The Piano Teacher (1983)

One of the best translations I've ever encountered in terms of taking a work and keeping it entertaining rather than making it strictly an accurate transformation of syntax. The swarming words frame each scene, again and again, in sometimes humorous and frequently horrifying terms. This is the story of a woman cut off from the world, whose secret ambition is, like all of us, to be loved. Her attempts to manifest her needs in the real world end up getting in the way of what she really wants. In trying to draw out love from one of her adult-students, she discovers in him a horrible abomination brought about by his own impatience, arrogance and wounded pride. She uses the wrong tools on the wrong tool, so to speak. This is not an easy book to read. ( )

A fascinating book albeit in a train wreck, can't-look-away vein. Erica, a piano teacher at a University in Austria, and a failed concert pianist, is fast approaching middle age. Dominated by her overly possessive mother, she relieves her boredom and disappointment through voyeurism and self-mutilation. When a much younger student shows an interest in her, Erica takes a stab at escaping her isolated life with Mother. Will she succeed this time?

Not for the faint of heart, an unflinching look into the minds of three damaged personalities - each one trying to come out on top.
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a disturbing (but possibly realistic) view of a young lady who has love and lust mixed in a viscous death dance. it seems like she is constantly swinging between the extremes of control and submission, punishment on self and then toward others, self loathing and pride, seeking approval and complete autonomy. perhaps she shows the worst in all of us. that she will never have a normal, healthy, truly loving (others centered, self sacrificing(not mutilating) relationship could be the saddest attribute she carries.

we could blame the controlling, over obsessive mother or her slightly deranged non-existent father. yet even when she is left to herself, believing that she is free, she is not. for even in her breaking away, she is chained to her dark, lustful soul.

i am at a loss as to whether i liked the story or not (for who could flippantly say such a thing about this writing). i know for sure that i didn't appreciate how she wrote. something in the rhythm, the timing, the flipping back from past to present, the lack of quotation marks (making it hard to distinguish what is actually said and what is thought and who is saying . . .) was more of a barrier to me than an artistic help.

the more i read, i'm finding that i just click with certain voices, certain styles, certain tones. not so with this one.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. While the story is engaging, in a dark, demented sort of way, I found I stumbled through a lot of it due to the writing style, particularly the totally unorganized paragraphical structure. If I look beyond the writing style I find a main character who, due to a lifetime of being dominated by her overbearing and cruel mother, seeks to be further dominated by her lover, Walter Klemmer in a sado-masochistic sexual relationship. While it might appear that Walter is the one doing the dominating, in reality it is Erika, as she is the one giving the orders as to what is to be done to her. Erika's attempt at controlling that previously unexplored aspect of her life fails miserably.

I feel that if the writing style had been better I would have enjoyed the book a lot more. ( )

"Trust is fine, but control is better." (5, 198)

The Piano Teacher is a read like none other I've experienced. Its subject matter is dark, and Jelinek's portrayal is stark, and powerful. This translation is top-notch. The writing is clear, crisp, and engaging.

Erika Kohut is the eponymous protagonist. She is in her late thirties, a professor of music at the prestigious Vienna Conservatory. She lives with her abusive, controlling mother who lives vicariously through her daughter. Mama has "adopted an ambition as her own child." (162) Erika was to have been a concert pianist but failed to achieve this goal; mama reminds her of this failure often. She micro-controls every aspect of her daughter's life.

Erika's response to her existence is, understandably, self-loathing. She self-mutilates and further acts out by exerting absolute control over whatever she can. She is cruel and demanding with her students, and takes pleasure in inflicting pain on others. Erika begins to frequent seedy pornographic theatres and live sex shows on her way home from work. When her student, Walter Klemmer, expresses interest in her, she looks to sadomasochism to feed her self-loathing and establish ultimate control.

Jelink is masterful in her portrayal of Erika. While my usual response to such complete submission in a character would be disdain, I felt none of this for Erika. Her experience was so devoid of human emotion, it simply was not possible to feel indifferent toward her. On the contrary, I understood and was empathetic towards her servility.

Not recommended for readers who may be offended by blatant sexuality. ( )