The Words of Every Song

By Liz Moore

Book Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Liz Moore, featuring an intricate web of characters in the vein of her blockbuster hit The God of the Woods, The Words of Every Song has been praised as a clever puzzle-weaving masterclass set in the cutthroat world of the 90s music industry.

"Sweet, wistful, artfully arranged: like the best mix tape anyone ever made for you. . . . Moore is] a writer capable of capturing a character or scene with one or two luminous details."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Lyrical and powerful . . . These beautifully rendered characters are melodies that echo in your head, chords that reverberate in your heart, and long after you've turned the last page, you can still hear the audience calling for an encore."--Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Corpus Christi

Set in the sleek offices, high-tech recording studios, and downtown clubs of New York just after the turn of the millennium, The Words of Every Song draws on Liz Moore's own experiences as a musician and songwriter to offer an authentic portrait of the music industry and the people who inhabit it. From the arrogantly hip record-label scout whose deep unhappiness leads him to make impulsive career choices to the rising young singer-songwriter in love with Kurt Cobain; from the established, arena-filling rock star on the verge of a midlife crisis to the type-A executive with an exhausting social calendar and an ex she can't stop thinking about, each character comes vibrantly to life.

As their paths intersect, Moore explores artistic identity, relationships, disappointment, and the compromises people make in pursuit of success.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767926420
• ISBN13: 9780767926423
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Good and Believable

I really enjoyed the stories in The Words of Every Song. Since I'm a musician I tend to be very skeptical of stories about bands/musicians since a lot of them are way off and stereotyped (drug problems, instant stardom, infidelity). Some were in here, but overall I think Moore did a good job and really showed her knowledge of the music world, and I enjoyed how the stories connected. I'd read another book by her.

Songs you know by heart

Just awesome, finished in one sitting, cannot wait for further books, it was beautiful. Loved it

Just So

This is a thoughtful and lovely book. Ms. Moore has an ability to effortlessly get the reader under the skin of each character in such a way that I was invested and sympathetic with all of them. Poignant, touching, sometimes surprising. This is one of those books that has some special magic about it that is difficult (for me, apparently) to specifically describe, but you'll know when you read it. Like listening to 'Tapestry' for the first time - you just know its good.

Instead of Flowers

I gave this book to my favorite people this summer. Made them all happy, too. What a delight! I whipped through at one sitting, waited a day, then read it again. The second time was to read the sentences that haunted me, shut the book for a minute, and sit looking at the blue sky.... There are characters that I want to have more on: they could stand alone in a book of their own. One in particular I couldnt stand, but still want an entire book about her. This book is from a new voice - fresh, funny, bitter-sweet and sharp. I cant wait to get my hands on more from this woman.

Excellent debut

This book is a novel, yes, in a loose sense. Fourteen vignettes: different characters, different thoughts, different subplots. I didn't mind, except where I was sad to see a story end. The separate tales interweave slightly - sometimes too slightly to count, it seems! - and I liked nearly all of them. Undoubtedly the most poignant were those in which the protagonist was a teenager. Moore manages, at times, to perfectly capture the pain of adolescence. I'm glad I randomly bought this book (even if it is told in the present tense, ha). There's something real about Liz Moore's style, something inexperienced, almost adolescent, that makes you relate to the characters. Their emotions are so visceral and so open. You can remember (or imagine very well) worshiping that band at age 16, being scared to talk to your crush in class, listening to a newly discovered album in the car at night. The novel does give the reader hints that the author is new and not quite set in her style. But I think therein lies some of its appeal. Sometimes telling rather than showing the reader can actually be more powerful, it seems.