[dweck]

Or seen the movie?

I'm about halfway through. It was given to me by a musician friend and has sat atop my 'to be read' pile for months.

I am fascinated, though...........

 

[Golfgirlrobin]

I believe Nathan is waiting for it to show up for free on Lifetime, along side the rest of the manipulative, tearjerker, too obvious message movies they specialize in.

 

[dweck]

With Tyne Daly in the Steve Lopez role, no doubt!

 

[Golfgirlrobin]

Can they squeeze Meredith Baxter Birney in there?

 

[theoconbrio]

Wait. Is this "The Soloist" by Mark Salzman, or "The Soloist" by Steve Lopez?

If Salzman, yes--loved it.

If Lopez--no. Not a big Steve Lopez fan. And of course the story cuts too close to home.

 

[dweck]

Soloist by Lopez. It is scarily fascinating. Ayres played with Yo-Yo Ma for godsake, before going off the deep end and washing out of Julliard. He was a scholarship kid there.

Amazing.

I'm eager to finish; I had never heard this story, even on the periphery and despite the film version.

 

[theoconbrio]

I've heard Lopez interviewed about the story several times, and it does sound interesting. Ayres's story is tragic, but it's not really something I can relate to. As a matter of fact, that's what I was just telling Igor Stravinsky last night while I was putting on my lead suit which prevents the CIA from implanting thoughts in my head.

 

[Bob Pr.]

I've heard Lopez interviewed a couple times and it sounded interesting.

I may pick it up at B&N books and scan it to see if it agrees with my perspective.

I worked (in/out patient) with schizophrenics for many years and, IMO, our society was not doing enough for them in the '60s but conditions for them have massively deteriorated since then.

Now, IF they get "help", it's usually in & out of hospitals quickly with little, usually no effective treatment. Usually a quick try at subduing the most flagrant symptoms with meds. Little/no follow-up. So most end up homeless, on the streets, living out of trash cans and sleeping under bridges or vacant houses, victimized by other homeless peeps.

Tragic.

 

[theoconbrio]

Bob, all true, and I shouldn't make light of it.

While we're on the subject of books with this title, I'd like to put a plug in for Mark Salzman's (earlier) book The Soloist--a beautiful, sad, funny, understated novel about a former child prodigy trying to come to terms with his own mediocrity. It really hit me hard. (I wasn't a child prodigy, but as a mediocrity I could relate.)