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The Mysteries of Beethoven's Hair

de Russell Martin

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587446,451 (3.23)1
At the time of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death, it was a common practice to take a lock of hair from the deceased as a remembrance, a sacred remnant of the person who meant so much when alive. One such lock of Beethoven’s hair survived through the years and eventually became the joint property of two men who, in 1995, opened the sealed frame that encased the hair and began the process of unlocking the mysteries of Beethoven’s life, death, and possibly his genius. Follow the trail of Beethoven’s hair as it was passed on from the boy who cut it to his son and down through the years, as it was safeguarded from Nazi Germany and eventually sold at auction in 1994. Through careful forensic testing, the hairs in the lock revealed the causes of Beethoven’s deafness and his many illnesses. This fascinating story is not only a study of the secrets that forensics can reveal, but a moving history of many people’s devotion to Beethoven’s music. Husband and wife team Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley follow the success of Martin’s adult book, Beethoven’s Hair, with this retelling for younger readers.… (més)
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This was a very interesting book to read. It was almost like reading an episode of CSI. This book goes back and forth between the boigraphy of Ludwing Van Beethoven and a group of scientists (including Che Guevara) that have bought a strand of hair of the german composer that has been passed though generations in musicians' families. the book is full of pictures of DNA tests, scientific research and photographs revisiting places where Beethoven had been. ( )
  MonikaNicole | Feb 3, 2018 |
A lock of the famous composer’s hair was saved from 1827, at the time of his death, and handed down to the current owners today. This is the story of how it was preserved and who the safekeepers were, as well as the results of the forensic tests that were performed to unravel the mystery of Beethoven’s ill health.
  KilmerMSLibrary | Apr 30, 2013 |
On the whole, I really liked this book. It told a fascinating story -- the journey of a lock of Beethoven's hair from Vienna to the United States, by way of Cologne, Germany, Gilleleje, Denmark, and London, England; and its subsequent scientific testing. The intertwined biographies of Beethoven and the people who loved him or interacted with him down the years were particularly fascinating.

So, why only three stars?

First, because of a certain apparent carelessness in some of the writing. For instance, in the description of the initial cutting, Beethoven's hair is described as "half-gray," (p.33), whereas later, the authors call it "quite gray." (p. 101) Maybe they do not mean "entirely" when they say "quite," but it does read that way, and it gave me pause. They could save young readers a bit of confusion by making their adjectives match, or, better yet, leaving them out altogether.

A more troubling example occurs on page 82, where the authors describe the initial scientific research on the lock of hair. The current owners of the hair choose Dr. William Walsh to conduct an examination, and he sends samples out to other scientists, including Walter McCrone, whom the authors describe as follows:
It was McCrone who had demonstrated conclusively in the 1970s that the outline of a figure on fabric known as the Shroud of Turin had been painted in the fourteenth century and was not, therefore, the burial cloth of Jesus, as some had claimed, but was an historical hoax instead.

Well! That gave me pause for more than one reason -- not least because I had seen The PBS Special about the Shroud of Turin recently. So, I knew that McCrone's research, though interesting, was not actually conclusive. And the whole topic of the Shroud of Turin is quite (meaning extremely!) controversial, so why drag it into a children's book unnecessarily, especially by means of such a clunky sentence?

Unfortunately, writing like this occasionally mars an otherwise fascinating story.

Episodes of awkward writing aside, there are also problems with the book design. And the main problem is that there is no color. This is a children's book, and needs to be attractive to children. The book has a wealth of beautifully chosen illustrations, but they are generally poorly reproduced (oddly, the purely photographic illustrations are even grainier than the art reproductions), and not a single one is in color.

And then there is the cover. Scary! Not to mention that poor Beethoven (as shown) has no hair whatsoever. (But maybe that was the point?)

I did think the story was fascinating, and I gained great respect for the two men, Alfredo "Che" Guevara and Ira Brilliant, who acquired the lock of hair and set about trying to honor Beethoven's dying wish by means of it. And the Danish section of the story, and the characters throughout, are fascinating.

In sum: I did like the book, & I enjoyed reading it, but it could have (& should have) been better. A bit more attention to editing and design, and I would have awarded it another star -- maybe even 2. ( )
  deirdrea | Apr 4, 2013 |
This is a book that couldn’t be written until recently. The science wasn’t available to answer the questions it asks. The mysteries surrounding Ludwig von Beethoven’s life and death are thoroughly researched and some of the answers have become available only after generations have passed. Why was Beethoven sickly most of his life? Did he die of natural causes? How was it possible to save a lock of his hair for almost 150 years? Can today’s science discover the cause of his deafness and death? The story begins, as many mysteries do, with the simple act of a young boy. As was the custom in his day, he clips a lock of Beethoven’s hair while paying his respects immediately after the great man’s death. What happens to the lock of hair and to the family who has it is an absorbing tale with several plot twists and turns. The story is interwoven with an introduction to Beethoven’s life and his music. Along the way, more questions are asked. It isn’t until two American Beethoven enthusiasts purchase the lock of hair, and make it available for forensic testing, that some of the mysteries are solved.
This edition was an adaptation of the adult book Beethoven’s Hair by the same author. The juvenile version, like the adult version, alternates chapters about Beethoven’s life and ill-health with chapters on the history of the relic lock of hair. Both adequately, if not in-depth, discuss the forensic science used to discover the cause of his illness and death. The juvenile version includes black and white photographs to elaborate on the story and the science. It is, overall, a simplified example of the already simply presented adult book. It seems that the author struggled with whether to present the material as a mystery novel or as a science book. The conflict generated a voice that is neither authoritative nor entertaining. Although the popular subject of forensics would attract some readers, the book would more likely only interest the small group of young readers who have some familiarity with Beethoven. It does have an index and a good table of contents but, having read both books, my recommendation is to purchase the adult version and forgo the younger edition. There would be a larger audience for the original work. Grades 5-9 ( )
  Irishdart | Apr 30, 2012 |
A young student removes a lock of hair from Beethoven's corpse and preserves it. It passed from generation to generation. The hair is eventually used to find the cause of Beethoven's death. Writing teachers can have students refer to "Notes from the Author" to give students advice on writing a book. It also explains ways to conduct research. History teachers can use this a reference for the treatment of Jews in Denmark. They can also create a timeline of how the hair passed from generation to generation. Science teachers can use this to discuss conditions of lead poisoning, as well as using it for a lead in to forensic science. Music teachers can use it as a reference about Beethoven's life, and students can see how events in his life influenced his compositions. The book goes back and forth between discussing Beethoven's life and how the relic traveled into the hands of scientists. The style is easy to follow. The books has many pictures, including pictures of Beethoven and some of the owners of the lock of hair. ( )
  JLCasanova | Jan 27, 2012 |
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At the time of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death, it was a common practice to take a lock of hair from the deceased as a remembrance, a sacred remnant of the person who meant so much when alive. One such lock of Beethoven’s hair survived through the years and eventually became the joint property of two men who, in 1995, opened the sealed frame that encased the hair and began the process of unlocking the mysteries of Beethoven’s life, death, and possibly his genius. Follow the trail of Beethoven’s hair as it was passed on from the boy who cut it to his son and down through the years, as it was safeguarded from Nazi Germany and eventually sold at auction in 1994. Through careful forensic testing, the hairs in the lock revealed the causes of Beethoven’s deafness and his many illnesses. This fascinating story is not only a study of the secrets that forensics can reveal, but a moving history of many people’s devotion to Beethoven’s music. Husband and wife team Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley follow the success of Martin’s adult book, Beethoven’s Hair, with this retelling for younger readers.

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