The Piano Teacher

novel by Jelinek

Also known as: “Die Klavierspielerin”

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July 16, 2026

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The Piano Teacher is a novel by Austrian writer Elfriede Jelinek, published in 1983. The novel explores themes of sexual repression and family violence from a feminist perspective. It tells the story of a musician who is dominated by her possessive mother. Jelinek is known for her controversial works that examine gender relations, female sexuality, and popular culture, and she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2004. Her writing often rejects traditional literary techniques in favor of linguistic and thematic experimentation. The novel was adapted into a film in 2001.1

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Elfriede Jelinek
…semiautobiographical novel Die Klavierspielerin (1983; The Piano Teacher, 1988) addressed issues of sexual repression; it was adapted for the screen in 2001. In her writings, Jelinek rejected the conventions of traditional literary technique in favour of linguistic and thematic experimentation.
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…semiautobiographical novel Die Klavierspielerin (1983; The Piano Teacher, 1988) addressed issues of sexual repression; it was adapted for the screen in 2001. In her writings, Jelinek rejected the conventions of traditional literary technique in favour of linguistic and thematic experimentation.
Read More