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| Plot Summary of The Piano Teacher |
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"
Plume, Mar 2004, 13.00, 304 pp.
ISBN: 0452284775
In 1980 in Swan's Knob, North Carolina, Miss Wilma Mabry teaches piano and plays the organ at special events like the wedding of Lily Mae Strong. Though living by herself since her spouse Harry died fifteen years ago and her daughter married and relocated to New Mexico several years ago, Wilma likes her life in the small town. Though she admits she could do without the nuisance of wealthy Roy Swan, who wants the widow as his ever since he tasted her sponge cake.
Molly's quite lifestyle ends when her daughter Sarah and her granddaughter Starling arrive at her home to stay for an undefined while. Not long afterward, Sarah's artist spouse Harper Chilton appears on the same night that someone murdered Police Officer Clem Baker. The police arrest New Mexico drifter Jonah Branch, who rode with Harper from the southwest. Both men want Sarah in their respective lives. However, currently murder is what Harper and Jonah must contend with, but so does Miss Wilma who is drawn into their fiasco.
THE PIANO PLAYER is an entertaining southern village cozy starring an interesting group of players led by the title character Miss Wilma. The story line moves at a leisurely pace so that the audience gets a taste of life in Swan's Knob. This enables the reader to understand how various people think especially the heroine, her wannabe beau, her daughter, and her daughter's two wannabe beaus. The police procedural elements take a back seat to a deep look at small town southern life on the brink of the Reagan Era.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Piano Teacher |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in small town
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- homemaker
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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