When Steve Lopez sees Nathaniel Ayers playing his heart out on a two-string violin on Los Angeles' skid row, he finds it impossible to walk away. More than thirty years ago, Ayers was a promising student at Julliard - ambitious, charming and hugely talented - until he gradually lost his ability to function, overcome by schizophrenia. Cuando Steve Lopez ve a Nathaniel Ayers desnudar su alma mientras toca un violin de dos cuerdas en el Skid Row, se siente incapaz de pasar de largo. Mas de treinta años atras, Ayers era un prometedor estudiante en Julliard, ambicioso, encantador y de enorme talento, hasta que gradualmente perdio sus capacidades, abrumado por la esquizofrenia.
When Steve Lopez sees Nathaniel Ayers playing his heart out on a two-string violin on Los Angeless skid row, he finds it impossible to walk away. More than thirty years ago, Ayers was a promising student at Julliard - ambitious, charming and hugely talented - until he gradually lost his ability to function, overcome by schizophrenia. When Lopez finds him, Ayers is homeless and paranoid, but glimmers of his earlier brilliance are still there.Over time, the two men form a bond, and Lopez imagines that he might be able to change Ayers life. For each triumph, there is a crashing disappointment, yet neither man gives up. Their friendship will changes both of their lives in ways that neither could predict. Poignant and ultimately hopeful, The Soloist is a beautifully told story of devotion in the face of seemingly unbeatable challenges, and the inspiring power of music.
La conmovedora historia que se cuenta en estas páginas sucedió hace unos cuantos años en Los Ángeles: asombrado ante el talento de Nathaniel Ayers, un músico callejero problemático y esquizofrénico, el periodista Steve Lopez decide ayudarlo con todos los medios a su alcance. La relacion entre ambos, no siempre facil, es una historia de superacion y amistad que ha emocionado a millones de lectores. Este libro ha inspirado la pelicula del mismo titulo que protagonizan Robert Downey Jr. y Jamie Foxx.