What do you think?
Rate this book
The Piano Man's Daughter
Narrated by Charlie Kilworth, whose birth is an echo of his mother's own illegitimate beginnings, The Piano Man's Daughter is the lyrical, multilayered tale of Charlie's mother, Lily, his grandmother Ede, and their family. Lily is a woman pursued by her own demons, "making off with the matches just when the fires caught hold," "a beautiful, mad genius, first introduced to us singing in her mother's belly." It is also the tale of people who dream in songs, two Irish immigrant families facing a new and uncertain future in turn-of-the-century Toronto. Finally, it is a richly detailed tribute to a golden epoch in our history and of a generation striking the last, haunting chord of innocence.
The Piano Man's Daughter is a symphony of wonderful storytelling, unforgettable characters, and a lilting, lingering melody that plays on long after the last page has been turned.
The Piano Man's Daughter is a symphony of wonderful storytelling, unforgettable characters, and a lilting, lingering melody that plays on long after the last page has been turned.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
33 people are currently reading
2302 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Findley
57 books355 followersTimothy Irving Frederick Findley was a Canadian novelist and playwright. He was also informally known by the nickname Tiff or Tiffy, an acronym of his initials.
One of three sons, Findley was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Allan Gilmour Findley, a stockbroker, and his wife, the former Margaret Maude Bull. His paternal grandfather was president of Massey-Harris, the farm-machinery company. He was raised in the upper class Rosedale district of the city, attending boarding school at St. Andrew's College (although leaving during grade 10 for health reasons). He pursued a career in the arts, studying dance and acting, and had significant success as an actor before turning to writing. He was part of the original Stratford Festival company in the 1950s, acting alongside Alec Guinness, and appeared in the first production of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker at the Edinburgh Festival. He also played Peter Pupkin in Sunshine Sketches, the CBC Television adaptation of Stephen Leacock's Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.
Though Findley had declared his homosexuality as a teenager, he married actress/photographer Janet Reid in 1959, but the union lasted only three months and was dissolved by divorce or annulment two years later. Eventually he became the domestic partner of writer Bill Whitehead, whom he met in 1962. Findley and Whitehead also collaborated on several documentary projects in the 1970s, including the television miniseries The National Dream and Dieppe 1942.
Through Wilder, Findley became a close friend of actress Ruth Gordon, whose work as a screenwriter and playwright inspired Findley to consider writing as well. After Findley published his first short story in the Tamarack Review, Gordon encouraged him to pursue writing more actively, and he eventually left acting in the 1960s.
Findley's first two novels, The Last of the Crazy People (1967) and The Butterfly Plague (1969), were originally published in Britain and the United States after having been rejected by Canadian publishers. Findley's third novel, The Wars, was published to great acclaim in 1977 and went on to win the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction. It was adapted for film in 1981.
Timothy Findley received a Governor General's Award, the Canadian Authors Association Award, an ACTRA Award, the Order of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Award, and in 1985 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was a founding member and chair of the Writers' Union of Canada, and a president of the Canadian chapter of PEN International.
His writing was typical of the Southern Ontario Gothic style — Findley, in fact, first invented its name — and was heavily influenced by Jungian psychology. Mental illness, gender and sexuality were frequent recurring themes in his work. His characters often carried dark personal secrets, and were often conflicted — sometimes to the point of psychosis — by these burdens.
He publicly mentioned his homosexuality, passingly and perhaps for the first time, on a broadcast of the programme The Shulman File in the 1970s, taking flabbergasted host Morton Shulman completely by surprise.
Findley and Whitehead resided at Stone Orchard, a farm near Cannington, Ontario, and in the south of France. In 1996, Findley was honoured by the French government, who declared him a Chevalier de l'Ordre des arts et des lettres.
Findley was also the author of several dramas for television and stage. Elizabeth Rex, his most successful play, premiered at the Stratford Festival of Canada to rave reviews and won a Governor General's award. His 1993 play The Stillborn Lover was adapted by Shaftesbury Films into the television film External Affairs, which aired on CBC Television in 1999. Shadows, first performed in 2001, was his last completed work. Findley was also an active mentor to a number of young Canadian writers, including Marnie Woodrow and Elizabeth Ruth.
One of three sons, Findley was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Allan Gilmour Findley, a stockbroker, and his wife, the former Margaret Maude Bull. His paternal grandfather was president of Massey-Harris, the farm-machinery company. He was raised in the upper class Rosedale district of the city, attending boarding school at St. Andrew's College (although leaving during grade 10 for health reasons). He pursued a career in the arts, studying dance and acting, and had significant success as an actor before turning to writing. He was part of the original Stratford Festival company in the 1950s, acting alongside Alec Guinness, and appeared in the first production of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker at the Edinburgh Festival. He also played Peter Pupkin in Sunshine Sketches, the CBC Television adaptation of Stephen Leacock's Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.
Though Findley had declared his homosexuality as a teenager, he married actress/photographer Janet Reid in 1959, but the union lasted only three months and was dissolved by divorce or annulment two years later. Eventually he became the domestic partner of writer Bill Whitehead, whom he met in 1962. Findley and Whitehead also collaborated on several documentary projects in the 1970s, including the television miniseries The National Dream and Dieppe 1942.
Through Wilder, Findley became a close friend of actress Ruth Gordon, whose work as a screenwriter and playwright inspired Findley to consider writing as well. After Findley published his first short story in the Tamarack Review, Gordon encouraged him to pursue writing more actively, and he eventually left acting in the 1960s.
Findley's first two novels, The Last of the Crazy People (1967) and The Butterfly Plague (1969), were originally published in Britain and the United States after having been rejected by Canadian publishers. Findley's third novel, The Wars, was published to great acclaim in 1977 and went on to win the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction. It was adapted for film in 1981.
Timothy Findley received a Governor General's Award, the Canadian Authors Association Award, an ACTRA Award, the Order of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Award, and in 1985 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was a founding member and chair of the Writers' Union of Canada, and a president of the Canadian chapter of PEN International.
His writing was typical of the Southern Ontario Gothic style — Findley, in fact, first invented its name — and was heavily influenced by Jungian psychology. Mental illness, gender and sexuality were frequent recurring themes in his work. His characters often carried dark personal secrets, and were often conflicted — sometimes to the point of psychosis — by these burdens.
He publicly mentioned his homosexuality, passingly and perhaps for the first time, on a broadcast of the programme The Shulman File in the 1970s, taking flabbergasted host Morton Shulman completely by surprise.
Findley and Whitehead resided at Stone Orchard, a farm near Cannington, Ontario, and in the south of France. In 1996, Findley was honoured by the French government, who declared him a Chevalier de l'Ordre des arts et des lettres.
Findley was also the author of several dramas for television and stage. Elizabeth Rex, his most successful play, premiered at the Stratford Festival of Canada to rave reviews and won a Governor General's award. His 1993 play The Stillborn Lover was adapted by Shaftesbury Films into the television film External Affairs, which aired on CBC Television in 1999. Shadows, first performed in 2001, was his last completed work. Findley was also an active mentor to a number of young Canadian writers, including Marnie Woodrow and Elizabeth Ruth.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
October 3, 2024
Sep 30, 1145pm ~~ Review asap.
Oct 2, noon ~~ I cannot seem to get myself started with this review, so as usual when that happens I will just take a breath and type.
This is the third Findley book I have read.
Our narrator Charlie tells his family story, looking back over the years with the help of pictures and the items in a suitcase that had belonged to his mother Lily.
We get to know not only Lily but her mother Edith (known as Ede) and we follow the family through the turn of the century and through WWI. We see the health issues Lily has to cope with and eventually learn family secrets that explain where these issues came from. Charlie himself will learn a very important secret, something he had wondered about for many years.
Lily is a wonderful character, even during her scary moments. She did not allow her condition to keep her from having a zest for life. As someone with an incurable, long-term health issue of my own, I was happy to see that Lily loved life. That is the secret: accept your life, recognize that it is normal for you, and then LIVE to the best of your ability all the way to the end, whatever it may be.
The book is very hard to put down, and will be harder to forget.
Oct 2, noon ~~ I cannot seem to get myself started with this review, so as usual when that happens I will just take a breath and type.
This is the third Findley book I have read.
Our narrator Charlie tells his family story, looking back over the years with the help of pictures and the items in a suitcase that had belonged to his mother Lily.
We get to know not only Lily but her mother Edith (known as Ede) and we follow the family through the turn of the century and through WWI. We see the health issues Lily has to cope with and eventually learn family secrets that explain where these issues came from. Charlie himself will learn a very important secret, something he had wondered about for many years.
Lily is a wonderful character, even during her scary moments. She did not allow her condition to keep her from having a zest for life. As someone with an incurable, long-term health issue of my own, I was happy to see that Lily loved life. That is the secret: accept your life, recognize that it is normal for you, and then LIVE to the best of your ability all the way to the end, whatever it may be.
The book is very hard to put down, and will be harder to forget.
June 3, 2012
Timothy Findley is one of those authors who has always simmered away on the backburner for me. He seems overshadowed by his other contemporaries, i.e. the Canadian pantheon: Atwood, Munroe, Richler, Davies, Laurence. Because he was much else - an actor, a critic, I think also a broadcaster? - his writing competes with his other selves. He deserves wider readership, which seems to be something I say every time I review one of his books. Partly, that's a "note to self" - Jen, fer god's sake, why haven't you read EVERYTHING this guy has written by now? And partly, it's because - other than Karen (who lists it as one of her favourites) - none of my GR friends seem to have read this novel.
Ok, well, it's probably not for everyone - you need to like sprawling, multi-generational family sagas. You need to like compelling characters, high drama, the exploration of inner and outer conflict anchored by a specific time and place.
So if you do, put this on your to-read list. Go ahead. Right now. I'll wait.
If you've not yet read any Findley, this is a good one to start with, as it seems 'core' Findley to me. An epic, sprawling story with a central figure - Lily - who struggles with her many demons and is the bright and central spark (heh) of life around which the entire novel revolves. Her son Charlie, the narrator, whose main quest is to know the identity of his father. A Toronto-centric story, focused on the Rosedale set and their particular quirks and cruelties (don't let this discourage you - it is not so place-specific to be inaccessible). Wartime setting mirroring the inner conflicts. Families and traditional roles - and people pushing those boundaries. Mothers and sons. OH - how we have mothers and sons! Secrets. Illness, mental and otherwise. Fire - as an event; as a motif. Music - an occupation, an avocation, a calling, a uniting theme, a scene-setter, a metaphor.
Lots and lots and lots of STORY in this story.
I just love family epics that start with a particular set of people, whom you get to know and love; and then take you through successive generations, whom you meet and grow to love too. This one, like many family sags, is roughly linear, but also cumulative (so you don't have the jarring grief inevitable when the story moves on to the next generation of characters).
If you want a story where you are completely *invested* in the characters, this is it. There is much empathy here: with few exceptions, every character is 'lost' in some way. You have, like Lily, a desire to save each one; to connect with them and protect them from their essential loneliness.
Here, we have Eliza and James - Ede and Tom - Lily and Lizzie and ? (the ? is the novel's central question, although in some ways also its denouement) - Charlie - Ada and Neddy. More, brothers, uncles, half-sisters, friends - each grouping fully conceptualized with a particular drama at the centre; each worthy of their own novel probably. They weave in and out of each other's lives like melody and harmony - break apart and come together again - with Lily being the chorus to whom we always return.
There is a suggestion of something bigger, something almost magical at play - as intimated on the back cover pull quote: "You were always there, Charlie--just the way I was always there myself and all of us, long before the visible parts of our lives began."
That too is Findley-ish: something subtly supernatural. Some spiritual, mystical connection - some oneness that cuts across time, place, social class. Lily's beloved ants and their greetings (I won't give more away than this) - is a sweet and touching expression of this theme.
There are so many reasons to love this book, but I see I've only been circling around the central one: Lily herself. I won't spoil it, because after all, you've all now got this on your to-read list, but Lily is remarkable. Damaged but strong; unique, lovely, heartbreaking. The cruelty she is subjected to - seeing it through 'her' eyes (actually, her son's eyes on her behalf) will last with you. So sad. A true tragic figure, from the beginning. You can't take your eyes off of her - and Charlie won't let you.
If there is a flaw to be found here (and I may still go back and up this to a five, but I have been altogether too generous with my rankings lately): Charlie as narrator intrudes a little too often explaining why he knows what he knows - how it was documented; what conversations he had and how he is able to tell the story of his mother's life in such intimate detail. Perhaps I am a naive reader, but this caused me to think about the novel's structure in a way that distanced me from the otherwise completely compelling story.
An engrossing, wonderful novel.
Ok, well, it's probably not for everyone - you need to like sprawling, multi-generational family sagas. You need to like compelling characters, high drama, the exploration of inner and outer conflict anchored by a specific time and place.
So if you do, put this on your to-read list. Go ahead. Right now. I'll wait.
If you've not yet read any Findley, this is a good one to start with, as it seems 'core' Findley to me. An epic, sprawling story with a central figure - Lily - who struggles with her many demons and is the bright and central spark (heh) of life around which the entire novel revolves. Her son Charlie, the narrator, whose main quest is to know the identity of his father. A Toronto-centric story, focused on the Rosedale set and their particular quirks and cruelties (don't let this discourage you - it is not so place-specific to be inaccessible). Wartime setting mirroring the inner conflicts. Families and traditional roles - and people pushing those boundaries. Mothers and sons. OH - how we have mothers and sons! Secrets. Illness, mental and otherwise. Fire - as an event; as a motif. Music - an occupation, an avocation, a calling, a uniting theme, a scene-setter, a metaphor.
Lots and lots and lots of STORY in this story.
I just love family epics that start with a particular set of people, whom you get to know and love; and then take you through successive generations, whom you meet and grow to love too. This one, like many family sags, is roughly linear, but also cumulative (so you don't have the jarring grief inevitable when the story moves on to the next generation of characters).
If you want a story where you are completely *invested* in the characters, this is it. There is much empathy here: with few exceptions, every character is 'lost' in some way. You have, like Lily, a desire to save each one; to connect with them and protect them from their essential loneliness.
Here, we have Eliza and James - Ede and Tom - Lily and Lizzie and ? (the ? is the novel's central question, although in some ways also its denouement) - Charlie - Ada and Neddy. More, brothers, uncles, half-sisters, friends - each grouping fully conceptualized with a particular drama at the centre; each worthy of their own novel probably. They weave in and out of each other's lives like melody and harmony - break apart and come together again - with Lily being the chorus to whom we always return.
There is a suggestion of something bigger, something almost magical at play - as intimated on the back cover pull quote: "You were always there, Charlie--just the way I was always there myself and all of us, long before the visible parts of our lives began."
That too is Findley-ish: something subtly supernatural. Some spiritual, mystical connection - some oneness that cuts across time, place, social class. Lily's beloved ants and their greetings (I won't give more away than this) - is a sweet and touching expression of this theme.
There are so many reasons to love this book, but I see I've only been circling around the central one: Lily herself. I won't spoil it, because after all, you've all now got this on your to-read list, but Lily is remarkable. Damaged but strong; unique, lovely, heartbreaking. The cruelty she is subjected to - seeing it through 'her' eyes (actually, her son's eyes on her behalf) will last with you. So sad. A true tragic figure, from the beginning. You can't take your eyes off of her - and Charlie won't let you.
If there is a flaw to be found here (and I may still go back and up this to a five, but I have been altogether too generous with my rankings lately): Charlie as narrator intrudes a little too often explaining why he knows what he knows - how it was documented; what conversations he had and how he is able to tell the story of his mother's life in such intimate detail. Perhaps I am a naive reader, but this caused me to think about the novel's structure in a way that distanced me from the otherwise completely compelling story.
An engrossing, wonderful novel.
October 5, 2018
What I found most intriguing about this book is its narration. As a whole, it is narrated by the grandson of the "Piano Man" but he tells the story based on what he learned from his (grandson's) grandmother and mother (the title character) and his own observations. So the story really spans three generations.
I can't articulate what it was about this book that made me enjoy it. I chalk it up to a well-written and unique story with interesting characters. It's not difficult reading by any means, but it's not light and fluffy, either. It's literature! :)
I can't articulate what it was about this book that made me enjoy it. I chalk it up to a well-written and unique story with interesting characters. It's not difficult reading by any means, but it's not light and fluffy, either. It's literature! :)
August 19, 2008
For those who like historical fiction about families with a skeleton in the closet this book will not disappoint. The three generation drama is set in Ontario, Canada and begins during the early part of the 20th century. How various characters react to the inherited madness of the person referred to in the title makes it is hard to put the book down. The beautiful writing creates time and space for the illumination of the reader's own understanding of family values.
January 3, 2012
I started reading this a couple of weeks ago, but partway through got to a section that I found a little too disturbing for my taste ... seeming to foreshadow something rather "Flowers in the Attic"-ish ... so I set it aside. I'm relieved to report that while there were misdeeds done, they were nothing of this magnitude and I was able to finish the book without shutting my eyes or skipping ahead.
The Piano Man's Daughter is the fifth or sixth Findley book I've read, and probably the third to involve mental illness as a key theme. I wasn't able to come up with a reason for his fascination with the subject (in my quick Googling) -- except to say that he was heavily influenced by Jungian psychology -- but it's certainly something he has a unique handle on, and his empathy for characters with such issues is remarkable. He portrays the mentally ill almost as though they have a gift, rather than a handicap, but is always starkly realistic about their challenges and their fates.
I love that many of Findley's novels are set in Toronto, and the fact that this was set in turn-of-the-20th-Century Toronto made it all the more interesting to me. My own father-in-law was born around the same time as Lily's son, likewise to an unwed mother, who unfortunately was not able to keep him for more than a few years before he became a ward of the system (such that it was). This book helped me to better understand the social mores of the time, and what it must have been like to be considered "different" or "unwanted" in the Toronto of that day.
This wasn't my favourite Findley novel but very enjoyable. I've noticed that there was a film adaptation but I don't think I'll watch it. Stockard Channing as Lily? Seriously?!
The Piano Man's Daughter is the fifth or sixth Findley book I've read, and probably the third to involve mental illness as a key theme. I wasn't able to come up with a reason for his fascination with the subject (in my quick Googling) -- except to say that he was heavily influenced by Jungian psychology -- but it's certainly something he has a unique handle on, and his empathy for characters with such issues is remarkable. He portrays the mentally ill almost as though they have a gift, rather than a handicap, but is always starkly realistic about their challenges and their fates.
I love that many of Findley's novels are set in Toronto, and the fact that this was set in turn-of-the-20th-Century Toronto made it all the more interesting to me. My own father-in-law was born around the same time as Lily's son, likewise to an unwed mother, who unfortunately was not able to keep him for more than a few years before he became a ward of the system (such that it was). This book helped me to better understand the social mores of the time, and what it must have been like to be considered "different" or "unwanted" in the Toronto of that day.
This wasn't my favourite Findley novel but very enjoyable. I've noticed that there was a film adaptation but I don't think I'll watch it. Stockard Channing as Lily? Seriously?!
Want to read
December 30, 2022***************************
*The Wars 5 stars
*Famous Last Words 1 star
Thank you, Dan Witte, for recommending the above books to me!
*The Piano Man's Daughter TBR (looks good)
*The Last of the Crazy People TBR (recommended by Sandy)
*The Wars 5 stars
*Famous Last Words 1 star
Thank you, Dan Witte, for recommending the above books to me!
*The Piano Man's Daughter TBR (looks good)
*The Last of the Crazy People TBR (recommended by Sandy)
June 6, 2013
I chose this as my Canadian Lit book to read in English Lit class after having read Not Wanted On The Voyage (also for that class) a few months ago. I really loved Not Wanted On The Voyage, and this book was just as amazing (though very different).
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED it from the beginning till the end and it was just so beautiful.
I laughed, and I cried (for 2 whole chapters....it was very hard to see the words haha)and by the end I didn't want it to end.
Lily and Lizzie are my favourite characters, and Charlie's telling of the story really made it seem more personal then if it had just been written in 3rd person or something like that.
I borrowed it from the library, but I think I'm going to buy it now so I can go back to it another time and read it again. Definitely on my top 10 list ^_^
(just a side note, I loved how the epilogue was called the Coda instead. As someone who loves music and loved how music was used throughout the book, I really loved this little touch <3)
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED it from the beginning till the end and it was just so beautiful.
I laughed, and I cried (for 2 whole chapters....it was very hard to see the words haha)and by the end I didn't want it to end.
Lily and Lizzie are my favourite characters, and Charlie's telling of the story really made it seem more personal then if it had just been written in 3rd person or something like that.
I borrowed it from the library, but I think I'm going to buy it now so I can go back to it another time and read it again. Definitely on my top 10 list ^_^
(just a side note, I loved how the epilogue was called the Coda instead. As someone who loves music and loved how music was used throughout the book, I really loved this little touch <3)
February 27, 2019
I picked up this book because the back cover mentions “the outbreak of WWII” and “1939” and a young mans’ journey to discover the past and life of his mysterious mother. I am very into World War Two fiction. I am not at all into fiction set in the 1890s to late 1910s. 90% of this book was set in that time, which was not interesting for me to read in the least. Not only that, but there was no plot, and none of the characters were interesting or had any depth at all. I almost hated this book and I’m surprised that I finished it. I’m uselessly optimistic when it comes to books and I thought it might eventually turn around. Not to mention my guilt complex over not finishing books. It was slightly better towards the end because it was set in “modern” times. Still, I wouldn’t recommend this book and I don’t get the point of it. Too bad, because I quite liked some of Timothy Findlay’s other books
May 8, 2008
I found this book a lot more... readable than I thought I would. Not because Findley's confusing, or anything, but because I often find his books excellent but too dark to read all in one sitting. This one was considerably lighter.
Read
April 22, 2022i didn't actually read this but i managed to do multiple journals and a presentation about this book without reading more than 16 pages!
May 31, 2017
Embarrassed to admit that this is my first Timothy Findley novel particularly since it was such a fascinating read. Set in early 1940s the voice of Charlie leads us through his discovery of who his father is and also reconciles his mother Lily's epileptic madness with his own desire to have children. Language is wonderfully descriptive, the story disturbing yet compelling - hard to put this one down.
January 14, 2024
Probably the best book I’ve read for School Purposes. Some parts Ethereal, Depressing, and Hopeful.
What did I just read?
What did I just read?
September 4, 2025
I'm in the process of reading as much as I can from the family book shelf which brought me here.
A book about someone debating whether to have children while looking back at a family history of mental illness? Count me in.
I really enjoyed Ede's story and was sad we didn't get more of her perspective later in the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the look at a family over generations but I wish there was more connections with the generations.
I also enjoy seeing how certain themes seem to reoccur in Findley's work.
A book about someone debating whether to have children while looking back at a family history of mental illness? Count me in.
I really enjoyed Ede's story and was sad we didn't get more of her perspective later in the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the look at a family over generations but I wish there was more connections with the generations.
I also enjoy seeing how certain themes seem to reoccur in Findley's work.
September 10, 2016
I. Hated. This. Book.
I know plenty of people who said that they liked it, that it was really good "for an English class" and the like. However, I constantly read through it completely baffled at why this was.
The characters are hardly likable - Ede's decisions and what she does to Lily are remarkable. The plot plods on, and the narrative is hardly something that was absolutely amazing. In fact, I found the book to be something that I probably would have given up on long before I got as far as I did.
As it is, I will admit that it is not the worst book I have ever read. Its just not my favorite to have read for class.
I know plenty of people who said that they liked it, that it was really good "for an English class" and the like. However, I constantly read through it completely baffled at why this was.
The characters are hardly likable - Ede's decisions and what she does to Lily are remarkable. The plot plods on, and the narrative is hardly something that was absolutely amazing. In fact, I found the book to be something that I probably would have given up on long before I got as far as I did.
As it is, I will admit that it is not the worst book I have ever read. Its just not my favorite to have read for class.
January 7, 2016
The story was sad and full of turmoil. Charlie, son of Lily, the Pianoman's daughter, narrated the story. His search for his father and his fear of fathering stemmed from his mother's mental illness. The understanding of mental illnesses at the turn of the century was archaic and cruel. Hopefully, as a society we have come to better understand and support those who suffer mental (and physical) disabilities.
October 10, 2008
couldn't put it down. will read again and i don't ever read anything twice.
May 1, 2020
Timothy Findley's prose is gorgeous but, aside from that, there is nothing likeable about The Piano Man's Daughter. The crux of the story is that the "protagonist" Charlie is trying to discover who his father is...everything is conveniently revealed at the end of the book, while the first 450 pages pointlessly focus the lives of his mother, Lily, and her mother Ede. I read this book several years ago but didn't remember many of the details (probably because they're unremarkable). Anyways, here's a synopsis because I'll be damned if I waste another week of my life with the false hope that this novel is worth re-reading:
Ede falls in love with a traveling pianist named Tom and gets pregnant after their one night stand. They planned to marry but Tom gets killed in a freak horse carriage accident. Ede gives birth to Lily who is an odd child, suffering from epilepsy, hallucinations, and pyromania. Eight years later one of Tom's brothers, Frederick, proposes to Ede and she agrees as long as Fred will accept Lily into the family. Fred agrees although he doesn't like Lily. He forces her to live in the attic and eventually ships her away to a boarding school. Ede and Fred have a bunch of kids. Side plot with Lizzie, another one of Tom's brothers, and Lily's only friend/heartthrob, who dies when a doctor tries to remove a tumour from his brain. Lily goes to England to study and gets pregnant. She returns to Canada and gives birth to Charlie. Charlie spends his childhood dealing with his paranoid, pyromaniac mother. Eventually she gets committed to an asylum and Charlie goes to a boarding school. Lily sets fire to the asylum, killing herself and many other patients. Throughout his life, Lily has told Charlie that it is his duty to "find" the daughter who is waiting for him, but Charlie does not want to have a baby. He even gets divorced over it. But he reconciles with his wife, gets her pregnant, and then goes to war. He has a daughter named Emma. The end.
There are SO MANY THINGS that pissed me off about this book. Nothing significant ever seems to happen. It's just a big family drama punctuated by Lily's hallucinatory episodes. None of the characters are developed or interesting. At first I thought it was noble how Findley tries to humanize a mentally ill bastard child...but in the end, he romanticizes her mental illness even as it causes her to kill twenty people. It's way too convenient how Lily always has rich people funding her useless life (her stepdad owns a piano company, her grandparents are rich...because farming, apparently, and her best friend is an ultrarich heiress). I also have a special hatred for authors who make childfree characters end up living happily ever after with a baby.
Ede falls in love with a traveling pianist named Tom and gets pregnant after their one night stand. They planned to marry but Tom gets killed in a freak horse carriage accident. Ede gives birth to Lily who is an odd child, suffering from epilepsy, hallucinations, and pyromania. Eight years later one of Tom's brothers, Frederick, proposes to Ede and she agrees as long as Fred will accept Lily into the family. Fred agrees although he doesn't like Lily. He forces her to live in the attic and eventually ships her away to a boarding school. Ede and Fred have a bunch of kids. Side plot with Lizzie, another one of Tom's brothers, and Lily's only friend/heartthrob, who dies when a doctor tries to remove a tumour from his brain. Lily goes to England to study and gets pregnant. She returns to Canada and gives birth to Charlie. Charlie spends his childhood dealing with his paranoid, pyromaniac mother. Eventually she gets committed to an asylum and Charlie goes to a boarding school. Lily sets fire to the asylum, killing herself and many other patients. Throughout his life, Lily has told Charlie that it is his duty to "find" the daughter who is waiting for him, but Charlie does not want to have a baby. He even gets divorced over it. But he reconciles with his wife, gets her pregnant, and then goes to war. He has a daughter named Emma. The end.
There are SO MANY THINGS that pissed me off about this book. Nothing significant ever seems to happen. It's just a big family drama punctuated by Lily's hallucinatory episodes. None of the characters are developed or interesting. At first I thought it was noble how Findley tries to humanize a mentally ill bastard child...but in the end, he romanticizes her mental illness even as it causes her to kill twenty people. It's way too convenient how Lily always has rich people funding her useless life (her stepdad owns a piano company, her grandparents are rich...because farming, apparently, and her best friend is an ultrarich heiress). I also have a special hatred for authors who make childfree characters end up living happily ever after with a baby.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2020
Was this as good as The Wars? I haven’t read that in over a decade, but as far as recollected amazement can be trusted, it’s still better than this—but that's a high bar to clear.
The Piano Man’s Daughter is still a wonderful novel with plenty to offer the discerning reader. As a multigenerational drama, it’s perfect, with obscure depths and sudden upwellings that will catch you unawares. As a piece of historical fiction, it’s delightful, covering a lost era of Toronto’s history (somewhere between muddy York and 70s decay). As a novel, it's lengthy and packed with details and characters and settings, crucial events, well-trodden themes and motifs...
‘Sprawling’ could certainly define this book. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your preferred narrative style. While it’s a sprawling tale that covers plenty of ground, Findley keeps playing the right themes and his prose is finely wrought so that each page is pleasant and engaging.
The characters are lovely but the telling is a little disjointed at times, and there’s elements that will strike a skeptical reader the wrong way. Still, it’s a gorgeous book, an excellent, bittersweet, and rambling read.
The Piano Man’s Daughter is still a wonderful novel with plenty to offer the discerning reader. As a multigenerational drama, it’s perfect, with obscure depths and sudden upwellings that will catch you unawares. As a piece of historical fiction, it’s delightful, covering a lost era of Toronto’s history (somewhere between muddy York and 70s decay). As a novel, it's lengthy and packed with details and characters and settings, crucial events, well-trodden themes and motifs...
‘Sprawling’ could certainly define this book. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your preferred narrative style. While it’s a sprawling tale that covers plenty of ground, Findley keeps playing the right themes and his prose is finely wrought so that each page is pleasant and engaging.
The characters are lovely but the telling is a little disjointed at times, and there’s elements that will strike a skeptical reader the wrong way. Still, it’s a gorgeous book, an excellent, bittersweet, and rambling read.
July 31, 2018
I really wanted to love this book and I almost did. I would have loved it had I been able to keep the characters straight in my head. It seemed there were too many names for me to know them all and in this novel it is important to know the players.
We begin with the incredible romance of Tom Wyatt and Ede Kilworth and the birth of their daughter Lily. It then becomes a story of two families and a child who is both loved and feared.
Her family history includes John Fagan, who burned down a rooming house in Ireland. Lily sees people in, and plays with fire.
Just as her mother fell in love spontaneously, so does Lily. Her son Charlie does not know his father and spends a great deal of time searching. He is afraid to become a father in case his mother’s mental imbalance is passed on to a child of his.
It is a powerful story and well worth reading, but I felt at times that Findley got carried away with the telling.
We begin with the incredible romance of Tom Wyatt and Ede Kilworth and the birth of their daughter Lily. It then becomes a story of two families and a child who is both loved and feared.
Her family history includes John Fagan, who burned down a rooming house in Ireland. Lily sees people in, and plays with fire.
Just as her mother fell in love spontaneously, so does Lily. Her son Charlie does not know his father and spends a great deal of time searching. He is afraid to become a father in case his mother’s mental imbalance is passed on to a child of his.
It is a powerful story and well worth reading, but I felt at times that Findley got carried away with the telling.
August 9, 2019
I really enjoyed the narrative in this book, how the perspective slowly transitioned over the course of the book starting from charlie than to Ede's than lilly's and back to charlie. The way the author showed the transition of Lilly's illness from subtle to violent and chaotic was very impactful and Charlie's depiction of her as a young boy, I feel conveyed a real sense of what it's like to live in such an environment. I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who wants a smaller but thought-provoking book.
April 16, 2021
A beautiful story. Narrated by Charlie, the son of Lily, a woman tormented by mental illness. Couldn’t put it down. Slowly Charlie teases apart Lily’s life after her death in a fire. Set in the late 1800s to the end of WWI, the descriptions of the scenes are beautiful. The treatment of mental illness both within families and by the system was really well depicted. It was sad, funny at times and touching. It was a story of circles the same but different, yet we’re all connected. “I found her, Lily.....and all is well.”
March 6, 2022
I don't know why it took me into my 60s to discover Timothy Findley, especially as an avid reader of Canadian authors, except that this book was recommended by a friend. I loved it and will seek out more of his books. I like how it is always open for us to believe that the main character, Lily, is likely as right in her thinking as people who are set in their tight social regimes.
January 5, 2024
I read this a long time ago... then pulled it off my bookshelf as my backup book this fall. (The book that sits on my nightstand and is what I read whenever I'm not actively reading something else). Maybe that's why I found the beginning a bit pedantic, however, once we got into the perspective of the main character, Lily (The Piano Man's Daughter), I was caught.
August 10, 2018
This was one of the best books I have ever read. The fact that it was written by a Canadian and set in Toronto was a bonus. Excellent character development, beautiful descriptions, historically accurate - just a good read from cover to cover.
September 29, 2019
Huge in scope, almost too many characters to keep track of. I agree with another reviewer who said that the medical scene was both gruesome and unnecessary.
Loved the Toronto locales, loved the portrayal of Lily who was given dignity in her illness and poor Charlie who loved her.
Loved the Toronto locales, loved the portrayal of Lily who was given dignity in her illness and poor Charlie who loved her.
March 23, 2021
Colm Feore is a talented actor and reader and he made Charlie's story of his mother Lily feel so real to me. Timothy Findley's books are largely forgotten now, but he was a talented writer and a treasure.
August 22, 2021
I've heard that Timothy Findley was a great writer, so I am coming late to the party. I struggled a bit with this book. I felt there were quite a few characters (with similar names) and the chronology was a bit meandering so I did the best I could. I loved the history of Toronto.
December 23, 2024
Reading this book is being part of the Kilworth family for 500 pages, or for 40 years. It’s so interesting and the story is so sad and beautiful. I love the writing so much, it’s very poetic. This took me a while to read because it was very long and slow, but I really liked it.
May 10, 2017
Really enjoyed this, like being swept away to another time. Pianos tinkle, ants swarm, fires burn. Beautiful.
May 3, 2018
loved how the story is told from the point of view of the Piano Man's grandson. would have finished this book sooner if the real world would have allowed it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews