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smeyleigh's review against another edition
3.0
Eh. I may have missed something. I felt compelled to not put it down but then was disappointed with the ending.
mgromko's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The descriptions of the sounds, smells, and sights of Burma of the late 1880s are rich and compelling; it is a pleasure to be swept into that world. The story itself is engrossing, mysterious, and - in some regards - unresolved.
jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
I loved [b:The Winter Soldier|37946436|The Winter Soldier|Daniel Mason|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521937956l/37946436._SY75_.jpg|59674256], so I was keen to read Daniel Mason's first book, written 16 years earlier while he was a medical student. It's an uneven book, it has immense strengths but there are also irritating aspects that weren't there in his later book.
The Piano Tuner is set in Burma (now Myanmar) in 1886/1887. Edgar Drake is a piano tuner living in London with his (significantly more interesting) wife. He gets an assignment from the War Office to tune a piano belonging to Anthony Carroll, a British Surgeon-Major living in a remote corner of Burma. It's a "Heart of Darkness" premise: a convoluted journey to a remote jungle where an enigmatic character reigns.
The book is impeccably researched - lots of details about Burmese history and geography, about pianos and tuning. It has a terrific sense of place and it's a mesmerising and hypnotic read - I had some odd dreams while reading this.
However the characters feel underdeveloped, the plot is unnecessarily confusing and the most annoying part (to me) is the way it occasionally, mid-scene or even mid-paragraph, lurches from the past tense to the present tense and back again. I don't know what the purpose for this is, but I found it extremely annoying.
A dreamy, atmospheric book with a very interesting premise that doesn't quite live up to its promise.
The Piano Tuner is set in Burma (now Myanmar) in 1886/1887. Edgar Drake is a piano tuner living in London with his (significantly more interesting) wife. He gets an assignment from the War Office to tune a piano belonging to Anthony Carroll, a British Surgeon-Major living in a remote corner of Burma. It's a "Heart of Darkness" premise: a convoluted journey to a remote jungle where an enigmatic character reigns.
The book is impeccably researched - lots of details about Burmese history and geography, about pianos and tuning. It has a terrific sense of place and it's a mesmerising and hypnotic read - I had some odd dreams while reading this.
However the characters feel underdeveloped, the plot is unnecessarily confusing and the most annoying part (to me) is the way it occasionally, mid-scene or even mid-paragraph, lurches from the past tense to the present tense and back again. I don't know what the purpose for this is, but I found it extremely annoying.
A dreamy, atmospheric book with a very interesting premise that doesn't quite live up to its promise.
mpaigetet's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rmlknisely's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either. I saw someone say that this book was a "musical Heart of Darkness" and I can't disagree.
My biggest problem with this book is that I often found myself zoning out during the many histories of the Shan states that Drake read on his way to Carroll and the piano (although the most interesting part of this book was by far Drake's journey to Burma and the remote outpost of Mae Lwin).
I have one major question that perhaps the good people of GoodReads can help me out with: what is up with The Man With One Story? Perhaps if I had actually read this book instead of listening to it on an audio book, this would have made more sense. Maybe not.
My biggest problem with this book is that I often found myself zoning out during the many histories of the Shan states that Drake read on his way to Carroll and the piano (although the most interesting part of this book was by far Drake's journey to Burma and the remote outpost of Mae Lwin).
I have one major question that perhaps the good people of GoodReads can help me out with: what is up with The Man With One Story? Perhaps if I had actually read this book instead of listening to it on an audio book, this would have made more sense. Maybe not.
pixie_d's review against another edition
5.0
I can't believe this books didn't get an average of more stars. It is marvelous. How could this be a first novel? The writing is amazing. The author may be a doctor, but he is a writer!
roseannmvp's review against another edition
5.0
A piano in need of tuning in a far away land, rubber Plantations, love lost and found and explored, much more... a lovely read, especially for someone passionate about their piano!
susannareads's review against another edition
3.0
My attention was never fully captured by the story, but the concept and scenery were beautiful. There were moments when I was transported to 1880's Burma. But the characters and plot always remained just a little out of reach for me, a little too ethereal.
segue's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Slow and boring. I made it through, but it was hard to engage in it. English White men colonialism. Did not get anything from it that could not be found in other work. I was expecting a new more original take since it was written in a more modern time. Yes I understand that it was historical fiction, but why not deliver something that can’t already be found in Heart of Darkness or Burmese Days.