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Chapter 1

• The book begins on a Friday in early spring at the home of Mademoiselle Giraud, a piano teacher.

• Giraud is teaching a young boy the piano. He is very stubborn and shows no interest in the instrument, although he is very talented.

• The child's mother, Anne Desbaresdes, is also at the lesson and finds her child's stubbornness funny and appealing.
• Giraud discusses many things with the child, which he consistently ignores, including when Giraud tries to get him to define "moderato cantabile."

• Throughout the lesson, these arguments go on, and sounds of the sea and the town come through the window of the teacher's apartment.

• After a while, the women and child hear a woman's loud scream.

• The child and teacher immediately wonder what the scream is, but Anne insists the child continue playing the piano.
• Eventually the teacher stops the lesson to look out the window...

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This section contains 2,451 words (approx. 9 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample