Review of An American Dream, Realzed

[Soraya Bayah]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "An American Dream, Realzed" by Robert and James Freeman.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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An American Dream, Realized: From the Tenements of New York City to the Eastman School of Music to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1909-1997) is a memoir of Henry Freeman edited by his two sons, Robert and James Freeman. Henry narrates this book in the first-person perspective, and his sons preserved the original script to convey their father's ideas and emotions.

The story starts with the life of Harry Freeman, Henry's father, who played in Sousa's band. Henry, ever interested in music, was initially opposed by his father, as Harry saw no potential in the world of music. For him, it was all pain and no gain. Despite that, Henry was determined and gained a scholarship to the prestigious Eastman School of Music located in Rochester, New York. During his time at Eastman, he met his future spouse, Florence, a violinist. Between the events of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Great Depression, Henry struggled to balance everything, like his music practice, performances, health issues, and family affairs. Slowly but steadily, he climbed up the ladder, starting with his first practice with Nelson Watson in 1925, when he discovered his passion for the double bass. On his journey, he met famous people like Jose Iturbi, Serge Koussevitzky, and Arthur Fiedler and played for the WHAM radio station, Boston Pops, and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. This is the tale of the three generations of musicians of the Freeman family and the detailed life of Henry.

The book gave me insight into the world of music and what life was like during the period mentioned. Its main focus was on the period from the 30s to 40s, which included Henry and Florence's marriage, their performances, and the birth of their two sons. My lack of familiarity with music made me reluctant to pick up a book about music, but I didn't regret it, as there is a lot to love about this book. Henry's relationship with Florence was lovely. I found myself laughing when Florence's ire flared and conflicts occurred. Florence was strong-willed and took on a lot of programs (more than Henry) while raising her kids. I could not help but admire her strength. I could only imagine the pride Henry's father felt when his son, whom he did not allow to take piano lessons, became a successful musician and earned a spot as bass viol player in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Even more astounding was that Henry's sons were also successful musicians. Each family member mastered one instrument to its maximum potential. Picturing them playing together warmed my heart. The tone was uplifting and engaging, as Henry often used exclamation marks to mark what he found fun or alarming. There were numerous family pictures, ranging from the most prestigious, like Harry on his black horse, to the more friendly, like the pictures of the great-grandsons of Henry. Such aspects contributed to my overall satisfaction with the book.

Regarding the negatives, they were relatively plentiful. The whole book was monotonous, devoid of any sense of suspense and intrigue. The book retained the feeling of a journal and had minimal dialogue, and although this is not a fault, it became boring to continue the book. It also contained tons of names that I failed to keep up with, and often none of these names made an appearance again. It left me confused as to why Henry mentioned them in the first place. I had trouble recalling what was being discussed, as Henry used a lot of brackets and dashes to add unnecessary details.

In conclusion, I award An American Dream, Realized a three out of four stars. The negatives were not enough to cause me to deduct another star. Also, the ending was well executed, and I was left feeling content. Furthermore, it is professionally edited, as I only found minor errors. The book contains some instances of non-borderline profanity, although not numerous nor severe, and no sexual content.

Readers who prefer fiction and suspenseful stories should refrain from reading this book. Fans of music literacy, family dramas, memoirs, and the period mentioned will happily indulge in this book. It would please Henry to learn that his 300-page memoir has been published by his loving sons. Despite its flaws, this book is fascinating, and I hope others will find it equally captivating.

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An American Dream, Realzed
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[Ifesi]

This review sound interesting. The author did a nice job in presenting the book to be interesting and easy to understand.Thanks for an honest review. Looking forward to reading this book.

[Amy Luman]

I do prefer fiction so this is probably not the book for me. However, everyone can relate to Henry’s difficulties with his father. Parents always think that thy know what is best for their children and even those of us with the best of intentions tend to pass that on.

[wmeki510]

This is well-written review. Highly invaluable.

[Diana Lowery]

I like that you included so many details of the setting in your review, and I like that you found something to enjoy in spite of the monotony.

[Judy_Akha]

Often when we read memoirs or books of a similar genre, we expect a special story, adventure, or inspirational tale. I think the beauty of this book lies in its simplicity and the reality of human relationships. Wonderful review!

[Ceeco2002]

It'd be interesting to find out more about the three generations of musicians of the freeman family and Henry's detailed life. Excellent review!

[Uwe Neufeld]

Oh, I love memoires and biographies! Real peaple having real problems, and how they dealt with them. Fine review!

[Soraya Bayah]

This review sound interesting. The author did a nice job in presenting the book to be interesting and easy to understand.Thanks for an honest review. Looking forward to reading this book.

I am glad you enjoyed my review! Thank you for the lovely words. I truly appreciate them. I hope you enjoy the book. Happy reading!

[Soraya Bayah]

I do prefer fiction so this is probably not the book for me. However, everyone can relate to Henry’s difficulties with his father. Parents always think that thy know what is best for their children and even those of us with the best of intentions tend to pass that on.

I absolutely agree with you. I think it is in human nature to do so, and not so many can break this habit. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I tend to also enjoy suspenseful stories whether fiction or not, so I did feel bored, but the book will surely be someone else’s cup of tea. Thank you for passing by, Amy!

[Soraya Bayah]

This is well-written review. Highly invaluable.

Thank you! Happy reading!

[Soraya Bayah]

I like that you included so many details of the setting in your review, and I like that you found something to enjoy in spite of the monotony.

The book’s story is quite boring for those like me that tend to enjoy suspenseful stories, but it certainly has its positives. I truly believe someone else, especially a music enthusiast, will find it perfect. Thank you for taking the time to comment, Diana!

[Soraya Bayah]

Often when we read memoirs or books of a similar genre, we expect a special story, adventure, or inspirational tale. I think the beauty of this book lies in its simplicity and the reality of human relationships. Wonderful review!

I wholly agree with you. Yet, it is not everybody’s cup of tea, like me. Still, it was a delightful experience to read the book, especially the heart-warming ending. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, Judy!

[Soraya Bayah]

It'd be interesting to find out more about the three generations of musicians of the freeman family and Henry's detailed life. Excellent review!

I am surely glad you enjoyed the review. Thank you for passing by!

[Soraya Bayah]

Oh, I love memoires and biographies! Real peaple having real problems, and how they dealt with them. Fine review!

This is exactly the beauty of memoirs. They tend to resonate much more with the reader. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for taking the time to read my review!