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Title: The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier
ISBN: 0375758623
Author:
Thad Carhart
Publicate Date: 2002-03-12
Publish: 2002-03-12
List Price: $14.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $6.20
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.89
Amazon Merchant Price: $11.20
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A Real Treat
I found a used copy in my local Half Priced Books and since it had to do with Paris, especially the Left Bank, I thought I'd give it a try. I do not play the piano, never could, but I did sing so, I'd like to think I had a music sensibility for this book. That being what it is, music knowledge set aside, I have to say it was one of the best books I have read all year. It was such a treat to find and read. I felt that I could feel, hear, & see everything the narrator shared. There are very few like this one.
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2: Unimposing light reading
I bought this book because it was required for the piano class I was taking. It was entertaining and evocative at the very beginning, but once the initial conceit wears out its welcome, the book becomes quite tiresome and even boring. It goes on and on without really having anything left to say.
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3: book club reading
There just was not enough plot to carry my interest through this book. The continuous exploration of the history, construction and care of pianos was of some interest, but not enough to carry an entire book for me.
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4: It's painful to disagree
with so many rave reviews, but I found the book a little slow moving and light on substance. I liked it well enough and don't want to be too critical -- it's the author's first book -- but it would have been a lot better at half the length.
There's not much to the story, and almost nothing to let you know it takes place in Paris if the author didn't keep reminding you. Some unforgettable characters could have easily offset these weaknesses, but in 300 pages you'll meet very few Parisians, none of them all that interesting or particularly French. (Carhart admits having trouble getting to know the French.) And even for an American ex-pat, he's unnaturally fond of the bygone, of the quaint and picturesque.
There's also plenty of veneration of great names, of both piano makers and composers, and readers with a taste for that, or those who like to poke around inside old pianos, should probably add another star.
If your piano interests are farther ranging, however, you're going to be disappointed. There's little in the book to indicate anything has happened since the 19th Century or that France of the 1990s could have Carrefour "hypermarkets," TV, McDonalds, and Disneyland -- as well as be-bop, blues and jazz.
For further history of the piano, its mechanics, innovations and cultural impact, I can highly recommend James Parakilas' "Piano Roles."
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5: A Musical Gem
I came across an excerpt from this book in a magazine some time ago and decided I needed to read the whole story! I just love this book. From the time I was a very small girl, I have loved pianos, especially grand pianos. My dad taught in a small college when I was a teenager, and in their chapel was a magnificent old Steinway that must have been built in the late 1800's. How I loved to slip into the chapel when no one was around, and "commune" with that piano.
And today my very own precious antique baby grand, an anniversary gift from my husband, stands in my living room...........
Thad Carhart's story struck a very "strong chord" for me. His stories of the various pianos that he met while visiting Luc in the piano shop revealed how each was almost like a living breathing individual to him. I learned so much about these gracious, tuneful instruments from his book: how they are constructed, and the fact that different pianos lend themselves to different types of music, etc. His descriptions of Paris draw me to that city! The way he wove his family life into the story and his dips into his past piano experiences when he was a boy make for a joyous reading experience.
From one piano lover to another, thank you, Mr. Carhart, for writing this book!
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