The Piano Tuner Audiobook By Daniel Mason cover art

The Piano Tuner

A Novel

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The Piano Tuner

By: Daniel Mason
Narrated by: Richard Matthews
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An extraordinary first novel that tells the story of a British piano tuner sent deep into Burma in the nineteenth century.

In October 1886, Edgar Drake receives a strange request from the British War Office: he must leave his wife and his quiet life in London to travel to the jungles of Burma, where a rare Erard grand piano is in need of repair. The piano belongs to an army surgeon-major whose unorthodox peacemaking methods—poetry, medicine, and now music—have brought a tentative quiet to the southern Shan States but have elicited questions from his superiors.

On his journey through Europe, the Red Sea, India, and into Burma, Edgar meets soldiers, mystics, bandits, and tale-spinners, as well as an enchanting woman as elusive as the surgeon-major. And at the doctor’s fort on a remote Burmese river, Edgar encounters a world more mysterious and dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

Sensuous, lyrical, rich with passion and adventure, this is a hypnotic tale of myth, romance, and self-discovery: an unforgettable novel.©2002 Daniel Mason; (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military Piano Feel-Good

Critic reviews

“A gripping and resonant novel. . . . It immerses the reader in a distant world with startling immediacy and ardor. . . . Riveting.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“An ambitious, adventuresome, highly unusual first novel that offers pleasures too rarely encountered in contemporary American literary fiction. . . . [Mason is] a gifted, original and courageous writer.” —The Washington Post Book World

“Luminous. . . . Mason’s writing achieves that kind of reverie in which every vision, tone, flavor and sensation is magnified.” —Los Angeles Times

“Intoxicating, full of sights to see, histories to learn, stories to entertain.” —USA Today

“Remarkable. . . . A profound adventure story.” –The New Yorker

“Inspired. . . . The Piano Tuner is a brilliant debut.” –Miami Herald

“Reminded me of books I read by flashlight, under the covers, when I was young.” –USA Today

“Mason’s writing achieves that kind of reverie in which every vision, tone, flavor and sensation is magnified.” –LA Times

“Excellent. . . . [Mason’s] powerful prose style and his ability to embrace history, politics, nature and medicine . . . [is] astonishing.” –The New York Times Book Review

“The Piano Tuner is a haunting, passionate story of empire and individualism. . . . [Mason is] a gifted writer.” –San Francisco Chronicle

“This wondrous work of fiction . . . artfully weaves psychology, politics, medicine and music theory into a polyphonic composition. . . . A virtuoso performance.” –Newsday

“[A] very fine first novel. . . . Its author is rich in talent and promise.” –Philadelphia Inquirer

“Daniel Mason’s ambitious, lyrical The Piano Tuner . . . [possesses] genuine moments of ominous beauty. . . . Readers . . . should be intrigued by the mix of historical detail, lush settings, and equally lush language.” –San Jose Mercury News

“A smart, entertaining adventure.” –Christian Science Monitor

“An intense, shimmering dream of a story.” –Grand Rapids Press

“Mason has improvised a virtuoso tale . . . a complex and subtly imagined adventure.” –Guardian Unlimited
Fascinating Characters • Interwoven Storyline • Historical Authenticity • Exotic Setting • Captivating Plot

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I joined Audible in 2007. Piano Tuner was among the first books I heard. Today, 2012, I still think about this book. I consider it one of the best, most unique stories I've heard. The characters are well developed. The history and the fate of the piano turner are fascinating. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story does start slow. The detail seems a little thick because you don't know the story is going, but then it comes together. And in the end, in some ineffable way, it doesn't leave you. I honestly don't know why I enjoyed this book so much. But five years later, I am still thinking about this book.

Can't forget this one - sticks with you

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While I prefer stories that aren’t necessarily bittersweet, this was a mystical and beautiful story. The history is altogether new to me and the exposure was an unexpected gift. The writing is extraordinary and the descriptions put me in the time and place. Edgar Drake is an unforgettable character, respectably settled, while open to new and different ways of and seeing and experiencing.

An astounding and educational story

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Well read interesting story, departure from usual genre; but written in classic style. Educational but not pedantic. Seemed to end too quickly for me tied loose ends together after a long journey.

Unique

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Most interesting to me where the description of the area. I was transported into a place foreign to me. I learned a great deal about music, local history of a far away land.

Love being transported!

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I picked this book based on my fascination with British colonialism during the 19th century and the narrator's fantastic work with Bill Bryson's book "A Brief History of Everything". The narrator's range of vocal characters is unmatched and he even manages to do female vocals well enough. The setting is richly described in detail. Unfortunately, the story is fairly slow up until the 2nd to last chapter and the payoff is left missing. For those reasons, I gave it a 3 star review

Superb performance, interesting setting, very slow

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