Ballroom: A Novel, by Alice Simpson
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Ballroom: A Novel, by Alice Simpson
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Told in interconnecting stories, Ballroom is a beautifully crafted debut novel—reminiscent of the works of Elizabeth Strout and Jennifer Haigh—about a group of strangers united by a desire to escape their complicated lives, if only for a few hours each week, in a faded New York City dance hall.
Time has eroded the glamour of the Ballroom, but at the end of the 1990s, a small crowd of loyal patrons still makes its way past the floor-to-ceiling columns which frame the once grand hall each Sunday evening. Sweeping across the worn parquet floor under a peeling indigo ceiling, these men and women succumb to the magic of the music, looking for love and connection, eager to erase the drab reality of their complicated lives.
Nearly forty and still single, Sarah Dreyfus is desperate for love and sure she’ll find it with debonair Gabriel Katz, a dazzling peacock who dances to distract himself from his crumbling marriage. Tired of the bachelor life, Joseph believes that his yearning for a wife and family will be fulfilled—if only he can get Sarah to notice him. Besotted with beautiful young Maria Rodriguez, elderly dance instructor Harry Korn knows they can find happiness together. Maria, one of the Ballroom’s stars, has a dream of her own, a passion her broken-hearted father refuses to accept or understand.
As the rhythms of the Ballroom ebb and flow through these characters’ hearts, their fates come together in touching, unexpected ways.
Ballroom: A Novel, by Alice Simpson - Amazon Sales Rank: #697268 in Books
- Brand: Simpson, Alice
- Published on: 2015-09-15
- Released on: 2015-09-15
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.00" h x .68" w x 5.31" l,
- Binding: Paperback
- 304 pages
Ballroom: A Novel, by Alice Simpson Review “A beautifully written novel…filled with complicated (sometimes unlikeable) characters and spectacular imagery that makes any novelist’s mouth water.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)“The vividly drawn characters in this novel, each driven by their own poignant desires, spark in their interactions. Simpson writes in luscious, sensual prose. A completely absorbing read.” (Regina McBride, author of The Nature of Water and Air and The Land of Women)“Simpson is a master at creating realistic characters who are flawed…yet sympathetic.… Readers who enjoy seeing inside the hearts and minds of others will relish sharing the lives of Simpson’s creations.” (Kirkus)“Simpson’s lush prose will envelop readers in the sights, sounds, and textures of the dance hall…. Fans of Jennifer Haigh and those welcoming a many-voiced, richly drawn experience will enjoy the poignant and emotional Ballroom.” (Booklist)“Well-crafted.… This touching debut captures the intricacies and the unexpected of personal relationships.” (Library Journal)
From the Back Cover
The Ballroom used to be a place to see and be seen, but the years have taken their toll. By the end of the 1990s, this Manhattan dance hall is a husk of its former self. A small crowd of loyal patrons still makes its way to the worn parquet floor every Sunday evening: although they each have their private reasons for returning again and again to the Ballroom, they all find solace within its walls—and in the magic of dance.
Nearly forty and still single, Sarah Dreyfus is desperate for love and sure she'll find it with debonair Gabriel Katz, who seduces the women he meets at the Ballroom to distract himself from his crumbling marriage. Lonely bachelor Joseph believes that his yearning for a wife and family will be fulfilled—if he can only get Sarah to notice him and see that he is in love with her. Obsessed with his building superintendent's beautiful daughter, Maria Rodriguez, elderly dance instructor Harry Korn is convinced that together they will find the happiness that has eluded him throughout his life. And Maria, who—thanks in part to Harry's instruction and encouragement—is one of the stars of Sunday nights at the Ballroom along with her partner, Angel Morez, has a dream of her own that her brokenhearted father refuses to accept or understand.
In this deeply felt debut, Alice Simpson deftly unfolds the lives of these men and women, entwining their stories into a profoundly human narrative about our instinctual longing to love and to be loved.
About the Author
Alice Simpson is an accomplished visual artist who has a profound passion for dance. Ballroom is her first novel. She lives in South Pasadena, California.
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Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Fits none of my mental niches By Trudie Barreras This is an extraordinary book, and one I find extremely difficult to evaluate, because it fits none of my mental niches. Although I am familiar with the technique of developing a story line from the perspective of a number of different characters, Alice Simpson's selection of "voices" did not really provide a coherent story line until the very end.The very brief description of the author provided on the book jacket (since I have an uncorrected proof, the interior "about the author" section was unavailable) indicates that she is a visual artist who has art books and sculptures about dance internationally exhibited. Certainly, she captures atmosphere and evokes the scenes she describes with vividness that permits the reader to indeed become a viewer.The real story line deals with a number of very frustrated characters for whom the excitement and fantasy of the dance provide a surrogate reality. These individuals certainly fulfill the aphorism, "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad." Fortunately, as already mentioned, the tragedies resolve, at least to a certain extent; the true happy ending belongs, as it should, to the young.Since in my own youth dancing was very important to me, and since both my parents were artists and I enjoy painting as well, I could certainly relate to those aspects of this novel. It is not a book, however, that I believe would necessarily appeal to those who want high-intensity action. And I will admit that I became annoyed almost to the point of anger at the refusal of almost all of the characters to deal with reality rather than to continually pursue their egotistical fantasies.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. ONCE AROUND THE FLOOR By Red Rock Bookworm It has been 80 years since the Roseland Ballroom opened in 1919 and in her old age the famous dance hall has become a metaphor for the rhythm of life at its various stages. While some of it's patrons are active participants in their own lives others are mere observers and still others resemble the ballroom itself - old and tired with peeling facades that show they are definitely past their prime.The cast of characters range in age from very young to very old and although you get a glimpse into their lives and what drives them, the author never really give you a true in depth look at what it is that lies beneath the surface. There appear to be only two constant themes running through the narrative and they are - the effect of their mothers on their lives and the sense of satisfaction and temporary fulfillment that dance brings into each of their lives.Despite its developmental shortcomings, this book is a nostalgic trip down memory lane for all those of a certain age who remember going out on a Saturday night to socialize with friends and dance at a local ballroom. (I personally remember the Aragon and Trianon ballrooms in Chicago and the weekly radio broadcasts where one could vicariously enjoy the "big band" music even if you couldn't get to the actual venue in person).This book gets five stars in the areas of dance and nostalgia, but unfortunately only a three in story and character development. 3 1/2 stars
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. I Never Totally Believed In The Characters Or Their Stories By Susan K. Schoonover BALLROOM by Alice Simpson is set in 1999 and tells the story of several lonely people who spend Sunday nights dancing at a Manhattan ballroom: The novel is composed of short chapters each of which is prefaced by a quote offering advice from various 19th ( or in one case early 20th century) books of dance or ballroom etiquette that can be stretched to match the content of the given chapter. The chapters are told from the perspectives of Harry, Joseph, Maria, Gabriel, Angel and probably mostly Sarah. These characters are briefly described as follows:HARRY is a once handsome sixtyish retired man of Jewish ethnicity who supplements his income by giving dance lessons. Never married and abandoned by his mother during World War II he has lived in the same Lower East Side apartment for years that only one other person is allowed to enter and has become obsessed with a neighbor in his building, a much younger dance student he dreams about taking to Buenos Aires.The least developed of the major characters JOSEPH is a life long bachelor originally from Italy whose mother who lived with him has recently died. Secretive, repressed and solitary he works for the phone company. He obsesses and anonymously calls some of the women he knows and is a regular at The Ballroom on Sunday nights.MARIA is portrayed as a talented dancer and a beautiful college student with Puerto Rican heritage who has secretly been taking dancing lessons from Harry She realizes her relationship with Harry is unhealthy but has difficulty breaking away from it.Maria's dance partner and secretly in love with her ANGEL wants to find out where she mysteriously goes every Friday night. Hardworking and talented he dreams of opening a space devoted to dance.GABE is a handsome diamond merchant who fascinates many of the women at The Ballroom. Unhappily married he was emotionally damaged by dancing in competitions with his domineering mother as a teenager.In her late thirties pretty SARAH has had three failed marriages and never found much career success. Fond of movies from Hollywood's Golden Era she dreams of finding the right man dancing at The Ballroom.Though author Alice Simpson seems to know the ballroom dancing world well I never totally believed in her characters, their situations or choices. The Harry-Maria-Angel portion of the plot seems particularly forced and unlikely. I had an Advanced Reader's Copy and I noticed some small inconsistencies in the story that hopefully have been caught before publication. The book is coherently written and somewhat engaging but I still can't give it more than three stars for an OK rating.
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