've ever read or participated in has made music as clear, exciting and fascinating. Most of the rest of the novel is deep, moving, fascinating and painlessly educational. His narrations of his physical and emotional experiences with several different women are deeply moving. His descriptions of New York City in its earlier days are evocative and seem accurate. I'm sorry Conroy is gone--I cannot recall as good a novel as this coming from anyone else. Did I mention you'll never read anything that will make music come alive for you as unforgettably as this novel does? And that his love affairs will surround and lift you and fill your heart? And that his portrayal of New York city in earlier days is vivid and compelling? This book is a treasure.