Book Review
Aug. 24th, 2008 03:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariJourney of a Thousand Miles: My Story
by Lang Lang
Lang Lang is a young Chinese concert pianist, who was something of a child prodigy. This short biography chronicles his childhood and education up through the establishment of his international performance career. He is very honest about both the joy and pain of being a child prodigy, and often shows a surprising amount of insight into his life and the forces that shaped it. I was particularly fascinated by the way in which Lang's father gave his son unconditional and tireless support while at the same time subjecting him to pressure so intense and relentless that is often crossed the line into cruelty. I only wish that the book had been written less for a casual general audience and more for a musically informed audience. While this book does touch on how Lang feels about various pieces and composers, all such discussion stays at the surface level.
by Lang Lang
Lang Lang is a young Chinese concert pianist, who was something of a child prodigy. This short biography chronicles his childhood and education up through the establishment of his international performance career. He is very honest about both the joy and pain of being a child prodigy, and often shows a surprising amount of insight into his life and the forces that shaped it. I was particularly fascinated by the way in which Lang's father gave his son unconditional and tireless support while at the same time subjecting him to pressure so intense and relentless that is often crossed the line into cruelty. I only wish that the book had been written less for a casual general audience and more for a musically informed audience. While this book does touch on how Lang feels about various pieces and composers, all such discussion stays at the surface level.
