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A review by livnewman
Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead
4.0
If you've talked to me about reading, you know I'm evangelical about Maggie Shipstead's Great Circle, which I discovered in reading the Booker longlist last year. So, I was really excited to delve into Shipstead's backlist and Astonish Me did not disappoint.
This novel is a thorough, entertaining exploration of the world of ballet and the kind of artistic ambition required to make it as a professional dancer. It considers how we are impacted by failure, the pressure of parental expectations, and the competing importance of talent and hard workâdo you need to be born with the X-factor, or can you muscle your way into success? The prose is rich with detail but this never feels laboured or overdone. Some plot points in the back end felt a touch melodramatic, but this didn't detract from what was ultimately a very diverting read.
This novel is a thorough, entertaining exploration of the world of ballet and the kind of artistic ambition required to make it as a professional dancer. It considers how we are impacted by failure, the pressure of parental expectations, and the competing importance of talent and hard workâdo you need to be born with the X-factor, or can you muscle your way into success? The prose is rich with detail but this never feels laboured or overdone. Some plot points in the back end felt a touch melodramatic, but this didn't detract from what was ultimately a very diverting read.