The Piano Teacher

Real rating 1.8 stars This book is a dark disturbing story about a depressed young woman and her controlling, deranged (there is really no there word to describe her) mother. Erika self-harms. Her outlook on life is very negative and she is nasty and always wants to be in control. Unsurprisingly, her relationship with both her mother and Walter erupts into violence. She is both a victim and a perpetrator. The subject matter of this book is so heavy that I could only read a few pages at a time. Erika's situation is so desperate, so desolate that it felt suffocating. In addition, the non-linear timeline, use of obscure metaphors and difficult subject matter made for a very difficult, shocking and challenging read. If that was Jelinek's intention, she was entirely successful but I won't be recommending this book to anyone anytime soon.

Real rating 1.8 stars This book is a dark disturbing story about a depressed young woman and her controlling, deranged (there is really no there word to describe her) mother. Erika self-harms. Her outlook on life is very negative and she is nasty and always wants to be in control. Unsurprisingly, her relationship with both her mother and Walter erupts into violence. She is both a victim and a perpetrator. The subject matter of this book is so heavy that I could only read a few pages at a time. Erika's situation is so desperate, so desolate that it felt suffocating. In addition, the non-linear timeline, use of obscure metaphors and difficult subject matter made for a very difficult, shocking and challenging read. If that was Jelinek's intention, she was entirely successful but I won't be recommending this book to anyone anytime soon.