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A review by donnaadouglas
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
2.0
This novel, set in Hong Kong, contains two main story arcs. The first follows Claire, a newly married English woman who has arrived in Hong Kong in the post-war era and takes up a job as a piano teacher to the daughter of an influential local family. The other story follows Will Truesdale, the driver for the same 'influential family' who embarks upon an affair with Claire. However, his story starts pre-war, and tells of his own first experiences in Hong Kong during the war.
Initially I expected this story to be no more than a tragic war-torn love story, but it actually became more of a mystery as the story progressed. Will Truesdale's past life involved a Eurasian woman named Trudy, and her involvement in a wartime underworld became apparent in the developing story.
I did not enjoy this novel. Unfortunately the 'mystery' aspects of the story seemed too convoluted, and I didn't see the relevance of the Claire character, her main purpose seemed to be purely to add even more of an element of mystery to an already confusing plot, and I felt she was more of a hindrance to the uncovering of the story than a help to it.
I also felt that we weren't really given any great insight into any of the main characters. They were hard to relate to as we weren't really told anything about them. The whole novel seemed hurried, like it was underdeveloped, and the characters really didn't stand out as memorable because of this. I wouldn't recommend this novel - there are similar stories out there of a much better quality!
Initially I expected this story to be no more than a tragic war-torn love story, but it actually became more of a mystery as the story progressed. Will Truesdale's past life involved a Eurasian woman named Trudy, and her involvement in a wartime underworld became apparent in the developing story.
I did not enjoy this novel. Unfortunately the 'mystery' aspects of the story seemed too convoluted, and I didn't see the relevance of the Claire character, her main purpose seemed to be purely to add even more of an element of mystery to an already confusing plot, and I felt she was more of a hindrance to the uncovering of the story than a help to it.
I also felt that we weren't really given any great insight into any of the main characters. They were hard to relate to as we weren't really told anything about them. The whole novel seemed hurried, like it was underdeveloped, and the characters really didn't stand out as memorable because of this. I wouldn't recommend this novel - there are similar stories out there of a much better quality!