3 out of 4 stars
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Conversations with a Ghost is a novel by James Hart with David Hart. The story centers on Michael Lane. He’s a few years shy of being fifty and has yet to get his life in order. He dreams about being a famous pianist via his alter ego, Johnny Jones. In reality, he works as a piano tuner at Cory & Sons Pianos and Organs. He’s constantly on the verge of being fired. As a twist of fate, he is presented with the rare opportunity to meet Alonso Gillonti, a world-renowned pianist. After hearing Mike play the piano, Alonso encourages Mike to practice more and refine his skills. As for the title of the book, Mike starts to hear a voice whispering in his ear. He believes the voice is his guardian angel. The story follows Mike as he forms new friendships and attempts to turn his life around.
There are several dream sequences throughout the story that are well crafted. There are also many references to Mike’s past. All of these moments add meaning to the story and Mike’s character. Told in the third person, the story mostly follows Mike’s perspective. However, Mike is not present in all of the scenes, such as when there is a phone call between two other characters. Because of Mike’s dreams and his guardian angel, there is a very psychological nature to the story that many readers would enjoy.
Mike’s characterization is complex and develops gradually throughout the story. He loved his mother dearly, and she inspired his love of music. Unfortunately, she died when he was thirteen, leaving his father to take care of him. Mike has hated his father ever since. For thirty-four years, Mike has been wasting his life and not taking his love for music seriously enough. He resents his job and lacks the proper motivation to succeed. He has to decide to live, not simply exist. The minor characters also have distinguishable personalities. Alice, the receptionist at Cory & Sons, is known as a goody two shoes. At the same time, she’s not afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself. Like Mike, most of the characters have complicated family situations.
A critical issue with the book is the many grammatical errors. Sometimes Mike’s name is not capitalized. The word “than” is often used when it should be “then.” In many cases, a comma is placed where it doesn’t belong, creating unnecessary pauses. The book would benefit from careful editing to correct such errors. They seemed minor at first but eventually became distracting.
Besides the issue of grammar, there were certain aspects of the story that just didn’t work well. For instance, there was a love-at-first-sight storyline dropped into the plot that wasn’t as compelling as it was intended to be. The romance develops far too quickly without believable substance. The beginning of the book was strong and created a lot of high expectations. There were many paths the plot could have taken. Some choices that were made as the story progressed were disappointing.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. As mentioned, the book needs careful editing. I also don’t think the story went in the best possible direction. Even so, the story had great messages about the power of forgiveness and following your dreams. The in-depth exploration of these themes was the best aspect of the book. If ghosts and spirits aren’t your thing, then this isn’t the book for you. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy stories that mix the supernatural with the everyday.
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Conversations With A Ghost
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