The Piano Tuner

A Novel

By: Daniel Mason

Narrated by: Richard Matthews

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

An extraordinary first novel that tells the story of a British piano tuner sent deep into Burma in the 19th century.

In October 1886, Edgar Drake receives a strange request from the British War Office: he must leave his wife and his quiet life in London to travel to the jungles of Burma, where a rare Erard grand piano is in need of repair. The piano belongs to an army surgeon-major whose unorthodox peacemaking methods - poetry, medicine, and now music - have brought a tentative quiet to the southern Shan States but have elicited questions from his superiors.

On his journey through Europe, the Red Sea, India, and into Burma, Edgar meets soldiers, mystics, bandits, and tale-spinners, as well as an enchanting woman as elusive as the surgeon-major. And at the doctor’s fort on a remote Burmese river, Edgar encounters a world more mysterious and dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

Sensuous, lyrical, rich with passion and adventure, this is a hypnotic tale of myth, romance, and self-discovery: an unforgettable novel.

©2002 Daniel Mason (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Richly imagined, The Piano Tuner winds like a lazy river, carrying the reader into the mythic land of Kipling and Conrad." (People)

"A novel for readers of literary and popular fiction alike; highly recommended." (Library Journal)

"Richard Matthews delivers an astonishing performance. His characters are as meticulously crafted as Burmese-carved ivory miniatures.... The dialogue soars. Mason’s plot fascinates and surprises, while Matthews’s performance is a tour de force." (AudioFile)

good background, poor story

As i am intrigued by Burma and its history, i found this book informative. however the story was vague,naive and many times unconvnicing. The naration was excellent.

Beyond words

The artistry in writing style is so rich that you will find yourself listening to parts over and over again. It is a combination of history artfully presented with a perfectly executed fiction line colored with poetic writing. Absolutely wonderful; you won't be disappointed.

Fantastic read. Don't miss this.

This book held my attention from the first sentence onward. The author leaves you to wonder in the end, if there really was a traitor to the crown. You never really know. Loved the connection to the Odyssey. This was a great book. Performed well also by the reader.

Exquisite

This has been one of my favorite books ever since I first read it. It's an old-fashioned book, with characters that develop gently but vividly, action that flows forward like the Salween, thoughtful descriptions, all played out in an exotic setting. The novel is all the more impressive for being the young author's first work.

Reader has little range

I had heard such great things about this book that I was keen to hear it read. Unfortunately, I wish I had read it instead. The reader has the clipped, overdramatic tone of Mr. Peterman on Seinfeld, paintng "word pictures" of exotic journeys to faraway lands. This is an impressive first novel, but needs a better reader, one with more sensitivity to his subject. Women's voices are especially badly done, coming across as old ladies with sore throats. The men alll sound alike.

I learned a lot about pianos and Burma

The ending was a bit confusing. It made the whole thing a bit pointless. What a let down.

To Burma with Love

Great characters, fascinating plot, and a wonderful story. To leave our world behind and travel to Burma with Daniel Mason is an extraordinary adventure. One I will not soon forget

One if the slowest books I ever listened

About this book: it made me proud of my discipline to listen till its end. Since I managed, two stars then.
Almost no plot, according to a friend of mine it should have been poetry in prosa. I didn't see. If poetry is what you are looking for, you should be listening to a book like "Silk", by A. Baricco.

Never mind.

Tedious name-dropping, nonsensical story, clumsy writing. Author could not make me care about what I was reading.

long, drawn-out, with little reward

Beautifully written but the story of an anglo's journey to the "exotic" and colonial east is a bit tired by now. The main character is so vaporous that you don't really care what happens to him.