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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Delphine, Margeaux and Lindsay are three ballerinas in the Paris Opera Ballet. Through Delphine, we get a glimpse into the pretty and not so pretty of what happens within the ballet world. This story is exquisitely detailed as the drama unfolds through dual timelines. The details do lead to the story being a bit slow moving, at least for me. The dual timeline was a little bit choppy for me as well and I found myself flipping back pages to see what time I was in. I did enjoy the scenery and the glimpses into the ballet world as the dance world is always one that fascinates me as an outsider to dance. I enjoyed the plot line of feminism as well. There are mentions of self harm, sexual assault, bullying, cancer, infertility, abortion and attempted murder.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Ballerinas highlights the scandals, work-pressures and drama within the ballet community. The story is told in alternating timelines and centers on main characters Delphine, Lindsay and Margeaux. In the past, you read about their quest to become professional ballerinas at the Paris Opera Ballet and in the present, the traumatic memories and aftermath of their success 14 years later when Delphine returns to Paris to choreograph her own show. This book exposes the world that exists behind the scenes of ballet companies and their dancers. One that is hard to see from the outside. I really enjoyed the plot, slow-burn pace and character development within the story. Of note, going in I would disregard the comparison to Luckiest Girl Alive, as it is NOT a thriller, and think of this book more as a women's fiction/ drama.
Thanks Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this ARC! Pub Date 12/7/21
Thanks Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this ARC! Pub Date 12/7/21
This book is more than ballet but the ballet is such a new setting. It’s a world I knew nothing about but made a great backdrop to a story that talks about what it is to be a woman.
Wow. Just… WOW. I loved this book. I loved how it built on itself. I love the storytelling and the use of flashback. I love the feminist power. I do feel a type of way about the ending I’m not sure I love… but, overall 5 stars. Highly recommend!
Rachel Kapelke-Dale vividly brings to life the cutthroat world of the highly competitive Paris Opera Ballet Company in her new novel The Ballerinas. The Ballerinas take us inside the loving, yet ruthless friendship of three young girls all competing to rise in the ranks of their ballet school while somehow not letting their friendship fall to pieces at the same time. Vacillating between present day and the past, The Ballerinas takes us from the time the girls - Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay - were the top students at the world-renowned Paris Opera Ballet School to now, where they find themselves in their late 30s, still struggling with actions and feelings of the past. The Ballerinas is a testament of strength and perseverance, friendship and self-preservation, love and hate. In all, it is beautiful and haunting at the same time.
The storyline of this lyrical novel swirls around a secret - something insidious that happened when the girls were students at the Paris Opera Ballet School that changed their lives forever. The novel's main character Delphine (always described as the nice one of their friends group) is back at the Paris Opera Ballet (POB) after spending over a decade in St. Petersburg, but this time she is not dancing on the stage - she is returning as a choreographer. Her best friends Margaux and Lindsay still dance with the company, but as they near 40 years old, their time in the spotlight is rapidly burning out. Delphine is determined to make a name for herself at the POB while also righting the wrongs of the past, but she soon discovers that there is something darker at play behind the scenes of the ballet than what meets the eye.
Descriptive and glittering, yet at the same time harrowing and ghastly, Kapelke-Dale's The Ballerinas is immersed in everything ballet and will captivate anyone who loves the art form. Brimming with technical detail and the blood, sweat, tears, and toil that goes into being a premiere ballerina, this novel is intriguing, captivating, and informative. The descriptions of life as a young girl vying for one of the few spots in the oldest ballet company of the world is where this novel truly shines, and I found myself fascinated by the work and commitment that goes into being a top dancer. Furthermore, I loved the descriptions of life in Paris, and fell in love with the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. The Ballerinas is heavy both on ballet and French aesthetic, and is a feast for the ears and eyes.
Though not as intriguing as the finer points of this novel - what it is like to be a young woman fully devoted to her love of dance - the relationships between men and women and the role that men play in the world of ballet is an integral point of The Ballerinas. As unappealing as the men of this novel are, they are necessary to this story, which examines how men marginalize women and at times, even influence and dominate in an art form devoted primarily to the beauty and skill of the finer sex. There is much to be said here about misogyny and the exploitation of women, making this a timely and relevant addition to the literary fiction genre.
The storyline of this lyrical novel swirls around a secret - something insidious that happened when the girls were students at the Paris Opera Ballet School that changed their lives forever. The novel's main character Delphine (always described as the nice one of their friends group) is back at the Paris Opera Ballet (POB) after spending over a decade in St. Petersburg, but this time she is not dancing on the stage - she is returning as a choreographer. Her best friends Margaux and Lindsay still dance with the company, but as they near 40 years old, their time in the spotlight is rapidly burning out. Delphine is determined to make a name for herself at the POB while also righting the wrongs of the past, but she soon discovers that there is something darker at play behind the scenes of the ballet than what meets the eye.
Descriptive and glittering, yet at the same time harrowing and ghastly, Kapelke-Dale's The Ballerinas is immersed in everything ballet and will captivate anyone who loves the art form. Brimming with technical detail and the blood, sweat, tears, and toil that goes into being a premiere ballerina, this novel is intriguing, captivating, and informative. The descriptions of life as a young girl vying for one of the few spots in the oldest ballet company of the world is where this novel truly shines, and I found myself fascinated by the work and commitment that goes into being a top dancer. Furthermore, I loved the descriptions of life in Paris, and fell in love with the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. The Ballerinas is heavy both on ballet and French aesthetic, and is a feast for the ears and eyes.
Though not as intriguing as the finer points of this novel - what it is like to be a young woman fully devoted to her love of dance - the relationships between men and women and the role that men play in the world of ballet is an integral point of The Ballerinas. As unappealing as the men of this novel are, they are necessary to this story, which examines how men marginalize women and at times, even influence and dominate in an art form devoted primarily to the beauty and skill of the finer sex. There is much to be said here about misogyny and the exploitation of women, making this a timely and relevant addition to the literary fiction genre.
This was a lot darker than I thought it would be! And there is a lot of cursing which I’m just not a fan of.
This book was much more nuanced than I expected and it was an amazing surprise. What I thought was going to be a fun story about three girls' friendship and how them competing with each other as ballerinas affected that (think, The Clique-esque), turned out to be an incredible story of friendship throughout the years and how important friends are in the moments when life is a mess. There were so many turns to this book that I didn't expect and once I thought I had it figured out it switched again.
I can't say enough good things about this! I'm buying tickets to a ballet.
I can't say enough good things about this! I'm buying tickets to a ballet.
I was first drawn to this book because of the Paris setting and the fact that my daughter is a dancer. But I ended up liking the book for so much more. It is a story of friendship, betrayal and the complexities of the dance world.
Well, you can't expect everyone to love every book that they read. And so it was with The Ballerinas. Touted along the lines of Black Swan, it doesn't even get close.
While I made every effort to get through the novel, it became a real struggle to plow through. I just could not appreciate following the lives of three elite teen girls into adulthood and what they went through to get to where they are. I mean, these girls were from well to do families and not from the streets, which in my opinion would have made for a better narrative.
In any event, it was a DNF for me at 30%. I couldn't move forward when there are so many other books that I could be enjoying instead. One star.
I received a digital ARC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
While I made every effort to get through the novel, it became a real struggle to plow through. I just could not appreciate following the lives of three elite teen girls into adulthood and what they went through to get to where they are. I mean, these girls were from well to do families and not from the streets, which in my opinion would have made for a better narrative.
In any event, it was a DNF for me at 30%. I couldn't move forward when there are so many other books that I could be enjoying instead. One star.
I received a digital ARC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
The Ballerinas had an intriguing premise, but marketing it as a thriller led to unmet expectations as I didn’t find anything particularly thrilling in the book. I loved that the book gave us a look at the dark side of the industry and that it focused on older characters. I didn’t care too much for the main character herself, but it was almost impressive how she could make everything about herself. I also wasn’t too interested in her infatuation with Jacques, but that storyline did gag me a bit in the present timeline, and it made the book more interesting. I also didn’t feel too strongly about the ending, but overall, the dance parts of the book kept my interest, and I found some of the deeper topics to be refreshing.