The Piano Teacher: A Novel
by Janice Y. K. Lee
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Book Summary Information
Author: Janice Y. K. LeeEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-11-17
ISBN: 0143116533
Number of pages: 328
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780143116530
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Piano Teacher: A Novel
Book Review: Tedious: Almost Threw Book Out the Window
Summary: 3 Stars
This novel had so many wonderful ingredients: a love story; deceit; betrayal; adultery; theft; a kleptomaniac; the Crown Jewels of China; and all of these factors causing problems as Hong Kong is invaded by the Japanese. In the hands of a gifted storyteller, this could have been one of the year's best books.
1st MAJOR PROBLEM: The novel was poorly plotted, and horrendously paced; it moved along at a snail's pace.
It wasn't until about 100 pages into the novel that I had some vague idea as to what was going on. The excessive dialogue contributed to this flaw. The books sounded too chatty. Sure, I understand the author may have been trying to avoid pages and pages of boring exposition, and so she probably figured: let me put all this information into conversation. But what she ended up with were characters that seemed like they talked too much.
But, here is the opportunity Janice Lee missed to emerge as a true storyteller. First she could have started by adding some suspense to the novel. That would have made the rest of the elements appear a bit more urgent. (Simply making the reader wait dozens of pages for information just to make them wait is not suspense, that's called filling up the book, trying to make it 320 pages.)
The part about the Crown Jewels wasn't even revealed until the middle of the novel. That's the crux of the novel, what's at the center of all the disputes. That should have been put waaaaaay in the beginning to let the reader know what's at stake. Why am I reading this book? Why do I give a crap about Claire, Trudy and Will? What's their involvement or connection to the Crown Jewels. I should not be made to wait until page 250 to understand this information. This was possibly the BIGGEST FLAW, because many people I know stopped reading the book before they even got to the part about the Crown Jewels.
2nd Major Problem: Characters. We only really know Trudy, and Claire really well. As far as Will Truesdale is concerned, I understand he has issues, be he must be the most boring character I've ever read. (The author has the right to create whatever type of characters he/she wishes, but create someone that's at least interesting to read about. Will's lackluster attitude about everything (other than his desire for Trudy) make him very boring to read about.
Claire is a kleptomaniac. There is no information given as to WHY she steals. What's her motivation? You see? This kind of stuff makes me angry and makes me feel like the editors are insulting the readers' intelligence, assuming we'll never question why Claire is a kleptomaniac. If I knew, maybe I would have been more sympathetic to Claire. Again, lost opportunity.
3rd Problem: The book was overwritten and repetitive. I'd say chop off 100 pages - and that's being kind. How many times do I need to be reminded that Trudy is half Chinese half Portuguese?
4th Problem: Some chapters are narrated in present tense. As the novel starts out, the chapters that take place in the 1940s are narrated in past tense. Then the chapters in the 1950s are narrated in present tense. Fine. But this consistency is not kept throughout the novel. Just thought it was strange.
5th Problem: Way too much subtlety. I know she thanks some people in the back of her book for helping her with this. But there comes a time in a book when you need to tell it like it is. That's why I bought the novel. Can someone let me know what's going on too? If you leave too much unsaid, don't blame me if I don't get it. Sure some endings are ambiguous, but those are ENDINGS. The Beginning, Middle and End should not all be ambiguous.
This novel, for me, failed on many fronts. But there were some good moments. The only reason I'm not giving it one star is because Janice Lee at least made an effort, and there was evident research done. I was at least transported to hot, sticky, humid Hong Kong. But I will not re-read the Piano Teacher. I hope someone that knows Ms. Lee reads this review and helps her with these issues. It's a shame, because she's obviously a talented writer, and readers nowadays are ruthless and demanding.
The book suffered from slow pacing, clumsy plotting and lack of character development. And then people wonder by Dan Brown sells by the millions. A novel is meant to first and foremost weave a story. The rest, is secondary. What good is character development without a tightly woven story. What good is a mountain of suspense, without a expertly told tale? A vignette, a milieu maybe. Not a novel. Sadly, not everyone sees it that way.
Summary of The Piano Teacher: A Novel
"A rare and exquisite story...Transports you out of time, out of place, into a world you can feel on your very skin." -Elizabeth Gilbert
In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient, Janice Y.K. Lee's debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong. In 1942, Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. As the threads of this spellbinding novel intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage and survival, the present, and above all, the past.
In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient, Janice Y.K. Lee's debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong. In 1942, Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. As the threads of this spellbinding novel intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage and survival, the present, and above all, the past.
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