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Dancer
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
11 posts | 10 read | 19 to read
Novelist Colum McCann's Dancer is the erotically charged story of the Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev as told through the cast of those who knew him: there is Anna Vasileva, Rudi's first ballet teacher, who rescues her protg from the stunted life of his provincial town; Yulia, whose sexual and artistic ambitions are thwarted by her Soviet-sanctioned marriage; and Victor, the Venezuelan street hustler, who reveals the lurid underside of the gay celebrity set. Spanning four decades and many worlds, from the horrors of the Second World War to the wild abandon of New York in the eighties, Dancer is peopled by a large cast of characters, obscure and famous: doormen and shoemakers, nurses and translators, Margot Fonteyn, Eric Bruhn and John Lennon. And at the heart of the spectacle stands the artist himself, willful, lustful, and driven by a never-to-be-met need for perfection.
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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#bookspin

This is the month I finish all of the books on my GR TBR from 2021! LOL I have been trying all year without much success, I have the tagged left, then I want to read at least 4 from my 2022 TBR. I keep getting distracted by shiny new things.

A good chunk of this list this month is libary books. I am not participating in any haunted things this month, not really feeling the spirit, but there are a couple on here that are a bit spooky

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Cuilin
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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#AboutABook #BasedOnATrueStory

An embellished account of the life of Rudolf Nureyev. The writing was sublime and extremely spicy!!!

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Eggs Perfect👌🏼 2mo
45 likes1 comment
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Cuilin
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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Described as an erotically charged story of Rudolf Nureyev. I read this about 10 years ago when I overheard someone at a gym say they were disappointed and disgusted at this novel, (because of the gay depiction of their hero, Nureyev), well I ran to the bookstore. This is wonderfully written. 5 ⭐️

#BookBinge #Dancing

quietlycuriouskate Oooh, stacked! 14mo
Eggs One of the greats! 14mo
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian Ha, I love it when one person's negative review is a selling point for someone else! 14mo
See All 7 Comments
Cuilin @CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian oh me too. I told them at a later date that I got the book they “recommended” the look on their face was priceless. 14mo
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian @Cuilin ha that will teach them to not broadcast their homophobia 14mo
Suet624 This author can do no wrong in my book. 14mo
Cuilin @Suet624 seriously he‘s one of my favorites. 14mo
65 likes1 stack add7 comments
review
Cinfhen
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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Pickpick

This was a riveting blend of fact & fiction, the “life” of world class dancer Rudolph Nureyev. Beginning with his childhood during WWII in the Soviet Union through his battle with AIDS. McCann borrows real diary passages from Andy Warhol, Jacqueline Kennedy, Truman Capote and many more iconic figures who shaped the decades between 1945- 1993. Multi cast narration was AMAZING 🎧Lots of Eff -bombs dropped and tons of sex mentioned.

TrishB Sounds fascinating for one of those NF days! 4y
Cinfhen Yes...it feels like your reading fiction but it just has loads of famous people popping in. I think you‘d like it @TrishB 4y
Suet624 I‘ll read anything by this guy and apparently I‘ve stacked this book already. 4y
71 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Cinfhen
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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One again, I am being sucked down the Google rabbit hole....this time it‘s all about Rudolph Nureyev, the famed Russian dancer. What a fascinating character. Book is so good and the multi narrated audio is amazing 🙌🏻🎧

CarolynM I need to read this. Stacked. 4y
Freespirit I love finding out all the google back ground info when I read! 4y
LeeRHarry Enjoyed this one too 😊 4y
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squirrelbrain Sounds great - I‘ve just this minute started this one by the same author 4y
Cinfhen I‘ll be curious to hear your thoughts on Aperiogon @squirrelbrain I wasn‘t a fan but that‘s because I feel like I was reading this with a different set of eyes. I‘m very sensitive to books set in the Middle East. (edited) 4y
Cinfhen It‘s really well done @CarolynM @LeeRHarry The 1970‘s NY scene is fun to read about and then to see photographs is even better @Freespirit ❤️ 4y
squirrelbrain I wondered if you had read it Cindy. I can imagine it must be a difficult subject to read about for you. 4y
Reecaspieces Being a ballet dancer growing up, he always fascinated me. I did a term paper about him in college. I am definitely adding this to my list! Thanks for the heads up! 4y
Cinfhen You should really read this then @Reecaspieces The world of dance is fascinating and Nureyev is such a compelling individual. I‘m loving the audio 🎧 4y
Cinfhen I wrote a longer review of Aperigon on GoodReads @squirrelbrain I try to avoid posting anything “controversial” on Litsy. I have tremendous respect for Rami & Bassam but I‘m not sure their story is the only narrative for understanding this complicated region. 4y
squirrelbrain I‘ll check out your review Cindy, maybe *after* I‘ve read the book. I know that I have very little understanding of the region, it‘s people and politics. 4y
Reecaspieces @Cinfhen I just got the audio. I will start it next. He was amazing. No doubt about it 4y
Cinfhen Let me know what u think @Reecaspieces It‘s a bit of a slow start but it sets the scene for his childhood and when it picks up i found it riveting 4y
Reecaspieces @Cinfhen good to know!! 4y
Cinfhen I don‘t think I posted spoilers but definitely read my review after you‘re done with the book @squirrelbrain xxxHope you enjoy it. It‘s a very original format for storytelling 4y
78 likes3 stack adds15 comments
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Cinfhen
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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Not sure who put this book on my #LitsyRadar but I‘m really enjoying. HF about a young Russian boy with dreams of being a world class dancer. Beginning in 1940‘s during the end of WWII. Maybe I should mention this young boy is Rudolf Nureyev❤️

EliNeedsMoreShelves I read this one about a year ago? I think...really interesting read. 4y
Cinfhen Maybe it was your review that caught my eye @EliNeedsMoreShelves ?!??! 4y
74 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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andrew61
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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#septembowie #letsdance
Here's a book i really liked that brought the life of nureyev vividly to the page from the hardship of a childhood in Russia to his dying years from aids- a really good read and incredible dancer

Cathythoughts What a dancer ?when I think of him , I think of that song : "Are we Human or Are We Dancer" ????and I'm on my knees looking for the answer ????are we human ?or are we dancer. One of my favourite songs ? (edited) 7y
andrew61 @Cathythoughts this is going to drive me bonkers all night and im not going to Google the lyrics- i will probably get a lightbulb moment in the middle of the night😀 7y
20 likes2 comments
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KarenUK
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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#day6 #augustgrrrl #whatafeeling Love me an 80s dance movie, and I think I watched this one on VHS about a million times when I was a kid.... And boy do I love Colum McCann's writing (and speaking voice *swoon*) and this story based on ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev's life is beautiful.... #oncean80sgirlalwaysan80sgirl

LeahBergen I may have cut the shoulders out of several sweatshirts after seeing this movie as a youngster. 😆 7y
KarenUK @LeahBergen I MAY have done that too! 😂 7y
Cinfhen Same @LeahBergen @KarenUK ‼️❤️ 7y
ValerieAndBooks Oh yes, the movie ?! I'm stacking the book. My dance major daughter doesn't have much time to read these days so sometimes I try to "preview" ballet books for her ? 7y
KarenUK @ValerieAndBooks It's a good one! The writing is gorgeous.... 7y
62 likes2 stack adds5 comments
review
EliNeedsMoreShelves
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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Pickpick

This was an impulse grab at the library, and it turned into a really enjoyable read. Stylistically it took a while to get into, and I thought the narrative fell apart a little at the end, but overall a strong and interesting read.

tpixie Great cover! 7y
21 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Reading_E
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
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#artrelatedbooks I had to interpret "art" a little more loosely so I turned to these two that at the top of my TBR. Dancer is about ballet and Hag-seed is a rewrite of The Tempest ( my all time favorite Shakespeare work) by Margaret Atwood. I can't wait to read them both #seasonsreadings2016

review
Cshreve
Dancer: A Novel | Colum McCann
Pickpick

A detailed and fascinating fictionalization of the life of dancer and Russian defector Rudolf Nureyev