The expatriates, her second novel, is set like her first, the piano teacher. Its a blistering portrait of hong kong during and after world war ii as well as a gutsy exploration of the often dangerous and. In 1942, englishman will truesdale falls headlong into a passionate relationship with trudy liang, a beautiful eurasian socialite. A story about the life thru the eyes of an expat community in hong kong before, during and after the japanese invasion. Click to read more about the piano teacher by janice y. Lee is vividly good on the subject of americans abroad. Sometimes the end of a love affair is only the beginning.
Exotic hong kong takes center stage in this sumptuous novel, s. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Ambitious, exotic, and a classic book club read, the piano teacher is a combination of tenko meets the remains of the day. The piano teacher by lynn york and a great selection of. Piano teacher, a private or classroom instructor of piano performance. Lee set in hong kong during the outbreak of world war ii, and its aftermath 10 years later, the piano teacher alternates between the lives of two vastly different women whose destinies are linked by the events of the war. Does one read grand love stories in fiction anymore. The piano teacher in the sweeping tradition of the english patient, janice y. Based on a set of wonderful characters interlinked by marriage, friendship and relationships. Claire pendleton, a young english woman, and her husband martin pendleton move to hong kong from england. Lee that can, i guess, best be classified as an historical romantic thriller, is set in hong kong, one of the most beautiful and exotic of all cities. Lees exceptional first novel, claire the eponymous piano teacher eventually lands at the far end of the arc of independence she.
Lee s latest novel, the expatriates, is now available from viking the new york times bestseller in the sweeping tradition of the english patient, janice y. Lee, 9780007286379, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Transports you out of time, out of place, into a world you can feel on your very skin. Lee was born and raised in hong kong, the child of korean immigrants. Lee s debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in wartorn hong kong. Rich with intrigue, romance, and betrayal, this wonderfully written, utterly captivating novel dazzles with its sharpeyed renderings of beau monde hong kong as it is plunged into the crucible of war. Lee s first novel, the piano teacher, opens with the newlywed claire traveling to hong kong in 1951 with her husband, martin, an engineer. The piano teacher is a tale of love and betrayal set in wartorn hong kong. Set in hong kong, it is easy to follow these jumps from from one era back and forth to the other. Lee about the book set in hong kong during the outbreak of world war ii, and its aftermath 10 years later, the piano teacher alternates between the lives of two vastly different women whose destinies are linked by the events of the war.
She went to the united states for school and graduated from harvard college with a degree in english and american literature and language. Lees latest novel, the expatriates, is now available from penguin. Former elle editor lee delivers a standout debut dealing with the rigors of love and survival during a time of war, and the consequences of choices made under duress. Lee, author, orlagh cassidy, read by, read by orlagh cassidy. Elizabeth gilbert the new york times bestseller janice y. From the author of the new york times bestseller the piano teacher, a beautiful, transporting novel about motherhood, marriage, and friendship.
It is about a married woman who is hired by a rich family and ends up having an affair with the family driver, only to discover his tragic past with a former lover. Certainly, if one is to do ones own thing, hong kong, with its population of rebels and fawners, is the place for it. Taking a job as a piano teacher to a wealthy chinese couple, the chens, she starts to appreciate the possibilities of her new life. Lee s exceptional first novel, claire the eponymous piano teacher eventually lands at the far end of the arc of independence she hadnt realized shed been following from the beginning. Claire is the only person the reader really gets to know. Generally, the reader is held at armslength from the characters in the piano teacher. Will truesdale, a rootless, handsome briton, arrives in the colony in 1941, and is swept up by trudy liang, the blithe and glamorous daughter of a shanghai millionaire and a portuguese beauty.
Elizabeth gilbertthe new york times bestseller janice y. Lee this cinematic tale of two love affairs in midcentury hong kong shows colonial pretensions tainted by wartime truths. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Despite an occasional clunkiness to the narrative, janice yk lees debut novel does a good job of explaining the consequences of japanese. Lees first novel, the piano teacher, opens with the newlywed claire traveling to hong kong in 1951 with her husband, martin. Lee was born and raised in hong kong and went to boarding school in the united states before attending harvard college.
Lees first novel, the piano teacher, opens with the newlywed claire traveling to hong kong in 1951 with her husband, martin, an engineer. Jan 17, 2016 a female, funny henry james in asia, janice y. An excerpt from the gripping tale of love and betrayal set in wartorn hong kong, from a magnificent new voice in fiction. Janice lees novel the piano teacher 2009 is set in hong kong during 19511953 and 19411942. Instead, its the brutality of world war ii and the horrors of what happened to the people. She is a former features editor at elle and mirabella magazines in new york. While that analogy might be a lot for a firsttime novelist to live. Our reading guide for the piano teacher by janice y.
Rarely does one encounter a debut work as beguiling and assured as janice lee s the piano teacher. According to lee, every part of the novel is based on true events that have happened in hong kong, and she is currently brainstorming new ideas for further work the piano. Lees exceptional first novel, claire the eponymous piano teacher eventually lands at the far end of the arc of independence she hadnt realized shed been following from the beginning. The mysteries in the piano teacher really arent at the center of the novel, though. The piano teacher is a spellbinding tale of human frailty and passions reminiscent of the english patient and empire of the sun. Rarely does one encounter a debut work as beguiling and assured as janice lees the piano teacher. In alternating narratives, debut novelist janice y. K lee i found this book in a second hand shop and was unable to put it down. Janice lee the piano teacher read and download epub, pdf.
Lee s first novel, the piano teacher, is a bargain. Not one of the characters is particularly sympathetic, never mind likable. The piano teacher of lees story is claire pendleton, a callow, rudderless young woman who comes to hong kong in 1952 as the bride of a british engineer. Lee confronts them admirably washington post evocative, poignant and skilfully crafted, the piano teacher is more than an epic tale of war and a tangled, tortured love story. But their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the japanese as world war ii overwhelms their part of the world. The hal leonard student piano library teachers guide. The piano teacher takes place in hong kong and basically deals with how the characters in the story are affected by the japanese occupation. Lees latest novel, the expatriates, is now available from penguin in the sweeping tradition of the english patient, janice y. Lee s latest novel, the expatriates, is now available from penguin in the sweeping tradition of the english patient, janice y.
The piano teacher, the debut novel of former elle editor janice y. About the piano teacher a rare and exquisite story. Claire becomes a piano teacher for the wealthy chens daughter and starts an affair with their driver british will truesdale. Janice lee s novel the piano teacher 2009 is set in hong kong during 19511953 and 19411942. This book switches between the the early 1940s and the early 1950s. Lee confronts them admirably washington post evocative, poignant and skilfully crafted, the piano teacher is more than. Claire pendleton comes to hong kong to work as a piano teacher and also. Lee about a love story set in hong kong in the 1940s and 1950s. Lees latest novel, the expatriates, is now available from viking the new york times bestseller in the sweeping tradition of the english patient, janice y.
Its a blistering portrait of hong kong during and after world war ii as well as a gutsy exploration of the often dangerous and damaging choices made by individuals during wartime. The piano teacher by lynn york and a great selection of related books. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title the piano teacher. Lees debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in wartorn hong kong. She begins giving piano lessons to the daughter of a rich chinese couple, and falls in love with their. The piano teacher is complicated, eloquent, haunting and thought provoking. The piano teacher, by janice yk lee the independent. Lee, brilliantly evokes trudy, will, and claires tragic love triangle against the relative calm of 1950s hong kong and the glittering prewar eras decline. The piano teacher tanenbaum book, a nonfiction book by robert k. In 1942, will truesdale, an englishman newly arrived in hong kong, falls headlong into a passionate relationship with trudy liang, a beautiful eurasian socialite. The growing season may be far off, but 2009 is already providing a bumper crop of outstanding books by firsttime novelists.
The piano teacher lee novel, a 2009 novel by janice y. Rich with intrigue, romance, and betrayal, this wonderfully. During this time, she was determined to finish writing her novel and sold the piano teachera historical romancetwo months before she gave birth janice y. Apr 30, 2009 buy the piano teacher by lee, janice y.
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