Whew, I finally finished this book! I worked on it, on and off, for over three months and I'm glad that it's done, and I'm glad that I read it. 
 This novel is an opera, a tragedy, with a life story of the protagonist that unfolds slowly, through many flashbacks and changes in time period, and her story is a doozy. I kept wondering what would happen to her, how would it end, and that drove me to finish, even though, at times, I felt like I was slogging through. The writing is masterful, incredibly detailed, and has the ability to convey all the emotion and imagery to make you feel a part of the scene. 
 The downside, then, is that at times my eyes glazed over and I thought the descriptions were overkill and I lost my patience. This book took some serious dedication and concentration for me, but I learned a ton about opera and the time period in which it was set, as well as enjoyed a good story. 
 Probably 3.5 stars, really.