The Page Turner

by David Leavitt

Book Overview

At the age of eighteen Paul Porterfield dreams of playing piano at the world's great concert halls, yet the closest he's come has been to turn pages for his idol, Richard Kennington, a former prodigy who is entering middle age. The two begin a love affair that affects their lives in ways neither could have predicted. "Absorbing from start to finish" (The New Yorker), The Page Turner testifies to the tenacity of the human spirit and the resiliency...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395957877
• ISBN13: 9780395957875
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A wonderful surprise...

I loved "The Page Turner," despite the fact that it has the single worst first chapter I've ever read. I almost abandoned it due to the poor development. To say it doesn't set its original scene very well is an understatement. But once the characters -- teenaged Paul, his newly single mother, and his older lover-- get to Rome, the story picks up. The novel really develops in the last 100 pages, almost becoming a different book altogether. "The Page Turner" is not, as the flap copy promises, a rumination on why life is unfair. This really is a coming out novel, about an 18 year old Juillard student who manages a string of love affairs with older sugar daddies. It is set amidst the world of classical music, with vivid depictions of both Rome and New York. The fact that it is uneven does not keep it from being a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think many others will as well.

E. M. Forster for the 1990s

Although not as bold as "The term paper artist," _The Page Turner_ similarly looks at fame and talent in art along with the sexual needs of aging gay characters and the sexual availability of young adults. I don't understand the invidious complaints revering _Lost Language_, because it seems to me that the three main character of PT are not all that different than the gay boy, the abandoned wife, and the dissatisfied husband in LL. Even more than the Anglophones in Italy first half, the denouement of the book resonates with the catastrophic misunderstandings about others in the work of E. M. Forster. (There is actually a very stilted and implausible discussion of _Maurice_ in PT.) For me, the most implausible part of the book is the suddenness and clarity with which Paul recognizes he will not be a great pianist. Could any 18-year-old be so cooly analytical about his talent? For that matter, could the older David Leavitt? (But isn't more of him in Richard than in Paul, despite the Menlo Park upbringing?)

Readers' reviews are overly harsh

While not Leavitt's best work, it's certainly not a terrible novel, as indicated by other reviewers here. Take it for what it is.... a coming-of-age story which doesn't pretend to be great literature, and which doesn't preach some heavy political message to the reader.

A brilliant and provoking coming of age story.

I'm biased: as a big DL fan, I can't ever get enough of his books. This one is not as sharp and racy as some of his writing, but it is every bit as deeply honest and introspective as you could expect from DL.

The Page Turner is a prelude, rather than a symphony

Ever since his first novel, "The Lost Language of Cranes," David Leavitt has shown to be impressive. His dialogue is crisp and his narrative passages flow with ease. Moreover, Mr. Leavitt portrays gay relationships better than any other novelist I know because he writes about relationships with compassion and understanding - the fact of ones sexuality is not the issue. And yet when he depicts the sensuality and sexuality between two men it is perhaps with the most engrossing use of language this reader has come across. It is with this great praise that I reluctantly have to say his latest novel, "The Page Turner" is disappointing. This coming-of-age novel about relationships, sexuality and career choices shows great promise; however, doesn't go anywhere. Paul Porterfield has aspirations of being a concert pianist. At a recital of his greatest admirer, Richard Kennington, he is his page turner. On a vacation with his mother, Paul meets Richard and a love affair begins. The remainder of the novel depicts their relationship as well as Richard's relationship with Paul's mother and Richard's relationship with his lover, Joseph. Paul goes through a series of growing up experiences learning that not only are relationships not what one expects but neither is the career one may choose as well. I enjoyed reading "The Page Turner" but I wish the characters had more substance and the story line a bit more detailed. However, as a slice of life novel, which I think is Mr. Leavitt's intent, the book is admirable.