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A review by aleexists
Dancer from the Dance: A Novel by Andrew Holleran, Andrew Holleran
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is a poignant and haunting depiction of the gay circuit scene in New York, post-liberation but pre-AIDS.
Malone's character development is not told through a central plot, but unfolds with his various experiences in the scene. He arrives in the city as a romantic, driven by the desire to find love.
The novel perfectly conveys the melancholy and loneliness Malone experiences, narrated through the perspective of bystanders or others in his circle of friends.
One of the most compelling aspects of the book is the contrast between Malone and Sutherland: Malone is sentimental, idealistic and romantic, while Sutherland is cynical, grounded and aware of the disillusioning reality they live in.
The depiction of that society's shallowness and obsession with beauty is bleak, and shows how all of them, to a certain degree, are trying to escape reality.
The long, lyrical descriptions deepen this emotional effect, though at times I found myself a little lost in them.
Malone's character development is not told through a central plot, but unfolds with his various experiences in the scene. He arrives in the city as a romantic, driven by the desire to find love.
The novel perfectly conveys the melancholy and loneliness Malone experiences, narrated through the perspective of bystanders or others in his circle of friends.
One of the most compelling aspects of the book is the contrast between Malone and Sutherland: Malone is sentimental, idealistic and romantic, while Sutherland is cynical, grounded and aware of the disillusioning reality they live in.
The depiction of that society's shallowness and obsession with beauty is bleak, and shows how all of them, to a certain degree, are trying to escape reality.
The long, lyrical descriptions deepen this emotional effect, though at times I found myself a little lost in them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide