After the death of his musician wife, 20 years his junior, Lin grieves for their short marriage, lost time, and the pianos he doesn't know what to do with. Enters the piano tuner, a 40-year-old man employed by Lin's wife, and a balding and unattractive "loser" by any standard. Moving forward and backward in time, our unnamed narrator slowly reveals the secrets he holds. From being a teenage piano prodigy to his insights into Lin's marriage, the readers are treated to a musical feast that explores the sounds of music and the vibrations of our hearts.

At its core, PIANO TUNER is a tender story of finding "your person." With beautiful prose and brilliant plots, Kuo juxtaposes soul and body, talent and hard work, dream and reality, and asks the readers to examine the options we're given and the choices we make in life.

I read PIANO TUNER twice in one sitting, first in Mandarin and then in English. The Taiwanese title 尋琴者 (the piano seeker) is a homophone to 尋情者 (the love seeker) and 殉情者 (someone who dies for love). The multiple layers of the title give a glimpse into how the story is full of metaphors that may or may not be straightforward for the readers. Even after reading the Mandarin version, I still needed to Google analyses of the book to better grasp all the elements in the story. As such, it's quite tricky to write a review without giving anything away or clouding others' interpretations of this book.

I recommend THE PIANO TUNER to those who love translated literature, highbrow books, classical music, and those looking for a short yet poignant read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Arcade for the eARC.