Au piano

by Jean Echenoz

La pratique professionnelle du piano suppose une discipline stricte. Elle exclut tout divertissement susceptible d'éloigner l'artiste de son clavier. Pourtant il aimerait, lui aussi, jouir de la lumière du monde, de la douceur de vivre, de la tiédeur de l'air et de l'amour des femmes. Eh bien non : mort ou vif, le pianiste se doit d'abord à son public.

Genres: Fiction, France, Music, Contemporary, Roman, French Literature, Literary Fiction

223 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Jean Echenoz is a prominent French novelist, many of whose works have been translated into English, among them Chopin’s Move (1989), Big Blondes (1995), and most recently Ravel (2008) and Running (2009).

Reviews

[Radioread · Rating 4 out of 5]

İlahi Komedya'nın ışıksız ortamda olgunlaşmış meyveleriyle özel bir başlangıç yapıp Saunders'in Arafta'sıyla bir tür füzyon mutfağı deneyimi yaşayanlar için hafif ve leziz bir tatlı.

[Fahime Zarei · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب عجیب غریبی بود منم با حال عجیب غریبی می‌خوندمش برای همین با هم جور شدیم

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes Jean Echenoz's books can be a little hard to dedicate yourself to. There are times when it seems like the story isn't ever going to end up anywhere and that no hidden meaning will ever be uncovered. I felt like this all throughout 'Piano' but was greatly rewarded at the end. Ever since finishing this book I have never again doubted Echenoz's ability to communicate an idea. No matter what path he takes along the way it is always enjoyable and it is always worth it. There is a meticulous care put into every word of Echenoz's books and 'Piano' is no exception.

[amxndita (taylor's version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ese finaaaal, gracias Jimena por prestarmelo 😋

[Darryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piano is a quirky but humorous short novel about a renowned concert pianist, beset by alcoholism and stage fright, who dies suddenly at the height of his career. He finds himself in a purgatory that resembles a luxury hotel that is staffed by celebrities. He soon learns his fate, and he is sent to the "urban zone", a Sartrean representation of his former Parisian arrondissement, where he is forbidden to resume his former life or contact anyone he previously knew. The action in Piano drags in a couple of spots, but otherwise it was an entertaining and interesting read.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, those fucking French writers and their beguiling charm. I will carve my baguette into the shape of a pistol and make them hand over some to me, because they have so much of it and I so little.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

With typical French humor Echenoz describes how someone can, through a number of circumstances, end up in hell - which turns out to be modern day Paris, where our main character Max Delmarc has lived all along. With an endearing hilarity, we are sent on a romantic chase through Paris, sparing no detail of Delmarc's feelings, thoughts or desperate actions.

Includes spoilers!!!!!

Max Delmarc is a very successful and somewhat famous piano player who lives near chateau rouge in the 18e arrondissement,
obviously in Paris.
In the first half of the book we learn that max suffers from stage fright and self medicates with alcohol in order to cope with his performances (he drinks before and after the concerts)
Bernie is a poorer man who works for parisy, max' boss to look after max and make sure he shows up to concerts and isn't too drunk to perform. He always talks about his stepson who has a very big skull and a very high IQ.
Max is an older single man, who had an encounter with a lady called rose about 30 years ago. We learn if all the women in his life/ his sister whom he lives with (first only described as Alice we suspect it's his wife at the beginning), then his neighbor whom he fancies and always bumps into, but who is married and has kids. And of course rose, whom he thinks he sees on a train going into the opposite direction as his one day, and tries to chase half way through the city - without finding the woman he thinks could be rose. (30 years later)
Then one night after a gala where he performed he walks home and worries about being jumped by the husband of his lady neighbor, who had come to the gala and asked him to sign a cd. It turns out the husband wasn't the one he should have worried about, as he gets robbed by two hooded adolescents, and when he pulls off their mask, also stabbed in the throat. He dies, and unaware of this, wakes up in a hotel-room like bed. He has a nurse tend to him who looks like Peggy lee and according Beliard really is peggy Lee. Dean Martin shows up, called Dino, and serves him food, refusing to admit who he is, while still singing and behaving like Dean Martin.
Beliard takes him to meet the director who doesn't seem authoritative at all. He is taken to the doctor who performs cosmetic surgery to hide his wound. On a lonely Sunday he tries to escape and makes it a few 100 meters away from the center when Dean Martin stops in a car beside him and takes him back to the center.
He has dinner with lots of other men at a fine restaurant and everyone he sees is around his age and has obvious covered up wounds that give away how they might have died. he is in a men's only area. He is then shown 'the park' by Beliard, a big garden will all trees that occur in the world, waterfalls, and even the ocean, and wild monkey, and comments that he might get bored there. When he goes back to his room, Peggy lee comes to see him and they sleep together. The next day he is notified that he will be sent to the urban zone and not the park, and he has to undergo plastic surgery (to comply with one of the three rules to hide his identity). In order to get a new identity, Max is flown to Iquitos, given a bit of money and some basic toiletries and a phone number of a local forger. After a few days the forger has his passport ready, but demands the entire remnants of Max' money. Max settles for a deal in which he gets a free flight to Paris and some US dollars, but has to transport something illegal into the country. He makes it through customs and gets picked up by someone called Schmidt and is driven to a hotel where he now has to work as a bar tender to make a living and pay for his room in the attic at the hotel. After ordering a pisco at the hotel in Iquitos and having an aversive reaction to it, he no longer wants to consume alcohol and has no problem working at the bar. He notices a prostitute frequenting the bar with clients in the evening. He starts dating and then moving in with the receptionist and her son. After a while he gets bored with the relationship and while he thinks of ways to break up, Bernie walks into the bar with a prostitute and immediately walks up to Max, having recognized him. Bernie helps Max get rid of Felicienne and arranges for an audition at a new club. Max starts playing the piano and the owner Gilbert offers him a job. In walks Beliard and threatens Max, but then resigns, stating he is tired from looking for someone who has fled the park. Max starts his job and moves in with Bernie. Beliard comes by more and more often and falls into deep depression which he medicates through alcohol abuse, and moves in with Max and Bernie who look after him. Eventually Beliard gets better on his own and moderates his drinking as well. Max goes to the department store one day to buy new underwear and he hears a Rose being called to the customer service desk, he goes there on a hunch. It really is Rose, and when he is about to approach her (after 30 years) and talk to her, Beliard walks from across the shop, starts talking to Rose and then explains to a stunned Max that yes, while Max was supposed to find her, Beliard is the one taking her with him - back to the park- and that this is what the urban zone is all about, just like hell.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echenoz is een Franse schrijver die me aangeraden werd door een Spaanse vriendin. Aan de piano gaat over een concertpianist die podiumvrees heeft en alcoholist is. Van in het begin weet je dat Max binnen afzienbare tijd zal sterven. In het eerste deel van het boek leren we Max inderdaad kennen als iemand die drank nodig heeft om op het podium te presteren. Het verhaal neemt een heel andere wending wanneer hij inderdaad uit de weg geruimd wordt. Ik had voortdurend het gevoel dat ik in een van mijn dromen aan het ronddwalen was. Heel wat 'wat als?'-vragen passeren ook de revue. Blij dat ik deze auteur heb leren kennen. Dit boek was zeker niet het laatste dat ik van hem ga lezen.

[Hakan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echenoz'dan ilginç bir roman daha. Bu arada hemen belirteyim, çevirisi şu an piyasada yok, bir sahaftan Sarışın Bombalar ile birlikte online almıştım bu kitabı. Bu sefer metafizik sulara yelken açmış Echenoz. Sahne stresini alkolle aşmaya çalışan, karşı cinsle mahçup ve platonik ilişkiler yaşayan ünlü bir piyanistin öteki dünyaya da uzanan hikayesi anlatılıyor. Ve zaman zaman insanı donduruyor bu hikaye. Hiçbir dramaya yol açmadan minimalist bir cehennem ortamı yaratabilmiş. Bu da yazarın maharetini ortaya koyuyor tabii.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated this book. It set up an interesting premise about life and death, but the ending infuriated me. It seemed like self-important and indulgent writing. Boo!

[Juanjo Alguacil Abellán · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro correcto. Me ha gustado más la primera parte donde se refleja un protagonista muy disciplinado con su trabajo de pianista a través del cuál y con el alcohol, camufla su propia desconfianza, su pobre relación amorosa, y su escaso disfrute de la vida.
La segunda parte, a raíz del suceso clave que acontece se me ha hecho más pesada.
Me ha recordado un poco a la película de Whiplash , salvando las distancias.

[Ingrida Lisauskiene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psichologinis prancūzų autoriaus romanas apie talentingą menininką, kurio gyvenimą sunkina priklausomybė alkoholiui, scenos baimė, "vergavimas" savo agentui. Apiplėšimo metu jis nužudomas ir gyvena visiškai kitokį pomirtinį bet labai kasdienišką gyvenimą, kuriame jau nėra vietos muzikai. Tačiau ji vistiek sugrįžta į jo gyvenimą

[Alejandro Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emotiva y humorística historia del amor evasivo que nunca recuperas por más que te ilusiones de que lo estás buscando y en realidad nunca lo hagas. Esta es la segunda novela que leo de Echenoz, muy diferente a la anterior. Muchos presumen de sus conquistas, pero estas ilusiones perdurables de amores no consumados, pueden marcar una vida.

[Ynneb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geen boek om te lezen, maar om te savoureren ! Geen woord, geen letter te veel, maar ook niet te weinig. Mystiek, doorleefd , Echenoz eigen. Achter iedere zin zit een dubbele bodem, maar toch blijft het verhaal beklijven.
Is dit echt onze toekomst in de hel ?
Een aanrader !

[Angélique Moreau · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book after having read 14. I hope to find again the stylistic minimalism I thought was characteristic of Echenoz (I haven't read any other book he has written), but no, it is an altogether different voice, younger perhaps, yet more in tune with this fantasy-full novel dealing with incertainty. It is dark, though, and drowning in endless questions like some of the characters drown their sorrows in alcohol.

If we learn from the very first lines that Max is going to die soon (it is not a spoiler to say so), we are kept in suspense about the actual date when this even will take place. And if life ended up going on after all ? Condamned to eternal life, after an existence bordering on the depressing and the deadly, this is one hell of a punition for Max / Paul.

I don't know what to think about this novel. It is too short and full of similes for the character to be really endearing. The hero changes often, is devoid of a fixed character. Trees are more present than him in the text. And yet, those roads not taken, those unexplored narrations (what about the suitcase full of smuggled goods?), these women who are the condition of one's life's happiness, those rebirths, everything seems like a metaphor for the choices that everyone makes in deciding which way to go. The reader can still hope to be surprised by those unexpected turns. We are as lost as the hero, who is torn between the orders he is given and is love for piano.

Read this book if you want to spend a couple of hours full of weirdness. It is between the novel and the (easy-read) philosophical tale.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^

J'ai pris ce livre après avoir lu 14. J’espérais retrouver le minimalisme stylistique qui m'avait paru caractériser l’écriture d'Echenoz (je n'en ai pas lu d'autres), mais non, c'est une toute autre voix, plus jeune peut-être, surtout plus adaptée à ce récit fantaisiste de l'incertitude. Sombre, pourtant, et se noyant dans des questionnements comme certains des personnages dans l'alcool.
Si l'on apprend dès les premières lignes du livre que Max va bientôt mourir (je ne fais donc pas de spoiler), l'absence de la date à laquelle cet événement va arriver nous maintient en suspense. Et si la vie continuait après tout ? Condamné à la vie éternelle, après une existence plutôt déprimante et mortifère, voila l'enfer de la punition de Max / Paul.
C'est un roman dont je n'ai su que penser. Trop court et plein de figures pour que le personnage soit attachant. Un héros changeant, sans grand caractère. Les arbres ont plus de présence que lui dans le texte. Et pourtant, ces chemins que l'on n'a pas pris, ces pistes narratives non-explorées (quid de la mallette de contrebande?), ces femmes sur lesquelles se focalise l'enjeu du bonheur d'une vie, ces occasions de renaissance, ne sont-ils pas une métaphore du parcours et des choix de chacun? On nous ménage au moins la surprise de ne pas nous suggérer l’étape suivante. Nous sommes tout aussi perdus que le héros, déchiré entre les ordres qu'on lui donne et son amour pour le piano.
À lire pour vous faire passer un moment singulier. Entre le roman et le conte philosophique de gare.

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

È la storia di Max Delmarc, un pianista di successo che, però, non conosce la vita eccitante che la maggior parte di noi immaginerebbe. Il pianoforte per lui è una bestia indomabile dai denti d’avorio, le fauci spalancate pronte a sbranargli l’anima da un momento all’altro. Il pianoforte è tutto il suo mondo, anche se una paura folle lo assale ogni volta che sul palcoscenico avvicina le dita ai tasti immacolati.

“Eccolo li il terribile Steinway, con la sua lunga tastiera bianca pronta a sbranarti, quella mostruosa dentiera che ti stritolerà con tutto il suo avorio e il suo smalto, che ti aspetta per ridurti in brandelli…..Ci si sedette davanti, il direttore brandì la bacchetta, subito scese il silenzio ed ecco, ci siamo, non ne posso più. Questa non è vita. Ma non esageriamo. Sarei anche potuto nascere e morire a Manila, venditore di sigarette al pezzo, lustrascarpe in Bogotà…E allora forza, visto che siamo qui, primo movimento, op. 21 di Frederic Chopin!”

Lontano dal palcoscenico, conduce un’esistenza piatta e anonima nella quale finge di lottare contro l’alcool e sogna donne che non ha mai avuto. È pieno di fobie, la più notevole delle quali è il ricordo incessante di Rose, una donna vista alcuni pomeriggi in un bar trent’anni prima.

La sua ancora giovane esistenza è interrotta bruscamente da una morte violenta; e Max si ritrova nell’aldilà. Aldilà che consiste in una zona di transito che assomiglia a una clinica dove Max, sotto la scorta di custodi gentili ma solerti, i cui volti gli ricordano curiosamente uomini e donne di successo, attende il giudizio che lo destinerà in una delle due zone cui sono destinati i morti. La sua permanenza nella clinica è provvisoria: una settimana o poco più, appena il tempo di apportare al suo aspetto alcuni impercettibili cambiamenti che non lo facciano differire da ciò che era, ma allo stesso tempo lo rendano irriconoscibile, preparandolo alla sua nuova destinazione.

La punizione per Max sarà quella di essere spettatore dall’esterno di una vita che una volta era la sua, ma della quale gli sarà proibito riappropriarsi. Punizione molto più terribile di uno spartito complicato da affrontare di fronte a un pubblico esigente, così rigida da costringerlo a dimenticare la propria identità personale e artistica e a non prendere contatto con chi ha fatto parte del suo passato. L’incredulità di poter continuare a esistere dopo la morte lascia presto spazio all’angoscia di non avere più un nome, un trascorso in cui riconoscersi, un futuro in cui poter ancora sperare. Sarà costretto, come eterno castigo, a vedere ovunque e a inseguire l’unica donna che ha davvero desiderato in vita senza avere la possibilità di raggiungerla.

È un romanzo suddiviso in tre parti come un concerto di pianoforte, affascinante, ben costruito, metaforico, a tratti anche umoristico e che fa riflettere. In alcuni tratti ricorda Il processo di Kafka.

[Kris McCracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A contemporary French novel that is at once suave, droll and dry. It isn’t a spoiler to say that we learn that our central character is going to die a violent death in twenty-two days (it’s mentioned in the third sentence). What follows is the tale of alcoholic French classical pianist, his death and (ultimately) his afterlife, Piano is a charming (if somewhat odd) novel.

Imagine an episode of The Twilight Zone infused with a heavy dose of French existentialism and you will have some idea of this book. The dénouement is heartbreaking, with an emotional pull rarely achieved in the genre (at least to this reader). Questions of religion, free will and morality underplay the narrative, but delivered with the lightest touch and making this an enchanting read.

Bizarre, incredibly playful and yet remarkably grounded, Piano is a very enjoyable novel. Highly recommended.

[Pečivo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Když člověk zemře, tak ho nejdřív opraví v centru, který vypadá jak vystřižený ze Zavřených dveří od Sartra (akorát Echenoz povoluje vycházky z pokoje) a pak ho pošlou do jižní Ameriky. Hovno nějaký náboženství, Echenoz tomu rozumí mnohem líp.

Jako bonus je hlavní hrdina za života koncertní pianista, kterej se bojí piana, tak furt musí hrozně lejt, aby zvládl odehrát koncert. Já se třeba ve svým starým bytě bál pavouků a tak sem musel hrozně lejt, abych usnul, takže mu úplně rozumím. Za mne 8/10.

[Temy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought there must be something else at the end but no, the novel was ended rather abruptly. So I gathered the point of the novel is human life on earth is like Hell?
"You see, this is what it's like in the urban zone. This is what it consists of. In a sense, it's what most of you call Hell."

This is my first Echenoz. His writing is clear and easy reading, and pretty enticing, but I'm not impressed.

[Pierre Sabourin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisez plutot Je m'en vais ou Ravel du meme auteur.

[Kelvino · Rating 2 out of 5]

What is this book even. I enjoyed the writing that somewhat reminded me of Sally Rooney (<3) and at times its self aware narrator that seems to have a personality but honestly, I have no idea what the hell this ended up being, maybe I completely missed the point or smth. Like this guy was a depressed alcoholic pianist, ends up getting murdered, is revived in this purgatory place? Gets sent back to the real world and just lives a better life now? Like apparently getting sent back into Paris is supposed to be "hell" but honestly it just seems like he's living a chill life. The book comes off extremely improvised as the ending point really ... doesn't make much sense to me. Idk his life seems chill now. He's no longer dealing with alcoholism and isn't depressed from overworking. He's living that daily life he wanted and hangs out with Bernie and has fun. He doesn't get Rose in the end as he'd have wanted but honestly, LMFAO who cares about Rose, the connection he had with her was like non existent anyways. Anyways. weird book. I got baited by the title cuz i Like piano.

[Ernest · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It's just that love...is not only evanescent, but soluble. Soluble in time, money, alcohol, daily life, and a host of other things besides."

A story about a concert pianist who one day gets stabbed (and dies?), and wakes up in a strange centre. We don't know where this centre is, whether it's the afterlife or just another place on earth. But he then eventually gets sent back to his hometown with new regulations to live by.

I don't know what to make of this story. The first 7/8 of the plot was pretty interesting, almost unfolding like a mysterious, off-kilter Murakami journey. But then the ending was so abrupt and made no sense to me.

There is supposed to be some metaphor about life and death, heaven or hell according to the blurb behind the book. While I can kinda see that, I felt it was not executed very well.

[Liveta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Daugelis šią knygą painioja su kita, tokio paties pavadinimo, knyga. Ši, kurią perskaičiau yra Jean Echenoz autoriaus, o ne Władysław Szpilman, pagal kurią yra pastatytas filmas.
Būčiau labai laiminga, jei ir ji būtų išversta į lietuvių kalbą, bet...
O dabar apie Jean Echenoz knygą. 🎹
Mane labai domina temos - gyvenimas - mirtis, tad šios knygos anotacija labai sudomino.
Tačiau nemanau, kad būčiau daug ką praradusi, jei nebūčiau jos skaičiusi...
Knygos siužetas painokas, net nesu tikra ar iki galo supratau knygos esmę.
Skaitydama nesimėgavau. Na, gal buvo keli momentai, bet jų tikrai nedaug. Iš pradžių gan gerai skaitėsi, tačiau, nežinau.... Ne mano tipo knyga...
Knyga nėra bloga, tačiau, manau, kad šiai knygai reikia protingesnio skaitytojo.
Neradau daugiau žodžių šiai knygai. Gaila.

[fiafia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je l'ai lu pour la première fois il y a quinze ans, dans le cadre du Livre Inter. À l'époque, je n'ai encore rien compris à Echenoz (même si je continuais à lire tous ses romans, je sentais bien qu'il y avaiy quelque chose qui m'échappait). Et ce roman m'a semblé presque le plus accessible, au moins pour le lecteur russe, au vu de certaines expériences littéraires (je pense à Boulgakov et à "L'altiste Danilov").
Il y a quelques années, le déclic s'est enfin produit et j'ai décidé de relire tous les Echenoz, ce que je fais de temps en temps. Et où est-ce que j'ai vu du Boulgakov ou du Orlov dans ce roman on ne peut plus parisien? Mais hélas, j'y ai aussi trouvé moins de ce que j'apprécie chez Echenoz: on le retrouve, certes, mais je ne pense pas que celui-ci est à placer parmi les plus réussis.

[Roxanne Fyfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ayant commencé ce livre sans avoir lu le résumé au préalable, j’ai été agréablement surprise par la tournure de ce petit roman. J’adore lorsqu’on traite des abysses et du passage entre la vie et la mort. Au centre, Max doit décider entre la vie urbaine et la jungle, chacune des deux issues ayant ses bons et mauvais côtés.

Somme toute, une splendide oeuvre d’Echenoz sur la vie, voire l’après-vie d’un célèbre pianiste qui est contraint à faire face à ses démons.

[Kelby Porter · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I hadn’t read a review saying the ending redeemed all the slow, gray, drawn out parts of this book, I would’ve put it back on the shelf and never looked at it again except to curse it for wasting my time.

So I finished it. And to no surprise whatsoever, I found the ending just as dull and dreary as the rest of the book.

Even trying to write a review about all the reasons this book feel short for me is exhausting.

[Simona Moschini · Rating 5 out of 5]

In un certo senso è una ghost story.
E' anche molto umano e toccante, e non so perché ma l'amore giovanile incompiuto tra Marc e Rose, che si incontreranno (lei senza riconoscerlo) solo quando ormai è - nel vero senso della parola - troppo tardi, mi è rimasto dentro. Non dico altro per non rovinarvi la sorpresa: aggiungo solo che Echenoz è decisamente all'altezza delle critiche tributategli.

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

J ai beaucoup aime la première partie du livre. L histoire d un pianiste. Simple, intéressante, un plaisir à lire. La deuxième (après sa mort) moins. Livre difficile à décrire. Livre de notre temps. En tant que auteur actuel, j ai aimé. Pas prise de tête comme beaucoup. Envie de lire un autre livre pour être sur d aimer. Apprécie sans coup de cœur.

[Rashid Alasgarov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Axıcı və maraqlı bir kitab olmasına baxmayaraq, çox qısa idi. Sanki mövzü yarımçıq qalmış kimi hiss etdirdi sonluqda.
Tərcümədə isə hədsiz dərəcədə dialekt sözlər var idi. Kitabın öz ana dilindən tərcümə olunsa da bəzi cümlələrin nə başı nə də sonu bəlli idi. Paraqraf içində bəzən dialoqlara keçirdi və tutmaq olmurdu ki, iki insan bir-birilə danışır yoxsa personaj özü iləmi.

[Margot Dintrans · Rating 5 out of 5]

très grosse surprise, j’ai ABSOLUMENT adoré !! étant moi même pianiste (de pacotille mais osef), je me suis vachement identifiée au personnage, qui devient pratiquement fou à cause de sa haine de l’instrument (il est pianiste mais il est ultra ultra ultra anxieux de jouer sur scène), bref je recommande!!