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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
So glad I picked this one up at the library! This is definitely not some little cutesy story about sweet ballerinas. Instead, this book is well researched and shows the realistic and dark side of dance, especially in such a prestigious school and company like the Paris Opera Ballet. The imagery and characterization in this story was very well written and very consistent with the three main characters (Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux). Rachel Kapelke-Dale does a good job of showing the complexities of female friendships and the dark side of strong ambition and passion. Would definitely read again! Now someone take me to Paris!
"You don't understand the humiliation of it -- to be tricked out of the single assumption that makes our existence viable -- that somebody is watching."
-- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Thus begins a novel about three women who meet as pre-teens while training to join the Paris Opera Ballet (POB). Beneath the ongoing dramas -- one past, one present -- this epigraph serves as a thematic roadmap. As professional ballerinas, Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux long to be seen but with age comes a better understanding of the objectification of this status and the damage done by becoming the "perfect" dancer who will have roles choreographed for her. To be seen means to twist yourself into this shape, and at what cost?
Delphine, the central character, is the daughter of a famous principal dancer who excelled on the stage while her personal life was sparse. When she walked into the POB, though, Delphine's mother was a goddess, her photo on the wall, everyone familiar with her reputation. Delphine is not in the same class as her mother but aspires to be a soloist, the second-highest rank for a ballerina. She ends up in St. Petersburg, shifting from dancer to choreographer while involved with a dynamic, controlling ballet master, Dimitri.
The novel tells two stories in alternation. In one timeline, the three friends are pre-teens and teens whose lives revolve around dance -- practices, auditions, sizing up the young male dancers, the competition, sacrifices to remain in perfect shape. Delphine worries that she is privileged because of her mother's title and is not living up to her potential. The teen storyline is heading for an event that is revisited in the other storyline. At that point, Delphine is returning from her 13 years in Russia to choreograph at POB where Lindsay and Margaux are aging out of the best roles and the possibility of becoming principal dancers. Further, Delphine is in conflict with the ballet director, a former principal dancer herself.
This novel is more about female friendship, professional advancement, and romantic relationships than it is about the world of dance. There is just enough information about dancing itself for the world of the ballerina to feel credible. At the same time, the idealization of a certain body type and expectations of classical perfection creates tension in the tiny world these characters inhabit. The plot wouldn't work in an office situation. Being seen onstage may be metaphorical but it is also literal in The Ballerinas.
I've skipped mentioning the male characters (a divisive lot) and the subplots, all important as well. I listened to this one and couldn't wait to get back to it on driving days.
-- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Thus begins a novel about three women who meet as pre-teens while training to join the Paris Opera Ballet (POB). Beneath the ongoing dramas -- one past, one present -- this epigraph serves as a thematic roadmap. As professional ballerinas, Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux long to be seen but with age comes a better understanding of the objectification of this status and the damage done by becoming the "perfect" dancer who will have roles choreographed for her. To be seen means to twist yourself into this shape, and at what cost?
Delphine, the central character, is the daughter of a famous principal dancer who excelled on the stage while her personal life was sparse. When she walked into the POB, though, Delphine's mother was a goddess, her photo on the wall, everyone familiar with her reputation. Delphine is not in the same class as her mother but aspires to be a soloist, the second-highest rank for a ballerina. She ends up in St. Petersburg, shifting from dancer to choreographer while involved with a dynamic, controlling ballet master, Dimitri.
The novel tells two stories in alternation. In one timeline, the three friends are pre-teens and teens whose lives revolve around dance -- practices, auditions, sizing up the young male dancers, the competition, sacrifices to remain in perfect shape. Delphine worries that she is privileged because of her mother's title and is not living up to her potential. The teen storyline is heading for an event that is revisited in the other storyline. At that point, Delphine is returning from her 13 years in Russia to choreograph at POB where Lindsay and Margaux are aging out of the best roles and the possibility of becoming principal dancers. Further, Delphine is in conflict with the ballet director, a former principal dancer herself.
This novel is more about female friendship, professional advancement, and romantic relationships than it is about the world of dance. There is just enough information about dancing itself for the world of the ballerina to feel credible. At the same time, the idealization of a certain body type and expectations of classical perfection creates tension in the tiny world these characters inhabit. The plot wouldn't work in an office situation. Being seen onstage may be metaphorical but it is also literal in The Ballerinas.
I've skipped mentioning the male characters (a divisive lot) and the subplots, all important as well. I listened to this one and couldn't wait to get back to it on driving days.
This novel is a window into the world of ballet: the intense training, rivalry, and sacrifices demanded by the career. It is revealed to be less than a pretty pink package, demanding focus and dedication. I loved the first half, the buildup of what was to come. I expected something much darker in the end than what was written, but the story was satisfying. The general theme is choices and consequences.
The preface implies that an unfavorable transformation of Delphine is the major storyline in this novel. It hints at this three times: “You start out as potential energy and then you fall”, “You start out as whole and then you break”, “… you start out as perfect and then you become something else.” The fact of the matter is that Delphine is a survivor, and should not be judged; in her situation, who knows what any of us would have done. I don’t view her metamorphosis as a weakening, rather, she has realized how important her relationships are and has become fiercely protective of those she cares about.
Men do not have a good reputation in this novel. All of them: Delphine’s father, Dmitri, Jacques(Jock), and Daniel are self-serving and prove to be untrustworthy.
Delphine Léger’s life is the POB (Paris Opera Ballet). Her mother, Isabelle Durand, rose through the ranks there to become an étoile (star) in the company. She was a single parent, Delphine’s father deserted them when she was very young and started himself a new family across the ocean in California. A neighbor, Stella, was a surrogate mother to Delphine. She has been enrolled in the school at the POB since she was old enough to qualify and befriended fellow student, Margaux Bisset.
The novel is written in the first person from Delphine’s point of view and in alternating time periods beginning when she enters adolescence. It is then that she and Margaux first meet Lindsay Price (September 1995). The three become fast friends. They rise simultaneously through the standings to become standout dancers. The competition between is intense at times, but through it all they maintain their relationship. Those around them observe, “Lindsay’s hot, Margaux’s a bitch, Delphine’s nice.” In 2005, Delphine leaves to go work with the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia and to be with Dmitri Sakolov, a choreographer, who came to Paris a few years prior and worked at the POB. She found herself attracted to him and the idea of learning choreography appealed to her. She returns to Paris thirteen years later hoping to resume her friendships with Margaux and Lindsay only to find that they now have less room for her in their lives.
The preface implies that an unfavorable transformation of Delphine is the major storyline in this novel. It hints at this three times: “You start out as potential energy and then you fall”, “You start out as whole and then you break”, “… you start out as perfect and then you become something else.” The fact of the matter is that Delphine is a survivor, and should not be judged; in her situation, who knows what any of us would have done. I don’t view her metamorphosis as a weakening, rather, she has realized how important her relationships are and has become fiercely protective of those she cares about.
Men do not have a good reputation in this novel. All of them: Delphine’s father, Dmitri, Jacques(Jock), and Daniel are self-serving and prove to be untrustworthy.
Delphine Léger’s life is the POB (Paris Opera Ballet). Her mother, Isabelle Durand, rose through the ranks there to become an étoile (star) in the company. She was a single parent, Delphine’s father deserted them when she was very young and started himself a new family across the ocean in California. A neighbor, Stella, was a surrogate mother to Delphine. She has been enrolled in the school at the POB since she was old enough to qualify and befriended fellow student, Margaux Bisset.
The novel is written in the first person from Delphine’s point of view and in alternating time periods beginning when she enters adolescence. It is then that she and Margaux first meet Lindsay Price (September 1995). The three become fast friends. They rise simultaneously through the standings to become standout dancers. The competition between is intense at times, but through it all they maintain their relationship. Those around them observe, “Lindsay’s hot, Margaux’s a bitch, Delphine’s nice.” In 2005, Delphine leaves to go work with the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia and to be with Dmitri Sakolov, a choreographer, who came to Paris a few years prior and worked at the POB. She found herself attracted to him and the idea of learning choreography appealed to her. She returns to Paris thirteen years later hoping to resume her friendships with Margaux and Lindsay only to find that they now have less room for her in their lives.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It got me reading fiction again, for which I am grateful. Shallow characters. Beautiful world building. Weak plot.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. This is my first review and I am taking the “honest” aspect to heart. First, I echo some of the other reviewers in saying that this should not be advertised as a thriller. There were some surprises but this was far from an edge-of-your seat kind of plot. I didn’t mind the time jumps so much and I found it interesting that one timeline moved forward more quickly than the other. But the plot was very slow-building and for me, did not have the payoff that I was anticipating. I also found that the promise plot twist was almost a bait-and-switch. Again, a potentially promising approach but not quite as advertised. Overall, I found the depiction of the female relationships reasonably well done and enjoyed the inside view of professional ballet as well as the feminist themes in some of the plot lines, but overall it did not quite live up to expectations.
I had really hoped that I would enjoy this book. A story about ballerinas where we hear about something that happened in the past and the consequences of it in the present. There's got to be intrigue, right? This book needed some editing because the interest is few and far between. The narrator was so unsure of herself for so long that it got to be annoying. She kept teasing the reader about what happened all those years ago but giving nothing away for far too long. There was a point where I just couldn't care at all anymore. I began to skim after a while and that didn't really help. This story suffers the most from uninspiring characters and lack of editing.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No