Tuesday, 3 October 2017

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto:

A tale which transcends you to the real in the unreal, or is it the other way?Ramshankar.M.V
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“Everyone joins a band. We may not think we do, but we do. Somebody plays the lead. Somebody is the rhythm. Somebody holds down the beat. Somebody gets to solo and go all over the place, while the other person gets stuck playing the chords. That’s pretty much how it’s in a family. That’s how it’s in the army. That’s how it is in a workplace. Everybody has a role that they play.”

The theory of life, entwined with music, fantasy, history and adorned with a blend of inspiration – The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto written by Mitchell David Albom a.k.a Mitch Albom cannot be better described. Another bestseller from the author of ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ and ‘Five people you meet in heaven’ and many others, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto did not fail to lift the souls with the soothing notes of music and live up to the expectations of the millions of readers.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, is the story of Frankie Presto the greatest guitarist the world has ever seen. The narration reminds the readers of Book Thief by Markus Zusak. While the story of the book thief is told by the death, the protagonist in The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is a less scary and more lovable character, the music. The voice of music takes us through the birth, life, disappearance, and the final appearance of Frankie Presto.

The life of Frankie Presto is laden with mystery. Born in a burning church during the Spanish Civil War, Frankie was devoid, even of the right to cry out loud. He kept his silence and listened to Lagrima, the song by Francisco Tarrega, his namesake, hummed to him by his mother. His birth, though in the midst of chaos and cruelty, was shielded in the beautiful melody sung by his mother. And with his birth, he also grabbed a huge chunk of music and that’s how Frankie became the most gifted musician on Earth.

From thence, his life was a string of mysterious and miraculous events all the same. Abandoned as an infant, and raised by a music teacher, Frankie’s life was anything but a walk on a bed of roses. As music his life had its highs and lows.
But the greatest mystery of all was his power to affect lives. Frankie did not possess this gift from birth. It was in one of the miraculous events in his life that this gift was passed on to Frankie who was then a young boy.

During the civil war, as the musicians and artists were targeted, tormented and murdered by the military, Frankie was forced to depart from his homeland and bid adieu to El Maestro who took care of him and walked him through the world of music. As a parting gift, El Maestro gave him an acoustic guitar, with six precious strings. And it was these strings, which gave Frankie the power to affect the lives of people. Neither the master, nor the little boy knew its power then.

The journey he started took him to several places and everywhere he joined a band. The voice of music reminds us that he had joined over three hundred bands in his life time. It was just a matter of time until he rose to fame. And gradually he realized the power of his magic strings. And with these strings he changed the lives of five people including Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Carole King, Wynton Marsalis and even KISS until he mysteriously disappears.
He reappears after decades for one last performance, to affect one last life and then leaves this world while on stage leaving the world yet again in mystery.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is a blend of history, fiction and fantasy. The life of Frankie Presto is intertwined with the 20th century music world and the author has very well linked the character with the greatest musicians and bands of the time. It weaves him through the world of Jazz, Country and Rock and roll music and sure immerses the reader in these worlds. It leaves the reader in awe and wonder and transcend him to an unreal world in the real. It sometimes makes him question his sense of reality.

The character of Frankie Presto is so well written that his tale and turmoil will never feel questionable to the readers. This name, though not found in any pages of history, will sure be etched in the hearts of every one who reads this book as the greatest guitarist of all time.

But The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto can never be regarded as a mere account of the music world of 20th century. It is a tale of life and it imbibes in the reader a desire to live his life to spread happiness and be of service in every moment of his life. The sufferings that Frankie had to undergo during his years on Earth and the pain he endured will never fail to create a welling in the hearts and eyes of anyone who reads it.

It has been reviewed as a Forrest Gump-like tale and it sure is. The book constantly reminds the readers that there is always an oasis waiting to be discovered even in the most arid deserts, that there is always a bit of happiness even in the saddest of moments and that there is always hope even in the deepest pit of despair.


The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is one of Mitch Albom’s most well- written novel. With lots of plot twists and surprising turn of events and breath-taking revelations, Mitch Albom was successful in keeping the readers at the edge. The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, with history, fiction, fantasy and motivation is one of the well written novels of the decade and a celebration to all who loves reading.

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