Reviews

Dragon Cant Dance by Earl Lovelace

yenhpad's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

mekeisha's review against another edition

challenging hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

alexlaurelhoffman's review against another edition

4.0

This book was not easy to get into, nor was it an easy read, but it was lyrical and thought-provoking. Lovelace tells the story of a shanty town in the late 60s and early 70s in Trinidad. It is a sad story told by the different, clearly individuated voices of the town of Port of Spain, focusing primarily on Aldrick - the dragon. Aldrick spends all year crafting his dragon costume for Carnival - spending all his time not really living, as it were, for two days of life. He comes to realize, however, that there is more to life than two days of vitality, as do many of the other characters. Stuck in a poverty-stricken town where the beautiful women are destined to become whores and the men must either capitulate to the system and work very hard or try to keep up a rebellion that has lost its flame, the people of Port of Spain must find a vitality of their own - something to live for in the everyday.

lostcupofstars's review against another edition

I just found it hard to get into.

kirstenfindlay's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

eulrch's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

haileybrookebooks's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

qdove's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ritrotman's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

fantasticmrethan's review against another edition

4.0

Somewhat poetic in its, inconsistent, often confused sentence and language structure and it's use of time is needlessly sporadic however, despite its imperfections this book is somehow perfect in its own little way.