Dancer

by Colum McCann | Gay & Lesbian |
ISBN: 0753817047 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Olifant of Porthmadog, Wales United Kingdom on 1/13/2007
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5 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Olifant from Porthmadog, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, January 13, 2007
In the biting Soviet winter of 1941, a small boy spins on the earthen floor of a shack, his shabby boots kicking up the dust. Twenty years later, his first season in Paris, he has the world at his feet. Dancer is the story of a genius, an enigma, a social force. It is the story of one boy's single-minded devotion to dance and of those swept along, and sometimes destroyed, by his obsession.

First book of my 2007 challenge: read one book from my own bookshelf a month.
2007 challenge
Read one book from my own bookshelf a month.

January Dancer - Colum McCann
February Hoe ik nu leef - Meg Rosoff
March The Tain - translated by Thomas Kinsella
April Meester van de zwarte molen - Otfried Preussler
May Land van de gespleten God - Lia van Bekhoven
June The Little Friend - Donna Tartt
July Heksenblik - Bergljot Hobaek Haff
August De langverwachte - Abdelkader Benali
September Olifanten in mijn boomgaard Kuki Gallmann
October -
November -
December -

Ringparticipants:
wandering
Suzy26
iez
EmEli

Journal Entry 2 by Olifant from Porthmadog, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 31, 2007
A great read! Told from different perspectives. Slowly you get insight in the life of one of the most famous Russian dancers. Will definitely read more of this writer. He has a beautiful writing style.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Journal Entry 3 by wandering from Breda, Noord-Brabant Netherlands on Thursday, February 1, 2007
'Found' in my mailbox today, thanks! The book will sit on a small pile for a while, for the ringbooks apparently love company of other ringbooks...

Journal Entry 4 by wandering from Breda, Noord-Brabant Netherlands on Sunday, April 15, 2007
Finished the book today, so I can hand it over to Suzy26 at the meeting in The Hague.

I found the book intriguing, or at least the character of the dancer. The writing style is good, the atmosphere is really clear. I only found the one-sentence chapter where Victor first appears a bit disturbing. All of a sudden the pace of the book went up (which was probable the intention of the one sentence) and it was hard to break of reading in that section. Then again, this does fit the character of Victor.

All in all, I'm glad I was able to read this book. Thanks, Olifant!

_____________

p.157: I went wandering around Ufa, the dirt streets, the factories, the few remaining bright houses.
p.257: [...] and this bar is one of the hotter hot spots, tongues flicking into ears, hands wandering beneath waist bands, fingers circling niples, the air itself smelling like sex, [...]

Journal Entry 5 by Suzy26 from Delft, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, April 15, 2007
The book was handed to me by wandering at today's BC meeting at OBCZ-Schlemmer in The Hague.

Journal Entry 6 by Suzy26 from Delft, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Monday, April 30, 2007
Apart from the fact that I am not sure if I like this mix of biography and fiction, this is a well-written, beautiful story. Sometimes it was a bit difficult to figure out who the narrator was, but because of all these different narrators you get a kaleidoscopic view of Nureyev's life. Nureyev comes across as a fickle, sometimes downright detestable man with a very strong sex drive, but in the end he remains somewhat of an enigma. This is wonderfully reflected by the structure of the novel, all these different facets as told by different people make up the big picture, yet the man himself continues to evade us. Thanks for sharing this book with us, Olifant!

Update May 1, 2007: book is on its way to iez.

Journal Entry 7 by iez from Zutphen, Gelderland Netherlands on Wednesday, May 2, 2007
lag net in de bus...

Journal Entry 8 by iez from Zutphen, Gelderland Netherlands on Saturday, May 12, 2007
just finished the book. It was like a nice ballet. It went slow and fast with pirouettes and pliees..
I loved it...
thanks for sharing

Journal Entry 9 by EmEli from Voorschoten, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Tuesday, May 15, 2007
I received this book today. Thank you!

Journal Entry 10 by EmEli from Voorschoten, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, June 22, 2007
And I finally finished the book but that was not because I didn't like it. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I just didn't have much time to read.
Thank you ringing this book Olifant!

What do you want me to do with the book, do you want it back or do you want to ask on the forum first?

Edit 24/6: I brought the book to the mailbox.

Journal Entry 11 by Olifant from Porthmadog, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, June 28, 2007
Thanks for the comments!

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