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alistairlowe's review
4.0
ARC downloaded from NetGalley. The book comes out in October 2021.
Review also posted on my blog.
“It was incredible that someone could feel this drained of life, Ferdi thought.”
A retelling of the myth of Faust, told through two timelines and two points of view. The story follows eighteen-year-old Sandor Esterhazy who’s pressured by his parents to become a musician. Not wanting to follow that path and seeking freedom, he makes the deal with the devil in exchange for his soul. As a result, another being, completely resembling Sandor, gets created. Sandor names him Ferdi and teaches him piano in hopes of Ferdi being able to take Sandor’s place and live up to his parent’s expectations.
The story switches between Ferdi’s pov set in 1990 and Sandor’s pov set in 1979. Through Ferdi’s chapters we learn that he is now free and away from Sandor. We learn about his new life, job and friends but also about some things that still connect him to Sandor. Through Sandor’s chapters we are back in the past where we slowly learn what exactly happened with Ferdi and how he got away.
I decided to get this because synopsis intrigued me and it seemed like the type of a story I would like. I guessed well because I did enjoy reading this. In fact I had hard time putting it down and I finished it pretty fast because I wanted to know what happens. I’m only vaguely familiar with the myth of Faust but I don’t think it matters too much, the basic premise is pretty clear. The book feels kind of like a dark academia, but instead of academic setting it’s focused on the music and playing the piano. The story is not as much as plot driven as it focuses on characters and that crucial event which changed Sandor’s life. It’s hard to comment on much, because it’s set in a way that all of it feels like somewhat of a spoiler.
While I’m okay with multiple povs, I have to say I wasn’t a fan of them being combined with two different timelines here. On one hand it’s a smart way to build mystery around what happens where you gradually learn the truth as the story unravels, but on the other hand it makes the story progress very monotone. It kind of loses on that build up that leads to bigger events with it.
One of the biggest flaws for me is that I feel like we got to know the characters as well as their relationships with one another only on a surface level. We are mostly focused on Ferdi and it makes sense there is not a lot about him given that he was created as Sandor’s clone, but we start following his life a decade after what happened with Sandor and all of that time in between feels like a blank point. Obviously both Ferdi’s and Sandor’s lives revolve around music, but that’s seems about it. Sandor wants to be free but we never learn is there something else he likes more or does he have any other interests. After what happens at one point he becomes consumed by grief and that’s all there is to his character. Meanwhile, Ferdi meets some people that become his friends and he even starts a relationship with a boy named Petar. However, because none of these characters are really explored and because they felt quite one dimensional, it was hard for me to feel too much for them.
All considered, I did like this or I wouldn’t rate it so high. Really loved the mystery and dark elements of it. There is a certain uniqueness to this story and the way it’s being told, I just wish characters were a little more explored.
Review also posted on my blog.
“It was incredible that someone could feel this drained of life, Ferdi thought.”
A retelling of the myth of Faust, told through two timelines and two points of view. The story follows eighteen-year-old Sandor Esterhazy who’s pressured by his parents to become a musician. Not wanting to follow that path and seeking freedom, he makes the deal with the devil in exchange for his soul. As a result, another being, completely resembling Sandor, gets created. Sandor names him Ferdi and teaches him piano in hopes of Ferdi being able to take Sandor’s place and live up to his parent’s expectations.
The story switches between Ferdi’s pov set in 1990 and Sandor’s pov set in 1979. Through Ferdi’s chapters we learn that he is now free and away from Sandor. We learn about his new life, job and friends but also about some things that still connect him to Sandor. Through Sandor’s chapters we are back in the past where we slowly learn what exactly happened with Ferdi and how he got away.
I decided to get this because synopsis intrigued me and it seemed like the type of a story I would like. I guessed well because I did enjoy reading this. In fact I had hard time putting it down and I finished it pretty fast because I wanted to know what happens. I’m only vaguely familiar with the myth of Faust but I don’t think it matters too much, the basic premise is pretty clear. The book feels kind of like a dark academia, but instead of academic setting it’s focused on the music and playing the piano. The story is not as much as plot driven as it focuses on characters and that crucial event which changed Sandor’s life. It’s hard to comment on much, because it’s set in a way that all of it feels like somewhat of a spoiler.
While I’m okay with multiple povs, I have to say I wasn’t a fan of them being combined with two different timelines here. On one hand it’s a smart way to build mystery around what happens where you gradually learn the truth as the story unravels, but on the other hand it makes the story progress very monotone. It kind of loses on that build up that leads to bigger events with it.
One of the biggest flaws for me is that I feel like we got to know the characters as well as their relationships with one another only on a surface level. We are mostly focused on Ferdi and it makes sense there is not a lot about him given that he was created as Sandor’s clone, but we start following his life a decade after what happened with Sandor and all of that time in between feels like a blank point. Obviously both Ferdi’s and Sandor’s lives revolve around music, but that’s seems about it. Sandor wants to be free but we never learn is there something else he likes more or does he have any other interests. After what happens at one point he becomes consumed by grief and that’s all there is to his character. Meanwhile, Ferdi meets some people that become his friends and he even starts a relationship with a boy named Petar. However, because none of these characters are really explored and because they felt quite one dimensional, it was hard for me to feel too much for them.
All considered, I did like this or I wouldn’t rate it so high. Really loved the mystery and dark elements of it. There is a certain uniqueness to this story and the way it’s being told, I just wish characters were a little more explored.
iina's review
3.0
This novel left me a little confused about what I’d just read… A reworking of the story of Faust, The Piano Room follows Sandor who makes a deal with the devil in order to live life the way he wants, not as his parents try to prescribe it. He ends up with a ‘twin’, Ferdi, and all sorts of madness ensues.
I think I definitely liked the first part more than the second, with slow unfurling of the situation at the centre of the story. The second half became more chaotic, and I never quite understood Sandor’s motivations. Ferdi remained distant, too, with the only slightly relatable moments being his queer relationship, otherwise Ferdi remained a rather blank canvas despite the fact that there is a ten-year gap between the novel’s two timelines.
There is intrigue a plenty, but the payoff wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped.
Thank you to Fairlight Books for sending me an advance review copy of this book.
I think I definitely liked the first part more than the second, with slow unfurling of the situation at the centre of the story. The second half became more chaotic, and I never quite understood Sandor’s motivations. Ferdi remained distant, too, with the only slightly relatable moments being his queer relationship, otherwise Ferdi remained a rather blank canvas despite the fact that there is a ten-year gap between the novel’s two timelines.
There is intrigue a plenty, but the payoff wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped.
Thank you to Fairlight Books for sending me an advance review copy of this book.
rachael_amber's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kirstycarson1's review
The story was very confusing jumping through different time lines and was taking too long to get into anything worth while. Too slow and didn’t hook me quick enough.
egmamaril's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Murder, and Death
rain_tea_and_books's review
4.0
Overall this was a beautiful book to read, but it was definitely one that took me a while to really get into. It took a couple of tries, but once I was caught up in the characters and the story I wasn’t going anywhere. This haunting retelling of the myth of Faust is gripping, and tense to the very end.
As a retelling of the Faust myth I think this novel held up really well. I studied Marlowe’s Dr Faustus in university as well as some other versions of the myth which made me familiar with the premise for this novel before I’d even started reading. It helped for me to really immerse myself in the setting and atmosphere of the story. This has become a favourite retelling of mine of this particular myth. Velentza kept what was important to make the myth visible within the story but twisted the rest beautifully to enrich the story and make it her own.
This story was told from two different perspectives in two separate times, making the narrative a little difficult for me to follow early on even though I was already familiar with the basis for the story. Once I had settled into the voice of each character and the two very different settings they were in came to love the two perspectives I was reading. Though as always, for me, with multiple point of view novels I tend to favour one point of view over the other. In this case it was Ferdi and his focus on trying to understand his past, as well as the truth of his existence – there is something about his very inhuman creation that made his character’s voice much more interesting for me to read. I did wonder how this novel would read if it was in complete chronological order, but I feel that the two perspectives over two different times adds to the mystery as well as the overall spooky atmosphere of the book.
Ferdi’s development throughout the novel was something I found most interesting as he grappled with the truth of his existence and tried to make his life his own. Though music was something he has to do, he makes it his own, and brings him connections with people he didn’t think he ever would. This is especially true of the slow building romance that builds between Ferdi and another character (that I won’t name, because of spoilers), as Ferdi doesn’t trust himself, nor does he believe a creature of his nature should be able to have a relationship that close. I loved this almost unexpected part of the novel, it, along with Ferdi’s music, brought a little bit of hope to an otherwise rather grim tale.
The Piano Room is the perfect book to curl up and read on a cold winter night from the comfort of your preferred reading nook with a good blanket and a cup of tea. The language draws you into the haunted and spooky atmosphere of this novel in such a way that you start to feel the cold yourself. That is something I loved about this novel; that while I couldn’t always connect with the characters – something which I usually rely on for my enjoyment of a book – this lack of connection was made up for in the haunting gothic atmosphere. I recommend this novel to lovers of gothic fiction, and to those who are looking for a fresh retelling of a familiar myth.
As a retelling of the Faust myth I think this novel held up really well. I studied Marlowe’s Dr Faustus in university as well as some other versions of the myth which made me familiar with the premise for this novel before I’d even started reading. It helped for me to really immerse myself in the setting and atmosphere of the story. This has become a favourite retelling of mine of this particular myth. Velentza kept what was important to make the myth visible within the story but twisted the rest beautifully to enrich the story and make it her own.
This story was told from two different perspectives in two separate times, making the narrative a little difficult for me to follow early on even though I was already familiar with the basis for the story. Once I had settled into the voice of each character and the two very different settings they were in came to love the two perspectives I was reading. Though as always, for me, with multiple point of view novels I tend to favour one point of view over the other. In this case it was Ferdi and his focus on trying to understand his past, as well as the truth of his existence – there is something about his very inhuman creation that made his character’s voice much more interesting for me to read. I did wonder how this novel would read if it was in complete chronological order, but I feel that the two perspectives over two different times adds to the mystery as well as the overall spooky atmosphere of the book.
Ferdi’s development throughout the novel was something I found most interesting as he grappled with the truth of his existence and tried to make his life his own. Though music was something he has to do, he makes it his own, and brings him connections with people he didn’t think he ever would. This is especially true of the slow building romance that builds between Ferdi and another character (that I won’t name, because of spoilers), as Ferdi doesn’t trust himself, nor does he believe a creature of his nature should be able to have a relationship that close. I loved this almost unexpected part of the novel, it, along with Ferdi’s music, brought a little bit of hope to an otherwise rather grim tale.
The Piano Room is the perfect book to curl up and read on a cold winter night from the comfort of your preferred reading nook with a good blanket and a cup of tea. The language draws you into the haunted and spooky atmosphere of this novel in such a way that you start to feel the cold yourself. That is something I loved about this novel; that while I couldn’t always connect with the characters – something which I usually rely on for my enjoyment of a book – this lack of connection was made up for in the haunting gothic atmosphere. I recommend this novel to lovers of gothic fiction, and to those who are looking for a fresh retelling of a familiar myth.
gabbby's review
3.0
The Piano Room was a good bock that fell just a short of being great. It had a good plot, but it was often confusing. I also wasn’t a big fan of the time skips. All around it was entertaining and I enjoyed the mystery of it. I enjoyed the characters and getting to watch different relationships and their dynamics.