The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott: Book Review

Do you think someone in their late 50's or early 60's is elderly? Keep in mind that I'm 54 when you answer this loaded question.

Here's why I ask.

I'm reading reviews for this book that describe the lead character as "old." It caused me pause and I looked in the mirror. I'm just a few years younger than Henry who is the protagonist in The Upright Piano Player. And I have gray hair too, but damn I feel young. Others may not think so at first glance.

There are many generations in this book but the central characters are prime time. I was hooked immediately. The book could have been a melodramatic soap opera with its many tragedies, instead it became a rich character study for me and contemporary British writing at its best.

Henry's world is turned upside down when he's asked to leave the company he founded. Through flashbacks we learn about Henry while watching him chart his present course. The author moves brilliantly between time periods with ease, even if his characters do not.

We see people close to Henry die. Torn relationships over the past are worked through. Henry becomes a victim and stalked by someone much younger. He's sometimes understood but not always.

I'm reminded that 50 plus looks old when you're young, but once you've arrived at this point in your life it doesn't feel that long ago when looking back. Scary, huh?

I left a comment on Dan's Journal and received a complimentary copy of this book. 

The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott was first published in Great Britain in 2010; my version is the first American edition by Doubleday. ISBN 9780385534420, 264 pages.

Wuthering Heights: Read Along Blues

This is the last week of the Wuthering Heights Read Along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. I only made it through Chapter 15. What happened?

The story just didn't hold my interest. Every time I tired to get back into it, I realized the words were not sticking. I was reading but not comprehending. My thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.

I do plan to finish Wuthering Heights and post a review; in time. I'm glad I made an attempt at the book. It's hard for me, however, to not complete something I started..

Thanks to Jill I learned more about Emily Bronte too. This also helped in my appreciation of The Brontes Went To Woolworths which I recently reviewed. A favorite line from that book is when Emily announces her new novel, "Swithering Depths." How appropriate.

Heathcliff and the Heights will have to wait for now. I have a feeling we'll meet again.

What's the last book you started and never completed? Do you think you'll come back to it later?

My posts on Wuthering Heights are here:

Wuthering Heights: Chapters 10-15 
Wuthering Heights: Chapters 4-9
Wuthering Heights: Chapters 1-3

Joining me on The Wuthering Heights Read Along are the following friends:

Literate Housewife

Vivienne (Serendipity)

Messy Karen

Victoria (Views from the Page and Oven)

Jenny (Take Me Away)

Ti (Book Chatter)

Lisa (Lit and Life)

Dar (Peeking Between the Pages)

J.C. Montgomery (The Biblio Blogazine)

Whitney (She Is Too Fond of Books)

JoAnn (Lakeside Musing)

Gentle Reader (Shelf Life)

Amy (New Century Reading)

Geri (One More Foggy Notion)

Trish (Love, Laughter and Insanity)

Jill (Fizzy Thoughts)

The Brontes Went To Woolworths by Rachel Ferguson: Book Review

The Brontes Went To Woolworths
By Rachel Ferguson

Bloomsbury Publishing, Copyright 1931, 2009.
188 pages

Rob's Rating 4/5

Reading Challenge: Typically British 2010


First published in 1931, The Brontes Went To Woolworths is now back in print thanks to the Bloomsbury Group. They feature a series of lost novels from the early twentieth century.

To be honest, I had never heard of the book (or author Rachel Ferguson) until a complimentary copy was sent to me by Library Thing Early Reviewers.

I was able to find a photo of the author and short biography on-line. Like the fictional family in her book, Rachel's father died early in life and she lived with her mother and sister. At age sixteen, Rachel was a suffragette. She began her writing career as a drama critic and penned nine novels. Rachel died in 1957 (the same year I came into the world) at age sixty-five.

Favorite Quotes From The Book:

"I suppose that nothing, no emotion, no personality, ever really dies, but hangs about in the atmosphere waiting for one to get into touch again."

On Charlotte Bronte: "I thought she must be one of those sort of writers who sounded as if they ought to be dead before they really were."

My Book Review:

At first I didn't get it. The dialogue between characters was hard to follow. But then I realized some characters were not in the room and some were nursery toys. A few were dead but why let that stop a good conversation?

This British family of three sisters and a Mum in 1930's London seemed odd at first. There's Deirdre who is an author and journalist (Emily Bronte proofs her work of course), Katrine an actress (she has lots of material to work with), and young sister Sheil.

Deirdre sees herself as the man of the family. Her father has died but not much is mentioned of him. He still comes around at times as do the Brontes.

The sisters have a wonderful fantasy life where they make up conversations with people they do not know. This often gets in the way of their "real life." When Deirdre is proposed to for example, she declines due to her love for Sherlock Holmes. "His personality and brain...converted living men to shadows."

Sometimes Deirdre feels depressed but the author never digs too deep. I felt sorry for Deirdre when she attended the funeral of an actor whose life she followed and talked about constantly. He was such a major part of her life but they had never met. The closest she ever came to the real person was in death.

Another imagined friendship is with a high-court judge. After making his life part of her own family, Deirdre actually meets the Judge and his wife. What happens when fantasy collides with real life? I won't give away the details but it's fun to follow.

The big question: "Do the Brontes go to Woolworths?" Yes, but "Emily had one of her difficult fits right in the middle of the haberdashery."

I read the book twice and loved it more the second time. Fans of the Brontes will no doubt find subtilties I missed. I did smile with Emily's new book, "Swithering Depths."

Are the sisters odd? I'm not so sure. After the book I visited my Facebook page. Some friends are now imaginary farmers and others have connected with celebrities. Perhaps we all need a dose of fantasy in this life.

More Reviews (if I missed yours please send a link): Nonsuch Book/ Book-A-Rama/ Dovegreyreader/ Passionate Booklover/ A Ladybug's Books/ Midieval Bookworm/ Serendipity/ Joy's Blog/ My Porch

FTC: I received a review copy from the Library Thing Early Reviewers program.

Book Review: How To Get Things Really Flat by Andrew Martin

Subtitled, "Enlightenment for Every Man on Ironing, Vacuuming, and other Household Arts," this book promises to remedy all Oscar like behavior. Unfortunately, while the idea is great the book falls flat.

Before I go further, let me just say for the record that I'm a recovered, Oscar. In my twenties when I needed to clean quickly, my best tip was to box the dirty dishes from the sink (there was no dishwasher and things piled up). Eventually when I saw the cupboards were bare or silverware missing, it was a reminder to go hunting for dishes in the closet. A girlfriend made the gruesome discovery of my efforts and decided I needed intervention (we're still friends by the way).

For a book like this to have been of help, it needed a few diagrams and something like "CliffsNotes" added to the text. Instead the reader is given lengthy (and interesting) explanations on subjects like ironing and research done on the topic.

What I really, really didn't care for were the stereotypes in the book. At the beginning the author wants men to know that holding a duster will not make him any less of a man. Well said, but did he have to imply that men might think cleaning is gay like behavior? Or that female shoppers are not decisive?

The tips in the book are helpful and sometimes humorous. I also liked that this book is definitely British. It was released last year in the USA and contains footnotes for Yanks and a preface written specifically for the American edition.

In the end, however, the stereotypes in the book influenced my rating. Clothes need labels but do people?

Rob's Rating: 3/5

About the Author: Andrew Martin lives in London and is the writer of seven novels, including five titles beginning with The Necropolis Railway, featuring the young Edwardian detective, Jim Stinger.

How To Get Things Really Flat by Andrew Martin. Copyright 2008, 2009. The Experiment Publishers. ISBN: 9781615190027.

FTC: Library Copy (and heading back there soon).

Typically British for 2010: A Reading Challenge

I love Britain so this challenge is my cup of tea. My former mother-in-law was a Londoner and introduced me to all things British. It's in honor of her that I still have afternoon tea.

I remember being in a Pub with her when she told me to ask the burly guy at the counter for a "Spotted dick." It took a lot of coaxing until I reluctantly went up to him. My first thought was that I may not be walking right later. I'm still here and the Spotted dick* he handed me was a delicious dessert.

Since I'm trying to clear my library clutter this year, I went through my stacks to find works of fiction for this challenge that were first published in Great Britain. I found four books which will qualify me for "Gordon Bennett" standing.

The Book Stops Here by Ian Sansom

Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth

The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd

Hello, Darling, Are You Working? by Rupert Everett

Thanks to Book Chick City for hosting this challenge.

*Spotted dick is a steamed suet pudding with currants and served with custard.