43 pages • 1 hour read
The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship
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Book Brief
304
Biography • Nonfiction
Los Angeles, California • 2000s
2008
Adult
16+ years
Super Short Summary
In The Soloist by Steve Lopez, journalist Lopez meets Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless musician with schizophrenia, who once attended Juilliard. Lopez investigates Ayers's situation, building a friendship and helping him connect with resources like the Los Angeles Men's Project. Despite initial resistance, Ayers begins using a music studio and a new apartment, experiencing gradual progress amid ongoing challenges. The book includes sensitive topics on mental illness and homelessness.
Inspirational
Emotional
Heartwarming
Hopeful
Contemplative
Reviews & Readership
11,128 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Steve Lopez's The Soloist is praised for its heartfelt depiction of a unique friendship and its compassionate exploration of homelessness and mental illness. Reviewers appreciate Lopez's engaging narrative and empathetic portrayal, though some critique the book's pace and occasional predictability. Overall, it effectively highlights the transformative power of music and human connection.
Who Should Read The Soloist?
A reader who appreciates profound human stories with themes of friendship, music, and mental illness would enjoy Steve Lopez’s The Soloist. Fans of A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar and Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl will find similar depth and emotional resonance.
11,128 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
304
Biography • Nonfiction
Los Angeles, California • 2000s
2008
Adult
16+ years
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