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vacv98's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
smalefowles's review
4.0
Ghosts seem to be such an essential part of drama--a seeming paradox in a visual medium. Yet they can perform a variety of necessary functions. Most importantly, as here, they function as an airtight metaphor for how the past inflects and shapes the present, particularly a dark, bloody, or oppressive past.
moseslh's review
5.0
I absolutely loved "The Piano Lesson." I had watched film adaptations of "[b:Fences|539282|Fences (The Century Cycle, #6)|August Wilson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481833774l/539282._SY75_.jpg|60745]" and "[b:Ma Rainey's Black Bottom|516792|Ma Rainey's Black Bottom|August Wilson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439819148l/516792._SY75_.jpg|504726]," both of which were excellent, but this was my first time reading an August Wilson play. In "The Piano Lesson," a Black family in Pittsburgh is paid a surprise visit by a relative from the South. Their subsequent conflict centers on a beautiful grand piano. Their enslaved grandfather had carved images of their family history into the piano when asked to decorate it by his owner. After abolition, white men killed their father while he was in the process of taking the piano back for his family. The characters debate the symbolic value of the piano versus its financial value, the desire to own their own history versus owning their own land. The legacy of slavery looms large throughout the play, and the debates highlight differing views of what freedom means and how best to pursue it. Some of the best parts are the monologues that occur periodically, anecdotes of family history that illuminate and contextualize the tensions between the characters as well as the continued echoes of slavery that continue to (literally) haunt them. I would highly recommend reading or watching this play to anyone.
schenkelberg's review
3.0
I don't typically read plays, but I got a copy of The Piano Lesson from the English teacher I've just started volunteering with, and I must say I really enjoyed the read. It'll be interesting to hear discussion from the class of high school students about it.
dkpnw's review
4.0
Beautifully written. Pretty sparse, which makes it unusually readable for a play. A little like Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing. The plot layout started to feel a little unbalanced as I approached the ending... but I'm a fan nonetheless.
kmar_el_matri's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
emelkay24's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
julio1833's review
4.0
I read this in one sitting, much is to be explored and much is to be analyzed