--Andrew Eales, Pianodao.com More items to explore. In Algiers, she had seen a man kiss a donkey and she couldn’t discern whether the high odor was coming from one or the other, and in Egypt, the markets were the very definition of unhygienic—a fishmonger gutting a fish had licked the knife clean with his tongue. Seems like every book I pick up these days uses this kind of device). And then it had been too late. Comfortable, clever, and even a bit dazzling, they revel in their fancy dinners and fun parties. More By and About This Author. left. Ambitious, exotic, and a classic book club read, 'The Piano Teacher' is a combination of 'Tenko' meets 'The Remains of the Day'. Viking $25.95 (328p) ISBN 978-0-670-02048-5 . The portrayal of the Chinese difficulty in survival in their own country, camps, British betrayal of the Chinese and the look at some Chinese who profited by selling out their own people offered several perspectives of this terrible time in Chinese history. This timely book, written by an experienced piano teacher and writer, is a handy guide for private studio teachers. I found it wonderfully written and I was drawn in immediately. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. Highly recommend. All pages are perforated for ease in copying. Pentti Karikko. We are the largest nonprofit organization of piano teachers and students in the world! He was like a cow, slow and steady. The reality is that most of the development happens during practice at home. OTHER BOOKS. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. A young lady moves to Hong Kong after getting married to a Water expert whose company sends him to work in HK. It might be considered a reference, rather than a "how-to" book, as it's principle goal is to provide resources for teachers to consult on a variety of topics. It's gritty and un-nerving when detailing the Japanese invasion and the subsequent treatment of the population of HK. A very interesting insight into post war Hong Kong as well. I have taught vocal and instrumental music in both Catholic and Public schools, and in after-school programs, for 20 years, and have been giving private lessons for 9 years. “A rare and exquisite story . In 1952, Claire is a provincial newlywed from England, recently arrived in the flourishing colony of Hong Kong. Raised by an unloving, punitive father, and a controlling mother, Yukl matured with deeply rooted feelings of inferiority, especially where his masculinity and sexuality were concerned. The, after about a quarter of the book, it turns into a war novel. When I first started reading this book, I didn't think it was so great. I found myself waiting and waiting for Lee to get to the point, to no avail. She has shown a wonderful ability to develop characters who are unrelated at the start and weave a narrative that intertwines them in ways that are both overt and subtle and coincidental. A woman, going to meet her fiancé in Hong Kong, had spent one too many moonlit nights on the deck with another gentleman and had disembarked in the Philippines with her new man, leaving only a letter for her intended. Eventually she meets and begins an affair with Will Truesdale, a long-time British expatriate with a mysterious history. Ms Lee threw a quirky little detail like that in, and just left it floating around, no reasons given. I don't like it when the story jumps back and forth in time. She preferred to sit in a deck chair with a large brimmed hat and wrap herself in one of the scratchy wool ship blankets, face shaded from the omnipresent sun. To see what your friends thought of this book. Were names like that common in Hong Kong? Lee. One person found this helpful . I just wish it hadn't taken 66% of the novel to get to that point. And then, Claire had just . It's a city teeming with people, sights, sounds, and smells, and it's home to a group of foreign nationals who enjoy the good life among the local moneyed set, in a tight-knit social enclave distanced from the culture at large. Have you ever read a book at just the right time? The Piano Teacher: A Novel - Kindle edition by Lee, Janice Y. K.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Strange ending. In the course of Janice Y.K. Romantic plot, class and racial explorations, as well as insights into the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2009. Martin was older, in his forties, and had never had luck with women. I liked this book very much. Romantic plot, class and racial explorations, as well as insights into the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. Fast, FREE delivery, video streaming, music, and much more. . We are taken to a different place and time: the almost-forgotten Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in World War II which took place eight hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Well-written, certainly, but nothing to write home about. The Piano Teacher is a 2009 novel by Janice Y. K. Lee about a love story set in Hong Kong in the 1940s and 1950s. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The Piano Teacher s Survival Guide instantly establishes itself as the very best practical manual available for today s piano teachers. Claire Pendleton, newly married and arrived in Hong Kong in 1952, finds work giving piano lessons to the daughter of Melody and Victor Chen, a wealthy Chinese couple. Martin was an engineer, overseeing the building of the Tai Lam Cheung reservoir, so that there wouldn’t need to be so much rationing when the rains ebbed, as they did every several years. As an optimist I would have liked a happier ending. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Piano Teacher: A Novel. When she stepped from her cabin outside, the heat assailed her like a physical blow, until she managed to find shade and fan herself. The Piano Teacher was a shoo-in for recommendation at BookBrowse - a first novel set in an interesting place and time with excellent prepublication reviews. Janice Y. K. Lee’s first novel, “The Piano Teacher,” opens with the newlywed Claire traveling to Hong Kong in 1951 with her husband, Martin, an … Looking forward to my bookclub discussion on this book. When she had started seeing Martin—he was the older brother of one of the girls at work—she had eaten dinner at restaurants, drunk a cocktail at a hotel bar, and seen other young women and men talking, laughing with an assurance she could not fathom. They had arrived to a big party on the dock, with paper streamers and loud, shouting vendors selling fresh fruit juice and soy milk drinks and garish flower arrangements to the people waiting. All the main characters in this book are mentally unbalanced in extremely unpleasant ways -- the desperately repressed piano teacher-- her monster of a controlling mother with whom she lives (and even shares a bed) and the handsome music student who falls in love with her but then attacks her physically, mentally and sexually and sends her completely over the edge into utter madness. Criticised by some and described as this years Atonement by others (in a presumably complimentary way), I was very pleased with both the plot and the very well-researched attention to detail. Loyalties shift, values change, decisions are made in haste, friendships made and broken under the most trying of circumsances and, in the end, nothing remains as it once was. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. I'll admit I enjoyed the past/present flow of the story, but the actual story was more boring than anything. I put the book down and didn't come back for over a month --- and didn't really have a burning desire to come back during that time. They had been married barely four months. 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,242 # 1 Best Seller in Music Appreciation. Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 12, 2009 A historical and romantic narrative, alternating between the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II and a time roughly ten years later that follows the tragic consequences of that occupation. The English government did so much for the colonies, Claire knew. Whether you’re a student or a teacher of piano, books are your friends. Elfriede Jelinek is an Austrian playwright and novelist, best known for her novel, The Piano Teacher. Claire, the piano teacher of the title, is a bland, blonde, naive young British newlywed recently relocated to Hong Kong with her husband. Will was involved with Trudy, the cousin of Locket's father. I am a patient, enthusiastic teacher in the following areas: piano, violin, cello, drums, music history, and music theory. I completed this novel feeling frustrated and deflated. A book that will be revisited. Book Now Private Piano Teacher. She was a piano judge for National Federation of Music Clubs (MFMC) ,who rates piano student performances in Michigan. One day, she finds herself compelled to call her old students, but is it out of loneliness or some other, darker need? Over 80 pages of worksheets on notespelling, rhythm, chords, key signatures, Sudoku games, crossword puzzles, practice charts and more! Elfriede Jelinek’s The Piano Teacher is a disgusting book to read. The piano teacher, by Janice Y.K. Read more. When the Chen family invites Claire and her husband to a party, she meets Will Truesdale, the Chen chauffer. I liked the way it was written, not a lot of descriptive information, and somewhat sparing prose. Two days ago I thought my review of this book would be quite different than it is. I stopped giving stars, in the hopes that you guys would read the review and then decide if the book was one you'd like to read but I feel so strongly about this one.....My emotion at the. paper), Toronto Public Library Other articles where The Piano Teacher is discussed: Elfriede Jelinek: …semiautobiographical novel Die Klavierspielerin (1983; The Piano Teacher, 1988) addressed issues of sexual repression; it was adapted for the screen in 2001. It is about a married woman who is hired by a rich family and ends up having an affair with the family driver, only to discover his tragic past with a former lover. Schubert and Schumann are her forte, but she's not quite at concert level. If you're a seller, Fulfilment by Amazon can help you grow your business. There are discussion questions in the back of the paperback book I read. This is Janice Lee's first novel and not a bad one at that. Janice Y. K. Lee was born and raised in Hong Kong, the child of Korean immigrants. Even the war-time surrender of Hong Kong to the Japanese seemed only a minor inconvenience to these people. —The New York Times Book Review, “Editor’s Choice” "Evocative, poignant, and skillfully crafted, The Piano Teacher is more than an epic tale of war and a tangled, tortured love story. Spark Confidence. very interesting, but then I was an ex=pat who ... very interesting, but then I was an ex=pat who lived in China & Hong Kong so of course it meant more to me. A very mixed up love story about people who were very confused about who they were but by the end of the book seemed to have found themselves and some sort of happiness and peace. The Piano Guild, as we are called (a division of the American College of Musicians), was founded in 1929 by Dr. Irl Allison. “More work for me,” he said cheerfully. These are basic piano library lessons books that are perfect no matter where you are on your piano journey. The story was good, but I found that I was annoyed by the author's style, which I found disorienting and confusing. Locket's parents, the parents chauffeur Will and Claire become entangled in a story that alternates between WWII and the post-war Hong Kong. It is about a young English wife who comes to Hong Kong with a husband she doesn't love and begins teaching piano lessons to the daughter of a wealthy family. Comfortable, clever, and even a bit dazzling, they revel in. Claire and Martin went down next, treading on the soft, humid wood, luggage behind them carried by two scantily clad young Chinese boys who had materialized out of nowhere. It gave a bit of picture of life under occupation which I found interesting as I learned a bit about the war that isn't normally covered. I assumed (naively) that since I'm waiting and waiting for this giant secret to emerge, that it would have to be something worthwhile. War changes everything and torments the survivors. Liesel, the girlfriend to whom the woman had entrusted the letter, grew visibly more nervous as the date of arrival drew near. . Start by marking “The Piano Teacher” as Want to Read: Error rating book. This was a beautifully written, it brought Hong Kong and the war alive. But alas, I was wrong! Now you can view/download our Hal Leonard Student Piano Library Teacher's Guides for Piano Lessons Books 1 and 2 for FREE! I pushed through and I'm so glad I did!! The story starts out in 1952 as we are introduced to Claire Pendleton, recent arrival in Hong Kong with her much older husband, Martin. They had opinions about politics; they had read books she had never heard of and seen foreign films and talked about them with such confidence. Before disembarking, Claire separated out all of her thin cotton dresses and skirts; she could tell that was all she would be wearing for a while. The beginning was a little hard to get into. We’d love your help. The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer. Two love stories 10 years apart. The menus that were distributed every day were mundane: turnips, potatoes, things that could be stored in the hold, with meat and salads the first few days after port. Almost like it was two different books: one boring and predictable, the other a bit of a thriller or mystery; and in the middle an odd sort of P.o.w. The plot had such potential, but Lee chose to squander it somewhat. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. 1410413047 (alk. As the threads of this spellbinding novel intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage and survival, the present, and above all, … When the Chen family invites Claire and her husband to a party, she meets Will Truesdale, the Chen chauffer. Lee. Excellent holiday reading as it was not particularly challenging; the content was intense but gave an insight into the psyche of Hong Kong pre, during and during the aftermath-WWII. . Loved the book. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA products qualify for FREE Shipping. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. A very slow starter but I found myself finishing it off in one sitting. In Michael Haneke's "The Piano Teacher," which won three awards at Cannes 2001 (best actress, actor and film), she plays a bold woman with a secret wound. © 2008-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. It's gritty and un-nerving when detailing the Japanese invasion and the subsequent treatment of the population of HK. In her writings, Jelinek rejected the conventions of traditional literary technique in favour of linguistic and thematic experimentation. talks about Michael Haneke's brilliant movie, "The Piano Teacher", on the Opie & Anthony Show. I thought Lee was writing underdeveloped women characters, and also, she wrote her women characters as if she didn't really like women. Claire and her husband had moved to Hong Kong nine months ago, transferred by the government, which had posted Martin at the Department of Water Services. $19.95. Groups of revelers had already broken out the champagne and were toasting the arrival of their friends and family. She's approaching middle age, living with her mother who is domineering then submissive; Erika is a victim then combative. Based on a set of wonderful characters interlinked by marriage, friendship and relationships. Fans of historical fiction will love this novel, set against the backdrop of Hong Kong during the Second World War. Things start coming together, and before you know it, the characters are real and three-dimensional and vibrant. It is the kind of novel one consumes in great, greedy gulps, pausing (grudgingly) only when absolutely necessary. . So I was not enjoying it very much. John, Nigel, Leslie. It's a city teeming with people, sights, sounds, and smells, and it's home to a group of foreign nationals who enjoy the good life among the local moneyed set, in a tight-knit social enclave distanced from the culture at large. They made the locals’ lives much better but they rarely appreciated it. It spent 19 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, was a Richard and Judy Summer Read pick (UK), and was translated into 26 languages worldwide. She has a remarkable ability to tell a story, especially in her developing of characters and evoking a setting. And then Martin had come to her, serious, his job was taking him to the Orient, and would she come with him? Her mother had warned her about the Chinese before she left— an unscrupulous, conniving people who would surely try to take advantage of her innocence and goodwill. in their defense, i had but 10 minutes on my parking meter and made a hasty decision to buy this book. It will freak you out but, if you are well into your piano journey this book and associate d videos is great. 0670020486 (hbk. Claire almost couldn’t imagine such a number, but Martin said it was barely enough for the people of Hong Kong, and he was sure that by the time they were finished, they’d have to build another. I'll admit I enjoyed the past/present flow of the story, but the actual story was more boring than anything. Elfriede Jelinek’s The Piano Teacher is a disgusting book to read. I was thoroughly disappointed. The Piano Teacher, the most famous novel of Elfriede Jelinek, who was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature, is a shocking, searing, aching portrait of a woman bound between a … Welcome back. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. I found that this book was a little slow to get started, but once it started going I couldn't put it down. Visit my. Well-written, certainly, but nothing to write home about. Set in Hong Kong during the outbreak of World War II, and its aftermath 10 years later, The Piano Teacher alternates between the lives of two vastly different women whose destinies are linked by the events of the war. The plot had such potential, but Lee chose to squander it somewhat. Disappointment. About the Book The Piano Teacher. “We pop them as soon as we see the boat on the horizon,” a man explained to his girl as he escorted her off the boat. I was thoroughly. Churchill had ended rationing and things were starting to return to normal when they had received news of the posting. She went to the United States for school and graduated from Harvard College with a degree in English and American Literature and Language. In her writings, Jelinek rejected the conventions of traditional literary technique in favour of linguistic and thematic experimentation. Claire Pendelton left England with her new husband as he was employed by the State Water Dept. Men joked that she could take Sarah’s place, but she wasn’t having any of that. Everyone has a cover for their dubious behavior but, by the end, all the covers will be blown off by the winds of change. The Piano Teacher Summary. 100 Left Hand Patterns Every Piano Player Should Know: Play the Same Song 100 Different Ways Jerald Simon. Thanks for the great service. Paperback. Mark Pernecky plays a Baldwin piano on our furniture floor while visiting A2 from Minnesota. Improve Your Sight-Reading! review: The cover of this book, The Piano Teacher, is its saving grace. The Piano Teacher by Lynn York and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. 339 were here. Exotic Hong Kong takes center stage in this sumptuous novel, set in the 1940s and '50s. Loved the book. The coastal town in Varberg, Sweden is not used to this. I've been playing piano for 27 years. and into her large leather bag. About The Piano Teacher. Specifically written to work alongside the best-selling Improve Your Sight-reading! What a wonderful book - can't recommend it enough - it really does pull you in - one of those rare books that you can't put down and that stays with you for some time afterwards. A helpful, friendly piano teacher found hung. Janice Y. K. Lee’s first novel, “The Piano Teacher,” opens with the newlywed Claire traveling to Hong Kong in 1951 with her husband, Martin, an engineer. With Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot, Benoît Magimel, Susanne Lothar. I can teach anything on piano, however my expertise is more in the rock and roll / live music realm, and not the classical piano realm. It can be boring to … He sounds amazing and was impressed with the piano and its price. Lee’s latest novel, The Expatriates, is now available from Penguin. She is Erika Kohut, 40ish, a respected instructor at a conservatory of music in Vienna. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2011. They accompanied them to the government-approved hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, where a Chinese man with a long queue, dirty white tunic, and shockingly long fingernails showed them to their room. With fiction, I usually start a book and don't put the book down, but with this book, I read the first 20 or 30 pages and found the disjointed writing really did not pull me in to the story. by Viking. 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. Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno, #1) by Sylvain Reynard (Goodreads Author) She had not had many chances with men. 'The Pianist') is a 2001 French-language erotic drama film, written and directed by Michael Haneke, that is based on … It wasn't made clear. She knew this. It had been on the piano and she had been gathering up the sheet music at the end of the lesson when she knocked it off. October 10....I've had a chance to sleep on this even though I went to bed crying,woke in the night crying and have been weepy for most of the day when I think about this story. I was feeling like something light, chicklit-ish, so this book hit the spot. The characters were very interesting and I especially loved the setting of Hong Kong. 1-Click ordering is not available for this item. It was to hold four and a half billion gallons of water when full. B/c it's had such a profound affect on me....like a Megan Hart it's staying and not going quietly...I've decided to give it 5 stars. No Kindle device required. It is so hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The colourful characters and the weaving of the story is just brilliant. THE PIANO TEACHER profiles the eccentric offender and two-time murderer, Charles Yukl. I suppose I have no one to blame but myself and my stubbornness to finish every book that I endeavor to read. the salespeople at Borders did me wrong! The book arrived in the condtion and time period as promised. [I was really hoping that the Chen's daughter's name, Locket, would be explained. A WWII story but this one was told about Japanese/Chinese which is not what we usually read about. She has shown a wonderful ability to develop characters who are unrelated at the start and weave a narrative that intertwines them in ways that are both overt and. Her home turf is Hong Kong (both of her novels take place there), but it is how she places her characters in the setting that speaks to me. Synopsis A startling sight during a relaxing summer. Ambitious, exotic, and a classic book club read, 'The Piano Teacher' is a combination of 'Tenko' meets 'The Remains of the Day'. ), Toronto Public Library Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. I thought Claire was the most boring protagonist in the whole book. But I can assure you that I will remember little one week from now. It started as an accident. That focuses on the Opie & Anthony Show in their defense, I could n't put it down is. Two friends and family murderer, Charles Yukl Kong, the child of Korean.. Thought of this book received such acclaim and was impressed with the piano completely even in of... Your piano journey your friends thought of this book would be explained story... 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