First, let me say that I probably can't come up with 5 books in my life that I didn't finish once I started (I'm a finisher). This is one of them. Second, this is the first book I've ever forgotten that I was reading - seriously, something reminded me about this book and I thought to myself "did I ever finish that?" and I found the book and had gotten about halfway through (and I will say it was painful to get that far). The problem as noted by those that gave it a few stars was "who cares?" I didn't care for the accordians, people or anything else as everything was so forgettable - as I plodded along I'm asking myself "why am I wasting my time here?" and then eventually I must have picked up something else and truly did forget about it. I wanted to like this book, but never managed to care.

I loved this book! I hated to see it end, and will probably read it again and again. I was captured by the wonderful descriptions of each ethnic experience. I often felt like I was right there, going through everything with these characters. I kept visualizing movie scenes. Great American history lessons. It is so nice to read such rich literature! Like the money hidden in the accordion, the treasure inside each ethnic person was often undiscovered.

This book was so disjointed that I quit halfway through. The concept of the accordion through time was interesting, but I cared nothing about any of the characters except the original owner of the accordion. I had to make myself read the book, so I quit. The Shipping News was much better.

...this novel was simply the most depressing thing I've ever read... and I've read VOLUMES of memoirs from Holocaust survivors.

Don't get me wrong-- I am ALL FOR a "sad" story, or one that doesn't have a "happy ending," but I DO expect a written work to actually take me somewhere-- I want to finish a book and feel that I've been taken on a journey, that I am better for having read it, no matter how "down" the conclusion may be.

But this book doesn't live up to that one, VERY MODEST, criterion. I finished this book, and all I could think was "DAMN, I really wish I hadn't read that."

As much as I love Proulx, and as much as I hate censorship, I have to admit that when I moved, I threw this book in the trash rather than toss it in the box of books destined for the local library. I just couldn't wish it on anyone else...

Lord, what an unsatisfying book! All the way through to the ending. About immigrants, all kinds, ages, and this green accordion made by the first immigrant in the book, an Italian. Later an Hispanic puts $14,000 in it, and not til at least 50 years later does that issue get resolved. I kept waiting and waiting, like I was on some kind of tenterhook. And so much trivia, list upon list, filling paragraphs; ridiculous similes, people I had no interest in either. Just lives lived and lost. So rather factual and droning in tone. Major disappointment. And yet it had rave reviews on the back cover. Far too much info on accordions, their types, history, etc. I don't care. Maybe if you have a big interest in them, you might.