Rating: 
Summary: Music to the eyes
Review: I bought this book on a friend's recommendation. When it arrived, I opened it and cried: "No! It's nonfiction!" Okay, I'm a "novel" addict. But this book is entertaining as well as beautiful. Thad Carhart takes the reader into his own, off-the-beaten-track Paris neighborhood as well as sharing his passion for the piano. All I really wished for throughout was a little less of Thad and a little more of his family. I loved learning about the owner of the shop, but how about more of Thad's personal dynamics? It was, after all, a very personal story, but it ended up leaving out a big piece of who he was. And for me it turned out to be rather more than just a good read. It inspired me to find a piano teacher again. And when a friend told me he'd recently bought a Fazioli, I actually knew what he was talking about.
Rating: 
Summary: "A Fascinating & Informative Book"
Review: I can't even begin to express in words what a joy it was to read this book. Thad Carhart has written a book that should appeal to a broad spectrum of readers that includes musicians, piano lovers, novices and professionals alike. Yes, even those who think a piano is just a piece of furniture will learn a lot, and probably be shamed into getting back to practicing once again. If you already own a piano, wish to own one, or just want to know more about pianos & their history this book is an excellent source of information. Did you know that "Fazioli" concert grand pianos costs well over one hundred thousand dollars, and that only sixty are made each year, and there are fewer than one thousand "Fazioli" pianos in existence, and each are essentially handmade? This book is chuck full of information that is so interesting, especially about the 16th and 17th century pianos. There is also a lot of technical information about how piano's work, that explains everything about the instrument, strings, sounding board, etc.Wait, I can't stop yet. Not only is this book full of history and excellent information about pianos, there is a story, too. Thad passes a little piano storefront in his Paris neighborhood each day while taking his two children to their school. One day he decides to enter the shop to check it out, meets the grumpy owner & is rebuffed, but eventually gets the right introduction, (you have to be referred by an established customer) and the shop then becomes a daily part of his life. Here he learns from Luc, the atelier's master, the history and art of piano's. Luc becomes a valuable friend. He helps Thad find a piano for himself that he loves, a Stingl baby grand from Vienna. In Thad's almost daily visits to the store's atelier he meets many interesting and charming people. They all share their love of piano's, music, and life over a glass of wine. It made me wish I was part of their group. The piano has always been my favorite instrument, and it has always fascinated me with it's beautiful sound. Yes, I am one of those people who have become lax, and not devoted enough time to keeping up with my piano playing. This book is certainly an inspiration to anyone who appreciates the piano. A wonderful & fascinating story, and detailed history of the piano. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great Travel Read
Review: I found this book just out in paperback on a recent trip to London. Apparently it had originally been published in hardback in early 2000 in the UK. I had read Noah Adam's book "Piano Lessons" a couple of years ago and, although not piano player myself, enjoyed the subject. Picking it up off the shelf at the book sellers, this one looked equally interesting -- and was even more so. This book has a wonderful scope of coverage -- it's a story about Paris, a particular neighborhood, and a local culture as well as being a great book about pianos, their history and evolution, etc. Once hooked, I brought the book along as my spare time reader while the rest of the family was touring and to read while on the long airplane flight home. It's a book to savor and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A Gentle "Thriller."
Review: I held my breath throughout this enthralling account of Mr. Carhart's rekindled love of pianos and their potential to hold listener and performer spellbound. This is a marvelously written book to treasure for all the reasons other reviewers have already noted, including a fresh visit to an old section of Paris; Desforges, the special piano shop that invites personal introspection and new friendships amid the clutter of a wide variety of pianos and their disembodied parts; the seemingly impromptu lessons in piano history, construction, and restoration that offer wonder in the process as much as factual information; and a revisitation to a boyhood love-and-struggle relationship with the instrument and his teacher's expectations of its mastery. Beyond these attributes that keep the pages flying by, "The Piano Shop On The Left Bank" teases the reader's sense of reality. Is it a novel? Is it non-fiction? At times, I felt lost among the genres, not through any fault in the writing; quite the opposite, the immersion in this volume was so complete for me that at times I had to put the book aside to convince myself that I was not sipping tea and eating madeleines with a very different author. I appreciated Mr. Carhart's openness in drawing the reader into an intimate world that described a sensitive boy deriving tactile, visual, and, ultimately, aural pleasure in lifting up the piano's revealing fall board. And there are so many other moments to savor. Just a few include: visits to Luc's musty atelier and the once-weekly watering of its well-worn floor boards; Carhart's moment of boyhood pleasure at an upright in a hotel bar; the childhood lessons and recitals that caused such anxiety; his solitary delight at the Bechstein in the music room of his sister's school; the bonds he forged with Luc as they went through the process of deciding upon a piano of his very own; his joyful expectation while awaiting its delivery; and the return to his music studies as an adult, this time on his own terms. I hope that this special book will be read widely; it has much to offer beyond the subject of the piano.
Rating:
Summary: Great Insights and a good writing style
Review: I picked up this book several times and put it down thinking that it was too esoteric and narrow for my interests. I finally did read it at the prompting of a friend and thoroughly enjoyed every page, first to last. Instead of the Parisian travel analysis or piano history discussion I expected, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a thoughtful discussion of one man's search for friendship, beauty and truth among other things. I highly recommend this book. Some of the chapters are so good I have reread them several times.
Rating:
Summary: Entering a Magical World
Review: I've been a student of the piano for eight years. Though I already have a deep affection for the instrument, this novel strengthened my fondness for the piano even more. Carhart manages to give interesting background to the piano and how it works as well as himself, the piano shop, and classical music without sounding dry and scholarly. Though the book reads like a novel, it provides lots of interesting information about the piano, and will make you want to sit down at a piano bench and dash off a couple of pieces. An excellent read!
Rating: 
Summary: Pianos and Paris -- What Could be better?
Review: If you like Paris, if you've ever wanted to visit Paris, if you've ever fallen in love with Paris--this charming story is for you. Combine Paris with the joy of rediscovering old (forgotten?) passions and dreams, and it becomes almost inspirational. Finally, add a fascination with (or even merely an interest in) pianos, and you have an authentic winner. Well--and lovingly--written, this book is a delightful read.
Rating:
Summary: To be a Lover, and Especially an Eager one...
Review: In the "Straightforward Instruction" to his Inventions Bach addresses the "amateurs of the keyboard, and especially the eager ones." In today's music world the amateur is basically a dilettante and concerts of classical music are becoming increasingly events of specialists playing a specialized repertoire for specialists. Yet, historically, it was always the amateur who stood at the center of musical culture in Europe. An amateur, an "amator," is a lover-and true love is an art. Thad Carhart's relationship with the piano evolves very much like a good solid love story, from his being seduced by a mysterious Parisian piano shop, from his first coy attempts to outsmart the reclusive owners, from the way he succeeds in gaining entry into a magical world of piano lovers, to his buying of an instrument, taking piano lessons, maintaining the instrument, and participating in piano related events such as house concerts, master classes, etc. With genuine charm and ingenious simplicity the author describes how the nurturing of this love enriches his daily life, how it builds strong personal rituals, generates growing enthusiasm, knowledge and meaning. This cult of affection is not just a short-lived entertainment for Carhart but the enthusiasm slowly pervades all aspects of his life. The author gradually derives more pleasure from his sojourn in Paris. His observations become more adventurous and under the busy surface of modern Paris he discovers a quaint yet very substantial reclusive culture, a secret circle of enthusiasts, a part of society which would always remain hidden from the eyes of a tourist. The persons he meets-piano dealers, piano builders, technicians, professional musicians, teachers-are described as enthusiastic idealists who have preserved and developed the quality, the integrity and the dignity of their respective profession. Through the help and influence of these inspired professionals the author quickly advances from amateur to piano connoisseur and learns to appreciate the unique place of the piano in European culture: It may be an elegant piece of furniture, a rare antique, a collector's item or an exquisitely crafted mechanical instrument. But the piano is also a vital link to the past, and the hands of an experienced pianist can instantaneously revive 300 years of history. Last not least a piano can be seen as a living being itself, complete with birthplace, with an individual history, a time of maturation and finally death. Carhart's "gumption" and his strong emphasis on quality remind me of Robert Persig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," but Carhart in his narration never acts as a philosopher or teacher. He never fails to inspire and, while reading The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, I somehow regretted being a professional pianist myself. Otherwise I surely would have fallen in love with the piano all over again.
Rating:
Summary: ... My love for the piano has been re-ignited.
Review: Just over 23 years ago, due to increasing "adult" responsibilities and high school activities, I left the piano behind me. This was done just a few short years after REALLY coming to appreciate the years that my mother nudged, prodded and cajoled me through many lessons. Years later, with children of my own, I promised myself that I would start lessons again when I had my boys start .... six months ago. I've indeed started another "love affair" with the piano, but this new found love has been fanned into an inferno by Thad Carhart's book. I finished the story this afternoon and excitedly passed the book on to my piano teacher -- one of two other people who share my passion. If you've ever played, or even if you have just a passing interest in the piano, you'll find this story enchanting, at least, or, like me, deeply moving. Thank you for a wonderful story Mr. Carhart!
Rating:
Summary: The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Pas
Review: Luc is the central figure in this story of the pursuit of excellence within the microcosm of pianos and piano lovers. He runs a workshop where old pianos are restored and sold. By weaving together the tales of Luc's clientele and his own story of renewing interest in playing the piano for pleasure, Carhart depicts life in the small Latin Quarter neighborhood in which he lives. He expatiates on piano construction, the preferences of Chopin and Liszt, his piano teachers, falling in love with a small grand piano, parties in the shop on Friday nights, music wafting in his office window, piano tuning, and the Schola Cantorum, which teaches students to learn for the joy of playing. Such commentary on the piano and its players and lovers captures the essence of a slower kind of Parisian life, in which people stop to hear impromptu concerts filling a street from an open window. Curl up with this book on a sunny afternoon and observe the denizens of this melodious corner of Paris.
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