Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung

Read this book for research. Not research on the author but on an elite player’s relationship with a peerless instrument. A Strad.

I read many of the reviews and agree with most of the constructive comments about the writing, organizing, and editing of this book. I do not fault the writer, Min Kym. She has a compelling story to tell, but she needed an editor to put this book in order. Someone to eliminate repetitive words and sentences. Someone to structure the book into a flowing story instead of jumbled information that reads more like a journal that's never been edited. Parts were too drawn out, and I lost interest in the story. I kept reading because I knew something bad was going to happen, and I wanted to know the outcome. I can't figure out how she and Mat were sitting at a table, luggage and violin next to them, and someone steals the violin without their noticing it. I, too, couldn't understand why benefactors and patrons of the arts did not come forward to help her secure the violin once it was found. Also, why did she go back to Mat for his help? This is a complex story, and I think her struggles with anorexia could have been woven into the story instead of it being addressed in a separate chapter. It was a huge part of her life and belonged to being a child prodigy. I wanted the story to have some redemption. It seemed she let the Strad slip through her fingers by not appealing to those who support the arts. It left me feeling like her life will never be complete again or happy. That she is playing a second-rate violin. It seemed being a child prodigy left her crippled emotionally. Maybe this is a book about that damaged child. I found this book through Susan Caine's recommendation in her new book, "Bittersweet." I came away with only tasting the bitter and wishing the publishers and editors had done a better job helping Min Kym tell her story. She deserved better.

Unusual look at connection between player and her instrument. The history, construction, repair and upkeep is part of this personal story of a child prodigy who finds and loses her perfect instrument as the saga of her performance life evolves and connects with her instrument.

A little background about myself....I'm a 50 year old male who's lived in NYC for the last 30 years. I play acoustic/electric guitar and the drums as a hobby. I've never played the violin but it's strength as a soloist instrument is obvious, such a powerful and beautiful instrument.I learned about Min's book during a radio interview she gave on NPR. I was fascinated by her story and bought the book, there are so many interesting threads to this story. Most people are familiar with the outline of the book so I will just give my reaction in terms of what may help other people learn from Min's experience.1. If you own a very valuable instrument make sure it is insured for its total market value. Min owned her instrument for ten years and neglected to cover the full value of the instrument as the market for Strads continued to rise. This error cost her about $500K when her violin was stolen.2. If you are a professional musician have a reliable back-up instrument ready to use, either under your ownership or on loan. If your main instrument is lost, stolen, or destroyed you still have a career to take care of. I think Min made a mistake by playing her Strad exclusively for ten years, since once it was gone she felt she could not play another violin and keep her performance commitments. Luiz Bellini was making excellent Strad copies for years here in NYC. She could have let him examine her Strad and make a copy so even if the tone was a little different it still would have felt the same. Ruggiero Ricci was an early Bellini client and one of Min's favorite teachers, she talks a lot about him in the book.After Min's Strad was recovered I would have liked to see her do more to insure her access to it. She did not have the money to buy it back from the insurance company but she could have organized a pool of investors or found a benefactor who would have bought it and then provide it to her on loan. Maybe with a provision to buy it back in the future?? She never showed any fight to get the violin back and I think that was another very serious professional mistake. Just letting Tarisio Auctions sell it out from under her?? I could not believe she let that happen, I was in shock as I was reading that part of the book. She could have gone on tour with the recovered Strad and I think it would have been a great success. Oh well, just another thing she neglected to consider or act upon. In virtually every career field, talent will only take you so far...being organized, imaginative, and determined are sometimes much more important in determining your success. Maybe I am being to hard on Min, it's just that "girl loses violin and suddenly goes to pieces" is a strange story and its really depressing. Maybe in a way she really wanted out of the soloist world and was not sure how to do it, I think that's very close to the truth.

I first discovered this book when reading Susan Cain's Bittersweet, which led to listening to her TED talk with Min Kym, which led to checking out this book from my local library. I was spellbound from start to finish. Couldn't put it down.I read a thousand books a year (lots of kids' books) and bar none, this is one of the best books I've ever read. Of course, I then had to purchase it for a musical friend.Brilliant writing.

An emotional and evocative true story of a prodigy violinist who is on the cusp of classical music stardom when the unthinkable happens. A story that does not require deep knowledge of violins or classical music, Kym takes us on a heart rending journey of intense musical focus, isolation, family, love, loss, and redemption. A unique perspective on the inner life of a performing musical prodigy, and the sacrifice and suffering behind the amazing performances. Also we learn a sense of the incredible connection between a performer and their instrument. It is recommended to get the companion CD by Kym so you can listen to her recording for the music referred to in the book. The book indicates in the text which CD tracks to hear at that time of the book. This book is more about the personal journey of Kym and how she deals with the the highs and lows of being a top level musician.

I love the style in which this book is written. It feels very much an open and intimate account, and really pulls you in.I was literally in tears, twice. Perhaps because, to a very, very small extent, I can empathise. When I was younger, I played guitar. Nowhere near the level that Miss Kym plays violin, but still, to a very high level. I had my 'one', but to sell it due to financial hardship. I haven't been able to bring myself to play seriously again ever since, because I cannot find another instrument that I can get on with in the same way.I was never going to have a career, and my guitar was worth a tiny fraction of Miss Kyms Strad, but I have a glimpse of how she must feel.This book is a tragedy, but it is still a work of beauty. I'd recommend that anybody read it, for its ability to touch e soul.

This is a tragic story of love and loss. It is about a young woman's profound love for her Stradivarius violin, how it gets stolen and how she copes with losing it. Although Min Kym writes in very straightforward prose, she becomes almost poetic when writing about the instrument she loves and about some of the great music she has played, especially by Brahms, Bach and Schubert. Starting with her life as a child prodigy, Min Kym's writing is almost unbearably moving at times. It is all the more poignant if you play her accompanying album as you read the book. I found it very hard to read Min Kym's account (on pages 209-214) of her brief reunion with the violin following its recovery where she says her farewell by playing the slow movement of the Brahms concerto. (Earlier in the book, she describes this movement as "this most woundingly perfect of all concerto movements - an astonishing outpouring of love and loneliness.") It is as if these pages have been written by a mother who, reunited with a lost child, knows that they will soon be torn apart again.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in music especially string players, but is early accessible to anyone as it needs no specialist knowledge to fully enjoy it. Best with the CD volume of her playing the music mentioned in the text (appropriate CD tracks are referenced in the text). I couldn't put it down - better than any who-done-it!

Bought the kindle version after hearing a BBC radio 4 or BBC World interview of Min Kym. Was enchanted; Min really gets across how much the relationship between a violinist and her (or his) violin means to both. The only thing I can't fathom is how the buyer of her violin can live with him or herself; why he didn't just give it back to her, just for the pleasure of making her happiness complete. If I ever win the lottery...

incredible !! couldn't put it down - nor could the 10 people I gave it to as a christmas present! *we're musicians so thought it'd be of particular interest, but all our non musician family and friends have taken it off us to read. A DEFINITE good read for everyone