Chopin is a detailed biography of a man whose life was shaped by wars with his native country being partitioned. In order not to lose the Polish identity, some people became very patriotic and that influenced Chopin and what he composed. His music reflects the love for his country, despite spending almost half of his life in France, his father’s country. The point of this biography is to shed some light on people who influenced Chopin, his friends and teachers. Some of his friends became exiles and many arrived in Paris after the November Uprising. Thus, their paths crossed again. Also, from his early years, he was invited to aristocratic homes to play for the families. Thus, from childhood, he was exposed to nobility, which influenced his character and the audience he was most comfortable with.It’s amazing to learn what his satirical journal of Szafarnia Courier reveals. At fourteen, while spending summer at the village of Szafarnia, he created and became the editor and sole contributor, using the penname Mr. Pichon, which was an anagram of his last name. He was very creative for his age. It “springs from the same source as his talent for mimicry.” In this satirical journal, he reported his daily observations of the countryside. It was fun to read some of his reporting.He was very gifted at mimicry. “He had a quick eye for the ridiculous and could adapt his facial expression and distort his body into almost any shape, depending on the character he wished to convey. In his youth his limbs were so flexible that he was able to put his feet around his neck whenever he wished to play the clown. He could move his spectators to laughter one moment and reduce them to tears the next. (…) Had he not been a musician Chopin could easily have become an actor, as George Sand confirmed years later when he used to entertain her guests at Nohant with his impersonations.”The book discusses his compositions in a manner that is informative, but doesn’t feel tedious. His last years, also reveal his financial situation, which was deteriorating quickly. His aristocratic friends helped him financially. During his successful years, he developed great taste for finer things, which he was exposed to pretty much his whole life as he was a frequent visitor at aristocratic houses. It seems as he acquired their taste, but wasn’t in the same position to support his extravagant taste.The biography is interestingly written and has a good flow. It doesn’t feel too descriptive with so many pages. Chopin was a man of many talents with great sense of humor. He was a social person, who lived in very interesting circles. He was surrounded by other artists, and aristocrats. Thus, meeting a bit closer some of those people is a fascinating journey.