I actually received this book as an Early Reviewers book back in 2013, but actually lost it in the process of moving before I could write the review. Just found it again, so, finally here is the review!

A great little book, especially for someone like me who has just discovered opera after a lifetime of running from it. Easy to read, easy to find things, great to dip into to find interesting tidbits. I have actually taken it to the opera and looked up things while watching using my keylight, which I'm sure is very infra dig, but the handy size of the book makes it ideal for this. Terrific little book, highly recommended for opera virgins everywhere. ( )

A great deal of fun. I know enough about opera and classical music to get most of the jokes, I believe, and not enough to not have learned something as I read this. Witty, informative, and accurate--as far as I know. I probably wouldn't go to it for serious reference, but I'm glad I got the book for early review! (Though my review is in fact quite late. Oops, sorry.) ( )

As fan of the opera I didn´t learn anything new. And as German it was a bit too focused on the UK. But nearly every side of this book brought a smile on my face! I have never read such a witty book about opera! ( )

What a great little introduction to opera! Full of interesting trivia which make opera both more fun and accessible, it's a very different way of looking at opera and hopefully making it more appealing to new generations. I enjoyed the various snapshots of composers, famous operas and singers, how to get started in the opera world and other less thought about aspects such as decor and productions.

This definitely has a British flavour - perhaps a bit too much to make it very appealing to a North American audience - and it misses the mark by not speaking of the live Met opera broadcasts - the biggest international opera event, which puts opera in theatres in even the smallest cities around the globe. I also winced at seeing lesser known British talents get more attention than better known North American ones. Finally, I would have liked to see an index in the back instead of notes pages to be able to refer to the nuggets I had gleaned throughout the book.

Ultimately, an educational and light read which got me into the mood for more opera and a book that I will be sharing with people like me: who enjoy opera without knowing much about it. ( )

Having been a lover of opera for close to 60 years because of its transcending power and less interested in impressing people with my knowledge of this art form at a post-performance get together, the Buffer’s Guide to Opera had minimal appeal to this writer. This book may offer a “tactical advantage” to the bluffer; one has to hope, however, that no one wants a more detailed accounting of your knowledge, as this book provides only cursory information, which may all that is needed, especially at the pub.

The book was at times interesting, occasionally amusing, and then “cute” regarding the “Real Meaning” of operatic terms found in the Curtain Call Glossary, which may be reflective of British humor. As an American, I was somewhat uncomfortable reviewing this book because its target population seems to be the UK, to whom it might have greater appeal.

Small enough to fit in a women’s purse or a man’s jacket breast pocket, it may provide the necessary line of defense if more into the facts and less the experience, which for this reviewer is not comparable to any other musical experience. ( )