The Piano Lesson by August Wilson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Piano Lesson
Book Review: Pretty Good
Summary: 4 Stars
Had to read this book for an English Class. Quite interesting. About multicultural oppurtunities in the 1930's. Characters are well developed, story-line is slightly...boring?? Maybe boring isn't the word, but there is a lot of whoop-la for a mere lesson to be learned. Suggested book with an open-mind.Book Review: Really good!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book shipped fast and was in really good condition. The book was also an easy read and was an overall good book! Would recommend!Book Review: Some good points, but poorly written.
Summary: 2 Stars
Albeit this book carries a nice concept, the play itself is tedious and ill-written. A short read..but nothing remarkable.Book Review: The Piano Lesson
Summary: 4 Stars
Acclaimed playwright, August Wilson, pens The Piano Lesson, a story of a family living in Pittsburgh whose family ancestry traces back to slavery in the South. A piano is the cause of much contention particularly between two characters: Boy Willie and his sister, Berniece. You will find that Wilson was careful not to add too much depth to the other characters in the two act play. A reserved Berniece wants to keep the piano in the family. An over-exuberant Boy Willie insists that the piano be sold to help him purchase land in the South. Family strife is inflamed even more by the fact that the piano is haunted by the original piano owner, Sutter, who paid for the piano with a few of his slaves (similar to the candelabra in the '98 movie, Down in the Delta).
For Berniece, the piano, despite being haunted by the past, is steeped in family heritage:
"Money can't buy what that piano cost. You can't sell your soul for money."
For Boy Willie, well, he's fighting family demons, literally and figuratively:
"The only thing my Daddy had to give me was that piano. And he died over giving me that. I ain't gonna let it sit up there and rot without trying to do something with it."
As for the lesson learned, in my opinion, Wilson leaves that open for interpretation. I believe any number of lessons could be found. Wilson brilliantly crafts this play to leave the reader thinking in the end; perhaps that was part of the lesson plan as well.
see also DVD The Piano Lesson
Book Review: The Piano Lesson
Summary: 4 Stars
This book by August Wilson is a good description of the Black movement to the North in the early 20th century. It correctly shows the ins and outs of a black family life in America before emancipation years and the value placed on providing a better life in the North than was afforded earlier in generations down South. All this while sticking together and not loosing family values.
Bernice does not forget the pride the strong will along with the sense of propriety she had learned from her ancestors. Boy Willie reflects his inherited traits as well, but has that impatient irresponsibility like every kid. He is like his father in the sense that he has a strong will to own something that he could call his own that he could never do before. For Boy Charles this was the piano, but for Boy Willie it was a place called Sutters land, this is were his ancestors had worked on while the whites had control.
Each character has its own way of showing the great variety of skills and talents which the slaves were capable of when they were brought to America. Even though these masters tried to take away these skill and talents they were incapable of taking away these gods given talents to the African Americans. This is a great book and I recommend it not only to African Americans but to all races. It is a great book to read and has many morals. I recommend this book to everyone because I have enjoyed it greatly.