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The Pianist

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The Pianist

By: Wladyslaw Szpilman
Narrated by: Laurence Dobiesz
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About this listen

The best-selling memoir of a Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw against all odds.

On September 23, 1939, Wladyslaw Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor live on the radio as shells exploded outside - so loudly that he couldn't hear his piano. It was the last live music broadcast from Warsaw: that day, a German bomb hit the station, and Polish Radio went off the air.

Though he lost his entire family, Szpilman survived in hiding. In the end, his life was saved by a German officer who heard him play the same Chopin Nocturne on a piano found among the rubble. Written immediately after the war and suppressed for decades, The Pianist is a stunning testament to human endurance and the redemptive power of fellow feeling.

Read by Laurence Dobiesz.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2018 Wladyslaw Szpilman (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group 20th Century Entertainment & Celebrities Europe Military Modern Celebrity War Piano Musician

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Critic reviews

"We are drawn in to share his surprise and then disbelief at the horrifying progress of events, all conveyed with an understated intimacy and dailiness that render them painfully close...riveting." (Observer)

"The images drawn are unusually sharp and clear...but its moral tone is even more striking: Szpilman refuses to make a hero or a demon out of anyone." (Literary Review)
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Of course I’ve seen the film, so knew the outline of the story. This narration of Szpilman’s account of his survival is very moving. I personally feel that the fact that he wrote it immediately after the war, is reflected in its matter of fact delivery. He must still have been in shock.
I found it heartbreaking that his saviour was tortured and died at the hands of Stalin’s forces and they never met each other again. He helped so many people. He was one of life’s o’h so rare, truly good people.
Perhaps they are together in spirit now.
Of course Szpilman was on the receiving end of many other large and small kindnesses from both friends and strangers. Each action lead to him surging another day. There were also human monsters who cared only for themselves. May they rot in hell.
I thoroughly recommend listening to this book, but have tissues ready near the end.

Very very moving

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An unbelievable story of survival in the toughest of times. Please listen to this. Unforgettable.

Tragic and timeless

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This story that will stay with me for a long time. I wanted to listen to the book after watching the film, The Pianist, which is based on the book, and a pretty true account. In fact I watched the film twice to make sure I didn't miss anything. My heart saddens so much for what those poor people went through during World War II and the German occupation of Warsaw. Families ripped apart by war, and all of the suffering and hardships and the despicable way human beings were treated. I think Wladyslawa Szpilman was supposed to survive, he endured so much and each time he was saved by his own resilience and bravery and the kindness of others. I hope he was so very proud of himself for being such a wonderful human being. I shed tears in both the film and the book when the German officer gave him the bread and the jam. Honestly this story has left it's mark on me, I'm just in awe of this man's bravery. And I now love the piece of Music by Chopin, Nocturne 20, Szpilman played it so beautifully. His family would have been so proud of him. I hope he found happiness in life and peace after the war. I also think the German officer, Wilm Hosenfeld was a very special kind of person too, he helped many people with his kind heart, including Szpilman. Thank you to Wladyslawa Szpilman for opening my mind and my heart with his story and thank you to the narrator, Laurence Dobiesz who read this story so well. 🤍 🇵🇱 📚

A Book That Everyone Should Read

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I was moved by the film but this book is even more powerful. The use of language is calm and precise; the narrator has a very soothing voice; and both make the facts more digestible however harrowing the subject matter. I also appreciate that there are so many shades of grey in this story. This is a must read for anyone interested in this era in history.

An incredible book

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A most moving, humble and dreadful account of the most shameful period of Germany History. That fact it was written immediately after the events, only adds veracity and despair to the account. The film made from this book is entirely faithful to it, and is worth a watch as well.
The Narrator reads this book with laudable lack of emotion and horror. I don’t know why this book is not as famous or lauded as Schindlers list, but I believe they should both be compulsory reading for each generation throughout the World, lest we forget.

Lest we Forget.

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