Dancer from the Dance

[@lonelyqueen86]

Dear Jen the Librarian, I think I was far too young and impressionable when I first read this book. I was 16 or 17 so i got all the wrong things out of it. It really made me into somewhat of a hedonist for a long time. But as a 35 year old man, I see the book very differently than i did then. Back then, I couldnt relate to the tone of lonely desperation the book was trying to convey. As a young gay living in a conservative rural community, the lifestyle of the characters seemed so grand and fabulous. But now that im older and more settled and most of that youthful fire has burned down, i understand how lonely these men must have been. PS: Sutherland will always be the Ultimate Queen! So many good quotes! Thanks for covering this book. Its haunted me my entire life. Sincerely yours in Fabulousness, Josh

[@mariomendes3255]

I agree with you. The city is the novel great caracter. New York by that time was the place to be. It was rough, violent, contemporary, controversial, effervescent, up to date, glamorous and, of course, G-A-Y. I've seen the end of that era and I'm still friends with Sutherland and Malone.

[@nigelprance2540]

I have read this novel many times as it remains one of my favorites. And I am so impressed with your notion of the city as narrator. One could easily mistake Sutherland for the narrator, but the POV often shifts away from him, so one understands this to not be the case. I think your theory is underpinned by the fact that we never know what happens to Malone -- he just sort of disappears. I was in living and traveling between NY and San Francisco during these years and I can attest to the many people who, like Malone, disappeared from the scene. Mind you, this was before AIDS took our friends. Rather, they were lost to the city or the suburbs or somewhere. I absolutely love hearing your thoughts. Thanks!

[@jcecce]

I love this real-world, lived experience perspective! And I can’t help but think of a few guys I knew from the NYC scene (I only went out occasionally at one time) who just sort of vanished. Maybe they went to rehab. Maybe they suddenly found love. Maybe they just one day gave it up cold turkey! I’d love to know if there is writing on the topic of entry and exit from the scene. The closest I can think of is a non-fiction book, who’s name escapes me, that chronicles gay subculture in the late 1990s and early 2000s including steroid use, circuit parties, etc.

[@bettyboohadapoo]

I read this during the height of the AIDS pandemic, I think you got the narrator spot on, but perhaps not the city, but the scene?

[@EzraTennen]

Love this book. I haven't read anything as campy other than the works of Oscar Wilde. I always thought of Sutherland as a Lord Henry type of character leading Malone/Dorian down a path of destruction.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

That's a really interesting comparison, I never thought of him as a Lord Henry type but I can really see what you mean!

[@mikefederighi9081]

First off, YOU ARE ADORABLE! I wish I had your style ... so intelligent, easy going and watchable without your opinion or manner being too intense or challenging to provoke resistance. This is a great niche for you!! This may be my favorite book, therefore, I am protective. I understand the scene and it's characters well. Bottom line, I agreed with your take and liked the idea of the narrator being the city. Thanks for posting. Don't Stop!!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thank you so so much for your kind comments, and I'm really glad you liked the video. It's always scary talking about a book you know so many people adore, and I always hope that I at least do it justice, and encourage other people to read it if they haven't yet.

[@jcecce]

Thank you for the concise, insightful review/analysis! I’m just about to finish the book and know that I should probably re-read it (perhaps sooner rather than later). As an only occasional reader, I had just assumed that the book was mostly written in the 3rd person. But having heard your theory that the city is the narrator, I will certainly be looking for that in my second read! As for Malone, I think his mysterious disappearance is a deliberate ploy of the author (I don’t think all see it this way). And I love one of the comments here describing how people of hat era (and even now!) would just disappear from the scene. In a very limited way, I suppose I did that after going out regularly to a gay bar in Northern New Jersey (USA). I think the author is inviting us to finish the story, based on our own experiences. One of my dear friends, for example, essentially vanished and cut himself off from our mutual acquaintance. Even in the age of social media, I can’t track him down. These sudden disappearances, confirmed by the commenter, must have been quite prevalent in the 1970s.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I really love the idea of the author inviting us to finish the story, and that we use our own experiences to complete that narrative - I think that's true of so many stories and I can definitely see that being used in Dancer from the Dance as a way to include each reader and let them take the story into themselves and see it as their own story too.

[@SupposedlyFun]

What an interesting theory! I struggled with this book as I was reading it because I was frustrated by Malone's actions and how he constantly seems to get in his own way, but it also felt very real and honest. The further I get from the reading experience, the more I appreciate what Dancer From the Dance was doing. I hope you are staying well!

[@JohnSims-pn9ow]

I will read it... Thank you.

[@none4530]

I just finished this book, and I really enjoyed it! I do tend to love books that are very 'of their time period' and give the reader a snapshot of an era, and combining that with a queer folks made it even better! It's a little harrowing reading this book, knowing what is to come just a few years later with AIDs. There is a spooky line in "Faggots" by Larry Kramer where he says something like "gay men will one day fuck ourselves to death" that was published the same year as Dancer From the Dance, so they're both discussing similar ideas. I like your theory about the city being the narrator a lot, I think it makes sense because I was quite confused when reading the book because the narrator was too omnipresent to be a human in my mind. And I think it makes sense especially in the earlier chapters where Malone is being drawn towards the city constantly.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I still need to read Kramer’s book, it would be really interesting to do a comparison with Dancer From The Dance, and other books published about the same time, there are a lot of similarities between them all

[@pastorytime2683]

Really enjoyed your thoughts on this novel! Especially your theory about the city/narrator, I can totally see that! It's one of my all time fave novels, I also think Grief by Holleran is a brilliant post-DITD/AIDS-era novel. Xx Bert

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Well I'm glad my theory about the city as narrator isn't too bizarre :) I've never read anything else by Holleran so I really need to get on with that.

[@luisnafate6207]

Awwwh, l just finished it... Great review! 😍

[@lu8201]

Is Annie on my mind a classic? Coz that's on my tbr.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Everyone keeps telling me it’s a classic, but I’ve not actually read it yet. I really need to.

[@moonbook12]

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 your shirt

[@josesalas6641]

You say the gook is classfied as a "coming of age" book and that you dont know for sure if it really is since you dont remember his age. The book (Malone) mentiones he's 38 but that's towards the end of the book when he's beeen on the "circuit" for over 10 years... the book also mentions after law school and working for firm for probably was mid to late twentie's is more accurately...

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I always assume (wrongly) that a “coming of age” novel has a character who is in their late teens, but I guess we can attach the phrase “coming of age” to anyone who is experiencing a maturing and independence at any age, even in their mid 20s.