OMG!!!! I leave for a week and half camping trip with the monsters and you're almost done already!!!! hehehehe

I checked at local library and that's a no-go ... so I'm gonna go order from Amazon upon finishing this post. thank goodness ya'll are reading slowly!

OK, book is ordered and will be here mañana! yippee!!!

Wow, that's fast, Nathan! Read up to chapter 14 as fast as you can. You will be happy to know that they are short chapters.

Wow, that´s great, Nathan, that we get a third reader. It´s a nice book.

Today my order arrived and I have received the normal book of our novel from the bookshop I have ordered it first, but they have said to me, that there are problems of delivery. Until now I have only read in my e-book-version on my computer. Although I had annuled this order (,because I had bought it already as an e-book), they send it to me, strange isn´t it?
Now my wife said, that she wants to read it eventually, too. So, I didn´t send back the consignment I received, but I think, I´ll keep it.

Ok, I have read chapter 14. I think it was interesting learning about piano tuners. And also the fact that the ear should be trained to listen to piano strings early - like before a person turns 25 years old. Guess it is too late for me then!

I have watched my tuner tune my piano many times. He uses a laptop computer but also sometimes uses only his ear. It amazes me how he can hear the slightest of pitch changes.

And I also think it is neat for a piano craftsman to sign his name in some hidden place inside the piano. I would if it were me. In fact, I have signed my name all over my house - inside walls, under stairs, etc. We did some major home improvements when we first moved into the house I live in now. Build new walls, took out flooring, things like that. Whenever we built new walls, my husband and I, even our kids sometimes, signed our names before the new drywall (sheet rock) (plaster board)(there are several names for this material)went up.

My tuner has also signed and dated his name inside my piano. Just on one of the keys. I bought my piano new, and the first time he tuned it is when he did that. It is to make a reference for anyone to know a little bit as to the date of my piano. Whether there any other names inside my piano, I do not know.

Ok, on to chapter 15. Remember - no need to rush. Plus, it will give Nathan time to catch up.

Oh, Andreas - I'm just sneaking in here for a moment to tell you something. I'm reading chapter 15 right now, and found something in it that you will like!

Hi Monica,
I was really to curious to read on, so that I have finished chapter 15. (Sorry, Nathan, but you can write something also to the previous chapters and we could discuss it, if you like, this would be very nice anyway.)

Thank you for your nice advice, Monica. I can imagine, what you mean. There is mentioned an old Grotrian-Steinweg-grand from the 20th, which was restored for an old lady.
In this chapter I find interesting Luc´s behaviour to people, who have to sell their pianos, but are not in fact ready to separate from them. He is full of respect and comprehension. I think, his idea, that the people should burn their old pianos, if they aren´t to repair and to use anymore and to cook their sausages on them, is a good one. So, they could process their close to a certain part of their lifes better, I suppose, as if they just give it away and always remember it and suffer from this. What do you think?

I think, Carhart does narrate in a sensitive and descriptive manner of singular fates related to pianos. This is very interesting and increases the pleasure to read this subtle work of literature.

I really ask me, if pianos in our times of today still have so much meaning to so many people like it is described in the book. (Though it´s written in 2000, isn´t it?) I´m sure, there still exists men, who feel so and who can find themselves in the novel of Carhart, but the number of them probably decreases, I suppose. Do you agree?

So, book is in ... I just read first chapter and had to come comment. first of all, yummy yummy writing, no? "voluptuous fantasy" .... wow

In any case, I'm too poor to be reading this book ... I can already tell it's gonna wake up buried desires that I've long been repressing ... hence, ya'll will have to listen to me whine about my pitiable POS baldwin upright. My wife would have an attack if I tried to get a real piano. *sigh*

Ok, gonna go get the kids and will catch up to ya'll this evening.

PS-- my book has an afterword with notes for a book club. how funny is that??

I'm supposed to be working right now, but I'm not. haha

I'll write notes on chapter 15 later. Nathan - yes, go ahead and post any thoughts you have on the earlier chapters.

ok, brief post before supper .... I just finished ch9.

When he brought home his piano, I actually got a little turned on ... I love his description of those first moments .... reminded me of my first time with the missus. Quite sweet actually.

And I do that thing too with pianos ... I have to touch and open them, wherever I am ... wholly inappropriate if completely voyeuristic. It was also humbling to realize how little I really know about the workings of the instrument. Of course, i've never been with a piano I love so much. I'm sure that would make a difference.

What was your first public performance like? I really had trouble identifying with his terrifying experience ... I remember my first recital and I loved it (being the quiet and introvert type that you all know me to be). And I always played for guests at house constantly. Only recently do I not perform for others ... unless you count the competing with spongebob for the kid's attention! heh

Good – you are catching up fast, Nathan.

I never lift the lid of pianos I see in different places and play them. I’m too chicken. Although a couple years ago I was in Liberace’s museum and took a picture of one of his pianos with my cell phone camera. I had to sneak it!

I can very much relate to our character's terrifying experience at his recital. I get that way now! Nerves didn’t bother me as much when I was younger. Don’t remember my first recitals, but I do remember the one when I was 12 and played a Chopin Waltz. It was my first Chopin piece and I felt like a grown-up playing it.

But I absolutely hated playing for people when they came to our home. When I was very young, like between 5 and 13, every time my parent’s friends came over, they always said, “Let’s hear little Monica play something.” I was extremely shy back then and would try to run and hide. There was one solution to the problem, though: We had a grand piano in the living room and an upright piano downstairs, so to help alleviate my fear, I was allowed to go downstairs and play that piano, while everyone else stayed upstairs and listened.

How about you, Andreas – what was your first public performing experience like?



more book time – regarding chapter 14 – burning an old piano and cooking your sausage over the fire. Well, I have never done that! Actually, I’ve never seen a piano being burned. I think that would make me cry a little.

I dunno – I think people today still get hooked on their pianos. It might be that I am too biased, though. I get hooked on anything that I happen to like and then I don’t want to part with it. Others may not feel as sentimental about objects. Not really sure what I think about this one….

that imagery of burning a piano was a bit shocking and sacreligious at first ... but now I think maybe it'd be cathartic. Kindof like a wake for an beloved family member I guess.

I don't think sausages though ... smores maybe??

I love smores!

Nathan, looks like you have definitely caught up!

Pianolady wrote:


My first performing experience was, when I played guitar before my class in elementary school. I was seven years old. I think, I have played some melodies of well-known songs and little pieces of my guitar-school (Dieter Kreidler, Gitarrenschule, Band 1).
I have enjoyed it and got much applause!

BTW, what are "smores"? I couldn´t find the word in the dictionary.

Nathan, wow, I can´t imagine, how someone can read so fastly a book, and even in English . I have needed two weeks for coming to chapter 15.

This is how you make a smore:

1. build a fire

2. find a long stick

3. Stick a marshmallow on the end of the stick and then stick it in the fire.

4. The marshmallow may catch on fire, but that's ok - just blow it out.

5. Then take a graham cracker and break it into two equal pieces (squares).

6. Take half of a Hershey chocolate bar and but it on one of the graham cracker squares.

7. Then put the hot marshmallow on top of the chocolate and put the other graham cracker square on top of that.

8. What you get is like a sandwich - graham cracker, chocolate bar and marshmallow. Because the marshmallow is hot, it starts to melt the chocolate and the whole thing gets a little gooey. It's messy to eat, but it sure is super yummy!

Ok, I'm reading chapter 16 now.