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The Piano Teacher
The Piano Teacher
Author: Janice Y. K. Lee
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...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780143116530
ISBN-10: 0143116533
Publication Date: 11/24/2009
Pages: 336
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 184

3.3 stars, based on 184 ratings
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

TarynC avatar reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 213 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
The best part of this book was the cover. It was a poorly written first book with a trite romance theme, there was a little bit of historical background that made it slightly redeemable but I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on this one. I was very disappointed and my book club felt the same way about it.
TrishCF avatar reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 35 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
I didn't think this one was all it was cracked up to be. The title character was so annoying and vacant, I wanted to slap her. The plot was pretty predictable and slow-moving. No surprises except that it was a disappointment.
Momof2boys avatar reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 28 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I decided to read this book because I read a rave review of it in a magazine. After I started reading it, I found out that the magazine that gave it that rave review also has Janice Lee on staff.

I thought the book was just okay. Not good. Not great. To me, it didn't really have a point other than to demonstrate how people's lives can change because of war. The synopsis on the book jacket said that a terrible secret would be revealed, but IMHO there was no big terrible secret revealed. It was actually quite a let-down, waiting for a big reveal and then none was coming. There was one plot twist that might have been the reveal they were talking about, but if that's the case it wasn't such a big shock like it was made out to be.

I gave this book 3 starts, and that's being generous.
MarchiaLuigi avatar reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 29 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I started out reading the book and then switched to listening to the audio version on my MP3 player. I found when I was reading the book it seemed stilted and awkward. It seemed like the author glossed over certain parts and just assumed the reader was following her thought processes. The audio version did make the words and conversations seem more relevant, but did little to bring the characters to life, especially Claire. I never got a real sense of who Claire was and felt she was not suited to the privilege of being the title character. This was really Trudys story. And maybe even Lockets story, yet we hardly knew Locket at all. Will was easier to understand, except for his relationship with Claire. He said she was like a blank slate, but that doesnt explain it to me. In my opinion, the author missed the mark on this one.
Favorite quote: She reads about Beethoven, Chinese rice farming, biographies of English prime ministers, and finds comfort in the fact that she will never run out of books.
reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 379 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I found this to be a remarkable book, particularly for a debut novel. The main characters are fascinating, and connecting them through the juxtaposition of ten years, which encompasses the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, is masterful.

Enigmatic Will is an Englishman who falls in love with Trudy, a Eurasian socialite in 1942 and then has an afair in 1952 with a married English piano teacher, who becomes embroiled in his past and his present. There are numerous connections that both enhance and detract from both relationships. The ending surprised me and also satisfied my curiosity about what happened to the people in this novel.

It is also a mesmerizing glimpse into an occupied Hong Kong during WWII where people's loyalties are often divided and ambiguous. I hope that Janice Y.K. Lee is already working on another novel of this caliber.
Read All 28 Book Reviews of "The Piano Teacher"

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tulikangaroo avatar reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 6 more book reviews
I was really impressed by this book, which flips back and forth between 1940s wartime and 1950s postwar Hong Kong, with some characters in common. This book is about people, and how circumstances can change you - and bring out the best and worst of everyone. Lovely to read, and kept me enthralled to the end.
reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 5 more book reviews
For whatever reason I could not really get into this book. The different character stories don't intertwine smoothly, which became confusing.
reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 38 more book reviews
ARgh. Slow and boring beginning almost made me give up on it. Then, right about page 120 or so it started to pick up and all of the sudden I couldn't put the book down...And then came the ending, which SUCKED big time.
reviewed The Piano Teacher on
Loved the book. The description of Hong Kong during the war was chilling. Characters were well developed and believeable. Most of the members of my book club enjoyed it, too.
reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 531 more book reviews
The Piano Teacher's title may be misleading at times. however, the piano teacher is a part of the book. Much history of Japan's occupation and involvement in World War is revealed through the characters. The book's plot covers a 10-yr period of time; the 1940's and the 1950's. The story line can be quite involved at time; the reader can either appreciate, or perhaps not understand . The reader will find impossible choices unfolding, love and safety, courage and survival entertwining the present as well as the past
reviewed The Piano Teacher on
Yup. The first part of this book was very good, then the story just seemed to fall apart. By the end, I'd really lost interest.
reviewed The Piano Teacher on + 11 more book reviews
This book was very enjoyable. I enjoyed the historical aspects of it and the impact of the past on present events and relationships. It could have developed the recent events a little more

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