The Piano Teacher Author:Elfriede Jelinek, Joachim Neugroschel (Translator) Erika Kohut teaches piano at the Vienna Conservatory by day. But by night she trawls the porn shows of Vienna while her mother, whom she loves and hates in equal measure, waits up for her. — Into this emotional pressure-cooker bounds music student and ladies' man, Walter Klemmer. With Walter as her student, Erika spirals out of control, consu... more »med by the ecstasy of self-destruction.« less
This book is not easy reading, due both to the content as well as the density of the writing. The characters are all deplorable, and it was therefore difficult to like this novel.
THE PIANO TEACHER was published in 1983 and was the first of Jelinek's novels to be translated to English. The protagonist of the novel is Erika Kohut, a piano teacher in her 30s who lives with and is devoted to her mother. She is also sexually suppressed and finds pleasure by looking at peep shows and porn films and also by hurting herself using a razor. Then a young student enters her life, Walter Klemmer, who wants to conquer Erika's affection. But Erika's masochistic nature makes this a difficult task. She writes Klemmer a letter detailing a long list of perversity that she wants done to her. This disturbs Klemmer and ultimately ends in violence.
This novel was definitely disturbing and without enjoyment. I read this mainly because it is on the list of "1001 books you must read before you die." But I think I could have lived fine without reading this. I didn't really like the subject matter or the writing style of the novel. It was mainly short descriptive sentences with the use of a lot of metaphors. There was little or no dialog in the writing. And the descriptions bordered on the pornographic. I know Jelinek was making a point about women's sexuality and showing that women as well as men have strong sexual desires and fantasies that may not be attainable but this was a little over the top. I'm not sure if Jelinek received her Nobel Prize based partly on this novel but if so, I really must be missing something.
Fascist people trying to get what they want with no empathy and a lust for a life of selfish desires and control. Loved it. They are not likable and that is what makes it a great novel. It is easier to write about likable people but to get people to care about characters like this takes talent.