The Pianoplayers.

New York, NY Pocket Books: Washington Square Press, October 1987. Paperback First Ed thus; First Printing indicated. First Ed thus; First Printing indicated. Very Near Fine in Wraps: shows only the most minute indications of use: just a hint of wear to extremities; the pages have tanned rather heavily, due to aging. Binding square and secure; text clean. Very close to 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 12mo. 253pp. Mass Market Paperback. For Burgess, one of late 20th century's certifiable master fiction writers, a piece like The Pianoplayers is a bit of a diversion. It is light, it is funny, it comes with the most basic kind of message (people need love, sex, and affection if they are to remain happy and sane). A lesser writer would be thrilled to have produced this charming comic work, a summation of Burgess's life, times, and preoccupations. Ellen Henshaw is the daughter of a pianoplayer (not a "pianist," she would insist, which is something entirely different), an accompaniest to movies in the old days of the silent screen. The first portion of the book details her father's attempts to stay financially afloat through various plots and schemes, leading to his demise at the keyboard. The second half shows Ellen blooming into a world famous expert on the power of love (prostitute is too prosaic a term for what she is). Burgess relates the story in female first person, and the voice is pretty much free of any obvious false notes. Much has been made of Burgess's comparisions to Joyce, and here he does employ a slight variation of the stream of consciousness technique, but it never impedes the flow of the story. This is a dandy concoction.