Piano Society Book Club

Well, we don't really have a book club yet, but maybe we can get something together.

Finding the right kind of book will be the hard part, but I think I may have an idea - unless everybody has already read this book except me.

It's titled, "The Piano Shop on the Left Bank - Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier" by Thad Carhart. Here is a summary:

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An American expatriate living in the City of Lights provides an intimate portrait of Paris life as seen through the eyes of the individuals who use Desforges Pianos, a tiny little shop in his Paris neighborhood, where an intriguing array of locals from all walks of life gather to discuss music, love, and life over a glass of wine, surrounded by the pianos that the owner restores.

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Doesn't that sound great? I found the book at my local library and have already put a hold on it. Even we don't get a book club going, I'm going to read it.

 

That´s sounds interesting, Monica. But I fear, it will be too difficult for me to read a complete book in English (though it would be a good praxis for me) and I don´t know, if I could get this book here in Germany. I fear, it would cost so much time to look for words in dictionary, that I wouldn´t come through the text.

 

You guys are forgetting something. Many books are printed in other languages. Andreas - do you have a library near you? Maybe look for it there. Or maybe at Amazon.com.

And that goes for you Nathan, and you Julius. If you can't find the book at your library, just buy it at Amazon. There are used copies for as little as $0.25 plus shipping so about $5.00. That's cheap!

 

Ok, good Jennifer and Alfonso. We'll see if the others can get a hold of this book.

Alfonso - if we do read this, you can still join in the discussions.

 

Juufa72 wrote:

Thank you, Julius. That encourages me!

Your little german expressions are also always a pleasure for me, Julius. Unfortunately I don´t know "Der kleine Eisbär", but I´ll look for it (just by interest :wink: ) and I suggest you "Winnie Pooh" (has it not an English author, isn´t it?). This is also a child-book, which tells us of a bear, very nice and very funny.

 

Pianolady wrote:

O.k., Monica, it will be a pleasure for me to look for it at the weekend. After the encouraging words of Julius I´m really up to it.

 

I have bought the book. It´s only available in English, I suppose, a german translation doesn´t exist. It´s also possible to buy it as an e-book:
http://ebooks.ebookmall.com/title/piano ... ebooks.htm
but I prefer a real book.

In the online shop, where I bought it, there was the beginning of each chapter online to read. I think, it will be too difficult for me to read the whole book, because there are many many words, which I don´t know. (And I think, I´ll not have the time to look for much words in my dictionary.) But I would like to try the first chapter or so. This will be a good praxis in English for me.
And may be I will hear the rest from the others here. In every case it will be interesting, I think.

 

That's great news, Andreas. I will be picking up my book later today, but I may not have time to actually start reading it until tomorrow or so.

And to all you other members out there - you know what they say, "The more the merrier", so please join us.

But one thing - how do we do this book club? I read a lot but have never been in one.

 

Hi Monica,
we have not to hurry. I have ordered the book today online. It will take 6-10 days until I get it. Then I´ll need several days (or weeks?) to come through the first chapter, I suppose. :wink:
So, I think, you have still a bit time to read. On the other side: it´s not necessary to wait for me, if you want to start now.

May be we could do a summary by chapter (I only can take chapter one). Then we could develop interesting questions of understanding and/or interpretation of this novel and the others could write their thoughts to them. (Just a proposition.)

I´m looking forward to the book. Too bad, that it´ll take more than a week until I get it, because now I have two weeks Easter-vacation, and so I would have a bit more time for such things.

 

I´m really thinking about, if I should also buy the e-book, because I would like to start now with reading as long as I have Easter-vacations. I don´t want to wait one or two weeks. :? What do you think, Monica?

 

Well, can you get your money back from the paper book you ordered? If not, then I don't mind waiting for you to get it and then we can start our discussion. I don't know if any of the other members have the book yet, either.

However, since you have a long vacation starting now, I'd order that e-book. It's fine with me either way.

 

O.k., I think on tuesday I´ll order that e-book. So, I can directly use the online-dictionary while reading. That´s the advantage. The disadvantage is, that my computer does not want to go into my bed with me. :wink: :lol: (Though I´m always a bit sceptical to give my credit-card-number in the internet. But I have done this still several times, because there was no other possibility.)

 

Hi Monica,
I have bought the e-book now, because the book-shop has difficulties to order this book for me. I can read it with Adobe Digital Editions and it´s very comfortable, because I can use the online-dicitionary in the same time. I have started to read chapter one: "Luc".

I have a question: What means the word "bank" in the title exactly. Does it mean "upheavel" or "serie of houses or something else (a money-bank?). I can´t translate it surely somehow.

In every case I´ll improve my English by reading this. So, will you start to read, too?

 

It means the left side of the Seine River. In Paris, places are often described as being located on the right side of the river, or the left.

Yes - I have the book also and just started chapter one last night. I think it will be a charming book! I wish other members would read along with us.