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The Piano Teacher
251 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 10, 2020
The book was in three segments corresponding to three notebooks a recluse wrote a dairy to his niece. It didn't adequately explain why he was a recluse but the humour was engaging. I found the first third (the Green Notebook contents) quite enjoyable, relatable and well written, with many laughs. Five stars. Some readers under sixty may not pick up on all the allusions (e.g. Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo).
The next two segments (corresponding to the Mauve and Black Notebooks) were more of a plod as the monologues became lengthy (three stars) and I wasn't sure where the plot was going.
Some of the characters could have used more development and maybe more on the niece to understand why he wrote to her. Although I can't play piano I looked up and listened to composer pieces mentioned.
The movie could do with a different title: "The Piano Teacher" is not inspiring (there are over a dozen books on Goodreads with that title or as part of the title). Perhaps "Rach 2" (from page 22) or "the Rest is Rust and Stardust" (from page 95) or "the silliest idea in the history of forever" from page 182.
The next two segments (corresponding to the Mauve and Black Notebooks) were more of a plod as the monologues became lengthy (three stars) and I wasn't sure where the plot was going.
Some of the characters could have used more development and maybe more on the niece to understand why he wrote to her. Although I can't play piano I looked up and listened to composer pieces mentioned.
The movie could do with a different title: "The Piano Teacher" is not inspiring (there are over a dozen books on Goodreads with that title or as part of the title). Perhaps "Rach 2" (from page 22) or "the Rest is Rust and Stardust" (from page 95) or "the silliest idea in the history of forever" from page 182.
June 18, 2019
Stickland has created a fictional memoir in the form of three notebooks directed at his character’s niece, all the while describing the life of a concert pianist about to perform a benefit concert, weaving in the detritus of the lonely life of an artist, but somehow not so lonely. His cast of characters are mostly women, but also a mentor and muse, Alfred, whose ghost appears over his shoulder from time to time. The character’s great struggle is an attempt to teach music to a seven-year-old he calls “the creature.”
Stickland’s remarkable use of parentheses puts you in the mind of a scribbler sitting in a coffee shop, writing long hand, not deleting or prematurely self-editing, but rather — expanding on the inner world of the writer as artist. And, which Stickland does in real life.
Some very poignant couple of pages reflect on love trysts, particularly when he knows he needs to visit a former lover, Olga, dying on a cancer ward, and for whom the benefit concert is intended.
Now, I will speak directly to the author.
Eugene, in spite of your declaration at the front of the book,
“I am not he. She is not she. They are not they. It’s fiction.”
— I recognized the floor on the cancer ward, you’ve referred to, as I taught nursing students on that unit and I am amazed at the detail you used in describing the staff, the uneaten meals, the patient’s equipment, and especially, the presence of Death on this floor. When I worked there, I can’t say I felt it, though we were surrounded by it all the time. Yes, we saw Death every day, but it was peaceful, as I am not afraid of Death.
The very high energy of the nursing staff, combined with near-daily miracles which patients and families experienced, created a unique nursing environment, none of which I’d seen earlier or since in my career. I must say — this unit was a fabulous learning environment for the students and a most peaceful and, albeit not necessarily healing — but definitely caring environment — for patients and their families. I was deeply moved by your few pages as you (er — your character) immersed yourself into the atmosphere of the cancer floor.
A tradition on the floor was to turn on a stained glass lamp at the front of the nursing desk when a patient had passed away — mostly as a message to the staff, as I don’t really think the patients or visitors knew of this. If we came back from a break and saw the lamp was turned on, we knew the atmosphere of the unit would have changed and the routine of the unit adjusted accordingly.
I’m sure they turned on the lamp for Olga.
I do appreciate the reflections and the difficulties about performing as a pianist, but moreso, I do appreciate the capture of the nursing unit. Very few books of any sort describe the atmosphere of nursing in any way, never mind one as difficult as a palliative care, end-stage cancer ward. Thanks, Eugene.
And, by the way, in spite of many attempts to get this published through traditional routes, Stickland — perforce — chose to self-publish, not expecting his book would get any recognition, but resulting in the City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Award in 2016. Well done.
Stickland’s remarkable use of parentheses puts you in the mind of a scribbler sitting in a coffee shop, writing long hand, not deleting or prematurely self-editing, but rather — expanding on the inner world of the writer as artist. And, which Stickland does in real life.
Some very poignant couple of pages reflect on love trysts, particularly when he knows he needs to visit a former lover, Olga, dying on a cancer ward, and for whom the benefit concert is intended.
Now, I will speak directly to the author.
Eugene, in spite of your declaration at the front of the book,
“I am not he. She is not she. They are not they. It’s fiction.”
— I recognized the floor on the cancer ward, you’ve referred to, as I taught nursing students on that unit and I am amazed at the detail you used in describing the staff, the uneaten meals, the patient’s equipment, and especially, the presence of Death on this floor. When I worked there, I can’t say I felt it, though we were surrounded by it all the time. Yes, we saw Death every day, but it was peaceful, as I am not afraid of Death.
The very high energy of the nursing staff, combined with near-daily miracles which patients and families experienced, created a unique nursing environment, none of which I’d seen earlier or since in my career. I must say — this unit was a fabulous learning environment for the students and a most peaceful and, albeit not necessarily healing — but definitely caring environment — for patients and their families. I was deeply moved by your few pages as you (er — your character) immersed yourself into the atmosphere of the cancer floor.
A tradition on the floor was to turn on a stained glass lamp at the front of the nursing desk when a patient had passed away — mostly as a message to the staff, as I don’t really think the patients or visitors knew of this. If we came back from a break and saw the lamp was turned on, we knew the atmosphere of the unit would have changed and the routine of the unit adjusted accordingly.
I’m sure they turned on the lamp for Olga.
I do appreciate the reflections and the difficulties about performing as a pianist, but moreso, I do appreciate the capture of the nursing unit. Very few books of any sort describe the atmosphere of nursing in any way, never mind one as difficult as a palliative care, end-stage cancer ward. Thanks, Eugene.
And, by the way, in spite of many attempts to get this published through traditional routes, Stickland — perforce — chose to self-publish, not expecting his book would get any recognition, but resulting in the City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Award in 2016. Well done.
May 13, 2018
A most wonderful story of a gifted pianist, or piano player as he likes to call himself, who has lost his way in his life and finds it again through his relationship with a little student. One of the main characters in the story is Rach 2. I have never listened to Rachmaninoff and I made a point to play it over and over as I read.
The story is told in a diary form, and there are three notebooks to the diary. From the mauve book, chapter 10 near broke my heart. “ I just dread the day the music dies, that’s all.”
A very poignant novel, well worth the read.
The story is told in a diary form, and there are three notebooks to the diary. From the mauve book, chapter 10 near broke my heart. “ I just dread the day the music dies, that’s all.”
A very poignant novel, well worth the read.
June 15, 2018
Playwright Eugene Strickland has written a very engaging novel with this portrayal of a world-class pianist who’s retreated into a small life disengaged from other people, until he agrees to teach a young girl to play. The diary format in which its told is very effective in showing the mental health issues with which he’s struggling. The reader is both irritated by him, and worried for him that he’ll be unable to meet the challenges of playing the difficult Rachmaninoff piece he’s supposed to perform. Because it’s self-published the formatting and layout is rather annoying.
October 1, 2016
Very nice. As Eugene Stickland is known to me as a playwright, I was excited when I saw that he had written a book. It was very easy to read (maybe a bit play-like....) His descriptions of what goes on in a pianist's, pardon me, piano players mind when they perform was fun too.
The typos in the latter part of the book were annoying but I powered on. They couldn't have been that bad cause I realized that I would miss Eugene's voice as I got closer to the end.
And I do :{
The typos in the latter part of the book were annoying but I powered on. They couldn't have been that bad cause I realized that I would miss Eugene's voice as I got closer to the end.
And I do :{
June 1, 2016
Stickland's writing is disarmingly humorous and poignant, and his protagonist/narrator just might become your favourite uncle. This is a book you'll want to re-read every so often, just as an excuse to revisit its grudgingly likeable narrator.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews