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Liked It “Although called a "novel" this book was far from it. It read as a instruction and historical manual for pianos. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book. Answered many questions that I had had about pianos. How they work, why they go out of tune. . If you truly love pianos this book is for you. You...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Although called a "novel" this book was far from it. It read as a instruction and historical manual for pianos. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book. Answered many questions that I had had about pianos. How they work, why they go out of tune. . If you truly love pianos this book is for you. You will want to take notes. ”
Whatshername wrote this review 5 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Beautiful”
Phil W wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“While some of my relatives thought this book was boring, I loved the writing and was fascinated by the old-world piano shop that becomes an obsession for one man. It is a testament to the quality and resonance of a finely crafted instrument.”
Jonette W wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“LOVED it. The first non-fiction book that I couldn't put down.”
ACB wrote this review Saturday, December 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“What a delightful book. A must for anyone who enjoys playing the piano.”
Gail B wrote this review Tuesday, December 1 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a love of a book about the relationship that develops between the author and a piano shop he finds in Paris while making his daily walks. It takes him a bit of effort to be allowed in the shop. The shop restores pianos and in so doing, links to the author's love of pianos and playing (for himself). This book almost got 4 stars but what prevented it was what was to me an unfortunate oversight in the book - not one single image of a piano. Images - whether photos or illustrations, would hae made the book that much richer because of the various pianos he lovingly details and the variety of pianos and points of origin he explores. There's a lot of information on pianos, how they are made, what they mean to various people, diferences between pianos, etc.”
Candelaria S wrote this review Wednesday, April 1 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“JudithG said: 4 stars
Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review Monday, January 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This book is difficult to categorize. It is a memoir with a great deal of music history and a bit of travelogue thrown in. Although some parts were dry much of it was surprisingly interesting. The framework of the book takes place around a shop in Paris where used and antique pianos are sold and restored. The author visits the shop out of curiosity and finds himself reconnecting with his childhood fascination with the piano. His interest is not just with playing the piano but with the instrument itself. The book explores the history of the piano and the art and science of building and maintaining an instrument. It’s full of surprising bits of trivia from the world of music: the expertise needed to tune a piano, the many different kinds of wood that can be used in building a piano and how they effect the tone of the instrument, the role of an accompanist; lots of little “How about that!” anecdotes.
This was an enjoyable read and it left me with a greater sense of appreciation for the enormous amount of work and creativity that goes into a piece of music that I listen to without effort.
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“I loved this book! It made me wish I were in Paris and/or that I could get lost in a roomful of pianos. I learned more about pianos and piano playing after reading this book, and I have played the instrument for almost 50 years (yikes). The author's writing style is very engaging. I highly recommend this book.”
Ellen M wrote this review Monday, September 29 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I had to stop reading this book because it just make me want to go out & buy myself a lovely little piano. My current nomadic lifestyle precludes this, unfortunately.”
Victoriakem wrote this review Monday, June 23 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
