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The Upright Piano Player

3.29 of 5 stars 3.29 · rating details · 464 ratings · 157 reviews

An adroit first novel of exceptional grace and emotional power by a legendary British ad executive.

“David Abbott’s The Upright Piano Player is a wise and moving debut, an accomplished novel of quiet depths and resonant shadows.” —John Burnham Schwartz, author of The Commoner and Reservation Road

Henry Cage seems to have it all: a successful career, money, a beautiful home...more

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published June 7th 2011 by Nan A. Talese (first published January 1st 2010)

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Aug 01, 2011 Jeanette rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jeanette by: Bob

Shelves: all-fiction, domestic-and-relationship-fiction

This book is proof positive that people who write good ad copy don't necessarily make good novelists. It took me weeks to get through it, and it's only 264 pages. The entire book feels like an exercise in misdirection. Abbott's writing zings around like a fart in a skillet and ultimately leads nowhere.

I now have the answers to the questions I posed below prior to reading the book. #1: It doesn't matter, because the title has nothing to do with the content of the book. #2: If anything, it should...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Andreas rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Schwer, etwas zu diesem Buch zu sagen. Denn bis jetzt ist mir schleierhaft, worauf der Autor eigentlich hinauswollte. Einigermaßen zusammenhanglos und ohne großen dramaturgischen Bogen erzählt er von allerlei Unbilden in den vorgerückten Jahren des Unternehmensberaters Henry Cage.
Zu Beginn des Buchs steht gleich der größte Schicksalsschlag, der tragische Tod des Enkels Hal unter der Aufsicht seines Opas. Es ist aber nicht so, dass sich von hier aus eine Geschichte entwickeln würde. Vielmehr fol...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, literary-fiction

THE UPRIGHT PIANO PLAYER by David Abbott places the main character in threatening and sometimes horrific circumstances and asks how our decisions, even with the best intentions, effect others? Why do our positive, dynamic, and reasoned public selves not always translate to our personal lives? When should we actively intercede to make amends, correct past relationships, and when should we remain passive, accept earlier decisions and move on?

Henry Cage has experienced success in his professional l...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-mt-bookpile

This story was a bit misleading: we open with a grandfather's mourning the death of his grandson (a death that was, in a tragic tangential way, his fault) in 2004. We then flash back to 1999, where we meet Henry at his retirement - not quite at a time of his choosing, but not quite unwelcome.

Over the next year we see Henry's quiet life become disrupted. An "upright" guy, one who doesn't want to share his personal life with the public, his marriage disintegrates because not only does his wife ha...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Sherie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an ARC and the review intrigued me. The premise is the endgame of a very successful man and how success is relative. The author begins the book with an horrific episode in Henry's life that just shows that his "sucessful" life is crumbling around him. The tale of Henry Cage is told without linear structure and changes characters and incidents without a hint. I did not find it a difficult read, but the author had me flipping back pages to help keep me with his stream of thought. Henry wa...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Kasey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kasey by: Books on the Nightstand

Shelves: fiction

I was all set to adore this book, largely because it was recommended so highly by Books on the Nightstand, and I think they are Awesome. So the fact that I had very mixed feelings about The Upright Piano Player shouldn't be taken as criticism of BOTNS. But I did have mixed feelings: some things about the book seemed unusually terrific to me, and some other things unusually flawed. On the plus side: I literally didn't want to stop reading. There's a wonderfully creepy menacing feeling, which remi...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Nancy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Before I deconstruct the book, I want to make it clear that I could not put it down. In a voyeuristic manner, I kept reading and reading until the very end. When the end arrived, I was surprised it was over. The way the book begins is gut-wrenching and disturbing as Henry is attending his grandson's funeral. The grandson he loved more than his own life and whose life ended on his watch. The details of the death are revealed and they are awful. That was 2004.

The story begins in 1999 as Henry ends...more

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Jun 24, 2011 switterbug (Betsey) rated it 5 of 5 stars

It begins at the end, a narrative format that is apt and deeply seated in the story's nihilistic philosophy. It exemplifies the antithesis of the slogan "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty." The novel asserts that all of us are subject to random acts. Period. Of senselessness, violence, beauty, cruelty, and yes, also kindness. Beginning at the end is a way for the author to clarify the theme that we are not subject to fate or karma-- life is pointless, meaningless, without int...more It begins at the end, a narrative format that is apt and deeply seated in the story's nihilistic philosophy. It exemplifies the antithesis of the slogan "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty." The novel asserts that all of us are subject to random acts. Period. Of senselessness, violence, beauty, cruelty, and yes, also kindness. Beginning at the end is a way for the author to clarify the theme that we are not subject to fate or karma-- life is pointless, meaningless, without intrinsic value. The value we place on life, therefore, is an artificial construction.

Cynical? Well, it certainly is discomfiting, and a despairing standard to live by. On the other hand, it illustrates that there is no "one way" of being, of perching a personal or social doctrine. Abbott prefaced the book with a quote by Nietzsche, prince of nihilism, and an equally philosophical quote by E.E. Cummings, leaving no doubt about the outlook of this story.

Henry Cage is grieving over his young grandson's gruesome death as the story opens. Part I is more like a prologue, which ends with a shattering private moment. The story than segues to several years back, encompassing mostly grim and arbitrary events, including the merciless ramifications of the choices that Henry has made in his life. He was a successful businessman in his prime, but he is being winnowed out in the new millennium, as the youth and vigor of new times and changes replace the time-honored traditions.

Henry is divorced and lonely, a creature of habit who frequents coffee shops and hides behind the false front of a book. The story eventually reveals the emotional wounds and pride that prevented reconciliation with his wife. Over the course of the novel, Henry's life is complicated by a menacing stalker. Furthermore, painful events begin to open him up, release him from his implacable resolve. But, as Abbott clearly shows, a new resolve doesn't necessarily pave the way for peace and contentment.

Abbott's prose is spare, cultivated and subtle, with a mood and tone that complement its overarching theme. It is a hard story to shake off, laden with a terse contempt for belief systems. If you are uncomfortable with nihilistic themes, this is not a story you will relish. It is painful and bleak, engulfing, like watching a car accident at the side of the highway. Unforgettable, riveting, but you can't wait to escape when you are finished gawking.
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Jun 13, 2011 Deb Carpenter rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Upright Piano Player

What does a title reveal about the contents of the book? What direct or subliminal message does it give? I asked myself these questions as I read “The Upright Piano Player” by David Abbott. Even though music plays a role throughout the novel, the upright piano is mentioned only once or twice, a hold from the narrator’s childhood.

As I pondered more, I noticed the title’s interesting word play. Is the player of the piano an upright character? Does the pianist play an uprig...more The Upright Piano Player

What does a title reveal about the contents of the book? What direct or subliminal message does it give? I asked myself these questions as I read “The Upright Piano Player” by David Abbott. Even though music plays a role throughout the novel, the upright piano is mentioned only once or twice, a hold from the narrator’s childhood.

As I pondered more, I noticed the title’s interesting word play. Is the player of the piano an upright character? Does the pianist play an upright piano? Or, perhaps, is the reference to both?

Henry Cage, a man who has defined himself by practicalities, work, and uprightness, is now retiring. Over the years, his work ethic has cost him his family. Alone now, he sits at his upright piano but doesn’t know which tune to play. The chorus of his life seems to be filled with melancholy and random events that are often violent. Cage is often in the wrong place at the wrong time and the reader wonders if he had changed the signature, whether this might have made a difference in the outcome of those events.

Part One, much as a first verse, sets the tone for the book. It is so painfully sad I almost didn’t turn the page to begin the second. But I kept reading because of the depth of Cage’s character and the complexity of the plot. And when I finished the story, I knew I would read the book again.

Like a haunting melody, this story waits for a second encounter. I kept putting off that next reading of “The Upright Piano Player” because I wasn’t sure I wanted to experience the emotions another time, but I knew I had to. I had to find the mention of the piano and I had to make the connections between the music and the characters.

You see, I think the author is making comparisons between life and an old upright piano. Some of the keys, like life experiences, are white; some are black. There are harmonious chords and discordant combinations. Each song has a beginning and each song has an ending. If the upright piano also happens to be a player piano, then whatever roll the Master inserts is the song that plays, regardless of the body whose hands are poised over the keys. Whether the music is chosen for us or we choose the song, it must be played.

Just as songs must be played, stories must be written, and books must be read. It is our obligation as readers to bear witness to the message. Perhaps our role is to join the choir and acknowledge that life is often unfair. But perhaps we are simply to gather around the piano and, even as we question the choice of the upright piano player, merely listen to the heart-wrenching beauty of those bittersweet tunes.

By Deb Carpenter-Nolting
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Aug 20, 2011 Heather Mize rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
** My review contains spoilers
This is a bad book, about a sub-par story, with boring forgettable character. Henry is a depressing, one-dimensional character whose wife cheats on him, gets estranged from his son, ousted from his company, victimized on a walk home, stalked and terrorized by the same person who attacked him. Meanwhile his ex-wife he still cares for dies before he can get to her, a girlfriend abandons him, and oh…..then he is blamed for the death of his grandson since his grandson w...more
** My review contains spoilers
This is a bad book, about a sub-par story, with boring forgettable character. Henry is a depressing, one-dimensional character whose wife cheats on him, gets estranged from his son, ousted from his company, victimized on a walk home, stalked and terrorized by the same person who attacked him. Meanwhile his ex-wife he still cares for dies before he can get to her, a girlfriend abandons him, and oh…..then he is blamed for the death of his grandson since his grandson was drug to death after he left him in running car. I don’t have to have a happy ending, but there’s not salvation on the author’s part for his character Henry.
The book starts with the death of grandson Hal. Then it takes us back in the past but never circles back to Hal, or Henry’s emotions after the death of his grandson. There is no closure to that. Abbott is trying to be crafty by telling us an asinine story that leads us to understand how be came to be a fixture in Hal’s life. AND???
It’s always interesting to me when an author can so clearly hate their character but yet still be inspired to write a book about them. What baffles me about Henry is that Abbott makes no attempt to get you to like Henry either. For example, the pictures of Eileen, and Henry’s thumbprint on them. Henry is dull, lackluster, and has many character flaws. Why would I want to read a book about him? Abbott failed to see this major flaw.
Mechanically the book is flawed as well. Abbott develops none of the characters, they’re all one dimensional stereotype’s. He has very rough transitions from past to future, character perspective to character perspective.
Abbott does not seem to understand human behavior as his characters do many unnatural things. Examples- Why would Tom be estranged from his father when it was his mother who cheated? Why if Nessa wanted to stay with Henry would she immediately run away? A maid- (in this case Mrs. Abrahm) would never assume the pictures were not Henry’s and throw them away. That just WOULD NOT happen. Maude, who is completely shallow flees because Henry is a grandfather….really? Would you not assume that he was? And she was using him, so why would she care? If Henry fears Bateman SO much then why would he take the pictures back to Eileen, such a risky thing to do, an unnatural for his character.
He writes about characters before introducing them, and confuses the issue. He includes Maude’s relationship with someone else and things that have zero to do with the story. At times he expects the reader to believe people who are strangers initially would have deeper understandings of the other. Henry dressing in front of Maude, Henry in Jack’s car. Not realistic.
His characters all choose not to deal with conflict. It’s clear from the beginning that Tom won’t confront his father about Hal’s death. Nessa won’t share her feelings for Henry. Henry won’t share his feelings for Nessa. Henry won’t confront his stalker. (Almost to the point he is allowing himself, or inviting himself to continue being harassed by Bateman.) Henry won’t confront Maude. Henry will allow himself to be ousted from his company with no objections. He’s completely passive and indifferent- so why then would the reader feel any different? Any one of these things could have made the story better. We see no emotional perspective from Henry when he is accused of murder.
What was the point of this book? Henry never resolves ANYTHING, except killing his stalker. Nothing with Nessa is resolved so it feels completely irrelevant, and yet it’s over 50% of the book. It’s a boring book with no real storyline about boring characters that never goes anywhere. The characters are unlikeable (except maybe Nessa). I get what Abott was trying to do, but he failed so miserably- not only in story and what he chose to focus on, but the lack of emotional perspective at such dramatic events, and the lackluster characters. The random acts of violence, and victimizations of Henry are too numerous. This book started one way and went somewhere else- it got lost.
One last nit picky thing- (this always annoys me in books) This books is set in current day. Yet, Nessa has made a special purchase for a computer than can correct spelling. Laughable!
Bottom line- not just a bad books, but bad writing. Very bad. I’d never read another Abbott book.
This was his first novel, but it’s his last for me.
The only thing it accomplishes is that Henry is further tortured, and in that long process I too was tortured!

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Jun 24, 2011 Carol rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

There are very many glowing reviews of this book so I was very excited to receive from Library Thing. In the first few pages, I was disenchanted by the third person being used so much it seems very difficult for me to get wrapped up by a book that uses it so much. It just feels like too much distance between me and the main character to be interested in him.

This is just me, you may me be engrossed from the first page. Secondly there is gruesome accident in which a little boy is killed. Ever sinc...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fast-paced, clearly written, well constructed and with some convincing characters, this was a book to appreciate but not enjoy.

Henry's retirement is nowhere near as successful as his career had been and the de-skilling subtraction of purpose and focus in his new, empty life is what I found especially fascinating, even upsetting. Things started to go sour for him the day he left his company. And I identified with him so much that I am still shocked by his family's subterfuge in hiding even the b...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Gaby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary-fiction

Just how much does a successful man's life change when he retires from the company that he's built? When Henry Cage's successful career and influence are gone, he becomes just another elderly man among many. David Abbott demonstrates the small ways in which Cage's life and luck has changed. The crush of the crowds on New Year's Eve leads to a random and vicious act of violence. I found myself sympathizing with Henry Cage as he finds himself uncomfortable in his new life - from his interaction wi...more

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May 01, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

3.5 stars.

To some extent I think this book sort of defies description...it is a dark, literary exploration of a middle-aged man's experience with loss and regret told through flashbacks...at the same time the book has elements of a "thriller" with creepy characters and threats of violence...and overlaying all of that is the first chapter which takes place five years after the rest of the story in which the middle-aged man is seen blaming himself for the horrific death of his beloved grandson.

I c...more

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May 31, 2011 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars

David Abbott starts his mesmerizing and haunting debut book, The Upright Piano Player, with a quote from Nietzsche: “The consequences of our actions take hold of us, quite indifferent to our claims that meanwhile we have improved.”

It’s an apt quote because indeed, actions have consequences in the case of his protagonist, Henry Cage. Henry is, indeed, a caged man – uptight, disconnected, and alienated. Throughout his life, he has amassed the trappings of success: a sterling career, a spirited and...more David Abbott starts his mesmerizing and haunting debut book, The Upright Piano Player, with a quote from Nietzsche: “The consequences of our actions take hold of us, quite indifferent to our claims that meanwhile we have improved.”

It’s an apt quote because indeed, actions have consequences in the case of his protagonist, Henry Cage. Henry is, indeed, a caged man – uptight, disconnected, and alienated. Throughout his life, he has amassed the trappings of success: a sterling career, a spirited and beautiful wife, a sensitive son, an elegant London townhome. Yet he has squandered his gifts, eventually losing his marriage, destroying his relationship with his son, and ending his partnership in his firm – not of his own accord.

And then, on the eve of the millennium, a random act of violence occurs. Henry inadvertently pushes into a stranger on the crowded Westminster Bridge during a New Year’s Eve encounter. The stranger, Colin, is an angry and vindictive working-class man who strikes back in a disproportionate way and then begins to stalk Henry. A sense of menace ensues, a little reminiscent of the atmosphere in Enduring Love by Ian McEwan.

Henry is a man on the edge, ready to “improve”, to re-engage with his family and the world around him. For the first time in years, he truly reaches out, flirting with the idea of a new romance, reconnecting with his ill ex-wife, striving to create a bond with his now-grown son and his grandson, Hal, whom he has only just met. Yet at the periphery of his life is the stalker who is threatening to destroy all that he is working to put together again.

The reader knows, from the first 10 pages, that the ending will be heartbreaking and that another random incident will occur that will turn him into a man torn apart by grief. As a result, this is a particularly voyeuristic “read”; we know that none of Henry’s well-meaning actions will save him from a wrenching fate that no parent or grandparent should ever have to endure. We, as readers, maintain full awareness of where life is going for Henry, something that is denied to the protagonist himself. Henry remains blinded; for example, when views a barn owl with his grandson, he thinks, “It had seemed a gift. Like the sighting of a kingfisher, a singling our, a portent of favor. How wrong could a man be?”

Throughout the arc of the book, we observe Henry from a distance. He is not a particularly introspective man, a trait that I often find unsatisfying. However, not here; David Abbott pulls it off, propelling us along on Henry’s journey. All the while, we know that Henry will be unable to sidestep his fate; despite his rediscovery of self, he will need to confront the loss and grief that is his destiny.

This is, after all, a cautionary tale, a tale about whether “upright” motives can create harmony in lives that are tossed around by life’s circumstances. It asks provocative questions: how much of life results from past choices and how much is totally random? The Upright Piano Player is written by a founding partner of the United Kingdom’s largest advertising agency, and this is his first novel. Hopefully, it is not his last.
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Jul 13, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, adult, fiction

maybe 3.5 stars
The book opens with a funeral, the full significance of which if not fully realized until later in the story. The rest of the book is set 5 years earlier.

Henry Cage has been a very successful, a very careful business man, but at the age of 58 his co-workers force him to “retire” and Henry is left driftless and reflecting on the way that he has lived his life. His ex-wife is dying of cancer, he is estranged from his only son.

Then a random act of violence directed toward Henry upse...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, england, literature-classics

Reviews for this book mention an "accomplished novel" and I agree with that. This is not a novice writer, although it's David Abbott's first novel. I loved the story. It captures the reader immediately. Henry is divorced from his wife Nessa, even though they still love each other. He lives in London, she in Florida. Their son, wife, and grandson live in England as well.

Mix into the kettle of life events a dark and cruel person, several very real characters, and the conservative, conscientious H...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Gunner McGrath rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, own-in-hardcover

I enjoyed reading this novel very much. It is not normally my preferred style, with a well-stocked library full of suspense, horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Maybe it's that fresh difference that grabbed and held my attention so easily, or maybe I have been introduced to a style of literature that I'd previously considered "not my thing."

I received this book on coming home from work on a Friday evening, thanks to the First Reads program. That night, I neglected my responsibilities and staye...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

(fiction) This contemporary novel starts with a funeral and then tells of the tragedy that necessitated the funeral. A man watches, not getting too close, not wanting to participate. The story goes both backward and forward from the funeral until I knew much, but not all, of it. There are still secrets hidden from the reader, layers that are not fully revealed.

A story of relationships in a family with too many flaws, there is not a great deal of plot. This isn't a book for those looking for grea...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Jennyreadsexcessively rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Upright Piano Player is a bold McEwan-esque debut novel that has quite an emotional impact. The author takes the risks of starting the novel with an unspeakable tragedy and then going back in time to show the journey each character went through up to that point. Henry Cage is a wealthy British retiree who has become estranged from his family. A random act of violence on New Year's Eve triggers a series of unpleasant encounters that leave him unhinged. The tension here is palpable and it is c...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Judy Bart rated it 3 of 5 stars

So not every book is a winner. This is not a bad read, but a bit confusing as the story jumps back and forward without warning and switches protagonists so I had to stop and start a chapter over again to figure out who the author was talking about. It is the tale of a retired, divorced, ex- marketing executive in the UK and the series of unfortunate and very disturbing events in his life. It begins with the death of his grandson that is somehow his fault, yet the story goes back in time and neve...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Donna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, own

Hmm.... What to say of this? Although a sad and terrible incident, I have no idea WHAT the point was of Part One. It had nothing to do whatsoever with the rest of the story which, by the way, takes place five years EARLIER. They shared the same old disillusioned man, but Abbott never wrapped the story around to join the two threads of time. Makes no sense to me. If I wanted to read the horrific telling of a young boy's death at the hands of a pointless accident and then have it followed by what...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story begins with a shocking tragedy that makes the reader want to continue the story. But as the story unfold it steps back in time prior to the tragedy to the life of Henry Cage, a lonely old man who was forced to retire form the company he created (we learn why through flashbacks).

Henry learns that his ex-wife is dying of cancer and his estranged son has his own son and reaches out to him. He is also stalked by a psychopath he accidently bumped into during a walk n the streets. Henry want...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Shelley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a strange little book this was. The beginning chapter was excellent, the middle was a challenge to care about and the ending was just meh. I think there could have been quiet a few passages omitted as they didn't add anything to the story and I kept wondering why they were included. Not to mention a rather disgusting event involving a dog and a masonry nail that almost had me pulling the bookmark in disgust.

The book opens with a gruesome day in the life of Henry Cage and then we get to read...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Ti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-summer-reading-list

The Short of It:

Quietly haunting and tinged with loneliness.

The Rest of It:

The books that I love are typically quiet books, in that the characters and storyline follow a rather plain, yet interesting path. Domesticity fascinates me. So for this reason I thought I would love The Upright Piano Player. Although parts of it were lovely and beautifully crafted, the narrative structure didn’t work for me.

The story is about Henry Cage. Forced into retirement by his own company, he doesn’t quite know w...more The Short of It:

Quietly haunting and tinged with loneliness.

The Rest of It:

The books that I love are typically quiet books, in that the characters and storyline follow a rather plain, yet interesting path. Domesticity fascinates me. So for this reason I thought I would love The Upright Piano Player. Although parts of it were lovely and beautifully crafted, the narrative structure didn’t work for me.

The story is about Henry Cage. Forced into retirement by his own company, he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. His wife ends their marriage after having an affair, and his grown son, although “around,” is not on terribly good terms with his father. As Henry struggles to make sense of this new life, a violent encounter with a stranger on New Year’s Eve forces him to make a decision.

This in itself is a lot to deal with but the story opens with a different tragedy and then goes back five years to when he is first retired. Normally, I don’t have a problem with knowing the outcome of a particular situation before reading the story, but this outcome was so bleak, and depressing that as I was reading, it left me feeling hopeless about Henry’s situation.

Plus, I expected the story to at least circle back to the tragedy that it mentioned in the beginning of the book, especially since it had the potential of devastating Henry and his family, but it doesn’t. The decision to “not go there” made it a random tragedy and although events are often random in everyday life, this was too significant to ignore.

As lovely as the writing was, there was no payoff for me. I don’t need a happy ending…I am not about being perfect, but I didn’t see a point to that tragic opening, and that is what I was thinking about at the end of this novel. There’s no epiphany…no “aha” moment.

As harsh as that might sound, I will absolutely read another novel by Mr. Abbott. The Upright Piano Player is a debut novel for him, and shows a great deal of promise. I look forward to seeing what he writes next.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter
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Jul 07, 2011 Connie Mayo rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am sort of fascinated by the structure of this book - Part One is set in 2004 and is 14 pages; Part Two starts right after that in 1999 and continues on for 250 pages until the end, which is still years before Part One. It is a sad book, well written. Not for those who can't handle bad things happening to good people, sometimes good children.

I like that the style of the author's writing had restraint - nothing over the top (perhaps related to the fact that he's British). I love that he worked...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Melise Gerber rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction

The synopsis of this book was very misleading. On first glance at the cover and title, I thought it would be a quiet, literary book, but the synopsis made it seem as if it was much more suspenseful. Don't be fooled--take the book at face value and you will be much more satisfied with it.

This was a story of a man in late middle-age and the direction his life takes when impacted by things like his retirement, and the news that his ex-wife is dying of cancer. The pleasure of this book came from tho...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Lisa Reilly rated it 2 of 5 stars

The title didn't match anything about the story. It might have mentioned the main character played the piano, but I was disappointed in the story. The author starts out telling something tragic at the beginning and the rest of the book talks about the past in 'here and there' spots. The end doesn't even relate to the beginning. All I can say is, "What happened to the characters after that tragic event at the beginning. It was a contentful ending, but not relevant. I wasn't sure what the theme of...more

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Jun 23, 2011 elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Henry Cage is prematurely retired, divorced, and estranged from his son (and doesn't meet his grandson until he's about 4). What's more, he's being stalked due to some random acts-- one violent on New Year's Eve, one of absent-minded staring at a woman in a cafe. A mystery/tragedy ensues.

An event of distastrous proportions starts off the book, and I was waiting for the novel to come up to that level of intensity; it never did for me. The mystery plotline propelled me to the finish, but wow: com...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Jrubino rated it 2 of 5 stars

Does every lit novel have to open with tragic death? Yes, it seems so. And I’m getting a bit bored by that.

Death. Remorse. Incrimination. As I waded through the first chapters, I felt no real momentum. This novel is well written, but lacks anything to engage me. And while it’s possible I didn’t give it enough time, I stopped reading after about 60 pages. Mainly because I couldn’t see how the plot or characters or leaden ennui could possibly explore new territory.

The plot is too worn out for me t...more

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About David Abbott

David Abbott (born ca. 1938) is a British advertising executive who founded Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.

Abbott started as a copywriter at Mather & Crowther and then at DDB, London. In 1966, he was sent to their New York office, then returned to London as a director.

In 1971, he founded French Gold Abbott. In 1978, he founded Abbott Mead Vickers (AMV), handling clients including Volvo, Sainsbury's,...more

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Books by David Abbott

The Biographical Dictionary Of Scientists, Physicists

Culture and Identity (Access to Sociology)

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“Between a book's covers there may be passion, bile, mayhem, or murder, but in the quiet spaces where it awaits its fate (either acceptance of indifference) all is calm.” — 3 people liked it

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The Upright Piano Player

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