The book is disappointing for two reasons: first (and most importantly) the author can't write poetry or emotion. And second, the author, like so many other 'artists' in our society, finds herself compelled to tell the reader how to vote. I borrowed the book at the library, and stopped reading at page 92 (see below). Perhaps there is a dramatic change in the second 2/3ds of the book, but I doubt it. I am grateful that I didn't pay for it.
The book is essentially identical to "The Little Shop on the Left Bank," which is a far better story and a far richer read. This book starts with a story of tree selection in the Austrian Alps, but this section is ever so slightly tone-deaf. You sense the author is trying to be poetic, but doesn't quite pull it off. I believe this is correct-the author is a professional (;)) journalist, and it shows. Her prose style is very matter of fact. And throughout the book, her attempts at non-journalistic writing seem equally strained. She clearly is not used to telling stories or writing prose.
Curiously, unlike a well writtn journalistic article, the book is suprisingly short of interesting or informative facts. Rather, it is a personal biography. But like many biographies today, it is a biography by appointment book-merely a list of her trips (usually for her full time work), with mentions of piano shopping interspersed. This form of biography seems common-I have seen it in international affairs (books by Wesley Clarke and Richard Holbrooke concerning the Bosnian War read like a series of meeting notes-as if a meeting schedule has anything remotely interesting to say about history), but just because it is common doesn't make it good.
This would be forgiveable as a light read on a lazy afternoon (assuming you are interested in the subject matter), if it weren't for the second point: her awkward infusion of politics. I had vague hints of this throughout the book, but the first overt mention occurs on about page 55, where the author describes interacting with a fellow piano buff online, and mentions that they 'disagree politically' (she is an idealist, she'll have you know). How or why political opinions are mentioned either in a book about piano shopping or on a piano internet site is beyond me. This type of political posturing, where it really has no reason for mention, is something modern artists (and, for some reason, modern artists from the East Coast) are prone to, so unfortunately the reader is forced to endure it. Readers like myself have learned to 'pick our battles' in this regard, and this mention was fairly subtle, so that while I noticed it, I glossed over it, and paid no more heed.
On page 92, however, we read the following. Immediately after the World Trade Center attack, she describes her favourite piano blog site. "Politics was almost never discussed here before, but now it is clear that many Piano World members voted for George Bush and are very conservative."
It is inconceivable to read the opposite sentence: "Politics was almost never discussed here before, but now it is clear that some Piano World members didn't vote for George Bush and are very liberal." In other words, it is only people of a particular political bent that would inject their personal viewpoint into a book that has nothing to do with politics.
Furthermore, you may disagree with me, and feel that the injection of politics where it doesn't belong is entirely fine, but it is impossible to not be struck by the awkward method in which it was done. Her phrase brings the infamous quote from Paula Kael to mind ("Nixon couldn't have won: nobody I know voted for him")-the same presumption, the same sociological cluelessness, the same unquestioned assumptions.
And this awkwardness is tied in, I believe to my original observation -the author's poor skills in expressing emotion or writing poetry. Thus, at page 92, I gave up. I wasn't really learning much about pianos, and what I was learning (the author's travel schedule) wasn't especially interesting. I have no interest in being criticized for my voting preferences in a book about piano shopping, so I will be returning the book to the library. fortunately, I paid no money for it.
I highly recommend, as mentioned, The Piano Shop on the Left Bank. Also A Romance on Three Legs is good. Give A Grand Obsession a pass.
SkGet more detail about Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey.
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