"The Memorist" by M.J. Rose

I want you to all know that I have given myself an attitude adjustment since The Reincarnationist. (I still stand by my review of the book, but I didn't want it to mar my outlook on The Memorist.) I nearly returned this book to the library after the first hundred pages, but steeled my resolve, and I am glad I did. First, a little synopsis:

The Memorist is really a continuation of The Reincarnationist. A few characters carry over, but the primary protagonists are different. A young woman (Meer) has been plagued by flashbacks of a previous life since she was a child...visions of a beautiful piece of furniture and of a haunting melody. She doesn't believe it is the echo of a past life, but her father does and remains dedicated to solving the mystery for her. He finds the piece of furniture in question in Vienna, a gaming box owned by Beethoven. It yields clues left by the musical genius, that lead to a "memory flute", which is very old and is made of bone. When a specific melody is played on the flute, it can unlock memories of past lives to those who hear it. So off they go, hunting down clues to find said flute, that can free Meer from her troubling regressions. Murder and mayhem ensues. There are other plots at work as well. A high profile international meeting is being held in Vienna that ends with a one-of-a kind symphonic concert, and proves to be a security nightmare. A respected journalist decides to avenge his family that was killed by terrorists by blowing up the concert hall where the symphony will take place. At the same time, an American FBI agent has come to Vienna to pound the last nail in the coffin of a character that was involved in the theft of the memory stones in the last book.

A few things still disturbed me in this book, similar to the last one. This business of following the clues was little more than a Scooby-Doo for adults, and required even less plotting and brainpower than the Da Vinci Code. Also, like the Reincarnationist, about fifty pages into it, you have already figured out who the bad guys are, and it just shouldn't be that easy. The appearance of a memory flute, similar to the memory stones in the last book, just about put me over the edge. In my mind, I was screaming "give me a break!!!". Also, it seems like everybody in the story knew each other in previous lives, which is just way too pat and coincidental. HOWEVER...I really do love Beethoven, and his personality and essence is nicely woven into the story. There is more plot development in this story as well, and is a little more satisfying...something I could sink my teeth into. Rose is not afraid to knock off important characters in the story, and will allow the worst-case scenario to happen, and I like that. I do not like stories where everyone lives happily ever after, because it just doesn't happen that way. Reincarnation is a fascinating topic, and in this story we actually have a DOUBLE regression, so in a flashback, you not only go back one life, but you go back two. Very cool. I also like Rose's technique of very short, edgy chapters that encourage you to read "just one more". Overall, this book worked for me despite a few frustrations. I can recommend it with a clear conscience!

"The Reincarnationist" by M.J. Rose

This book has been all the rage lately on the blogs, and while I had never heard of it before nor read anything by this author, I impulsively ordered it from the library (as well as The Memorist, which I will read next). The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, so what I am about to say may not be popular...

First, a synopsis. After a near-death experience with a terrorist bombing, our protagonist, Josh, has flashback-type experiences indicating he has had at least two former lives. These lives have been filled with treachery and heartbreak, and they haunt him. The first life is one from 386 A.D., where he is a priest and has had an affair with a "Vestal Virgin". Vestal Virgins are like a nun of sorts, who are sacred and have taken an oath of celibacy. If they don't keep their pants on, they are sentenced to death by being buried alive. This particular virgin ends up pregnant, and the gig is up. She is ultimately buried with some precious stones (known as Memory Stones) that are said to have the power to unlock past lives of the owner. The tomb is discovered in the modern day, Josh is drawn to it, the Memory Stones are stolen, and death/kidnapping/mystery/chasing clues ensue. Josh hooks up with the lady archaeologist in charge of the dig to assist in chasing the missing stones. Josh also comes in contact with another lady who they discover to be his sister in his other previous life from the 1800's, and is connected with the Memory Stones as well. Its all a bit complicated!

I must say this story has all the ear-marks of Da Vinci Code - fast-paced cloak and dagger stuff, ancient mysteries, a dynamic male/female duo, etc. It is fairly easy to read, but the prose is pedestrian and character development is fairly non-existant. The subject matter of reincarnation, on the other hand, is very unique. I don't think I have ever read a book that revolved around this topic, and is intriguing to me. To me it was just a shame that with the potential of a topic such as this, that it wasn't executed as well as I would have liked. The ending was quite unsatisfying. Don't get me wrong! I don't need everythng to have a happy ending - my friends find my glee at dark unresolved endings a bit disturbing. But it almost seemed like the author ran out of steam or ideas and just ended it the quickest way possible. Maybe its just me - was I a cranky book critic in a former life?