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Dancer
Dancer
Author: Colum McCann
Dancer is the erotically charged story of the Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev as told through the cast of those who knew him: there is Anna Vasileva, Rudi's first ballet teacher, who rescues her protege from the stunted life of his provincial town; Yulia, whose sexual and artistic ambitions are thwarted by her Soviet-sanctioned marriage...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780312429027
ISBN-10: 0312429029
Publication Date: 6/23/2009
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 3

4.3 stars, based on 3 ratings
Publisher: Picador
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Dancer on + 289 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Let the Great World Spin led me to Colum McCanns earlier novel Dancer. Based around Rudolf Nureyev, the celebrated Soviet ballet dancer who defected in 1961, I found Dancer to be akin to literary storm chasing. Those expecting a thorough fictionalized account of Nureyevs life would be disappointed; he is like a whirlwind whose aftermath is the authors real interest. The story is told from multiple perspectives, including those of his first ballet teacher, her daughter, his family and servants, and Victor, a homosexual Venezuelan hustler-friend and it is more about how Rudi affected them. McCanns extraordinary ability to mix different styles, voices, and tone greatly enhances the kaleidoscopic effect of the whole. It is also a look at the times he lived through, from the frozen Soviet front during World War II to the decadent living of 1970s and 80s New York. Although not as interconnected and emotionally raw as his later work, Dancer was an impressive read.
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