I loved the cover, and was curious about whether Anton du Beke could write, so I took a punt, not knowing what to expect but needing escapism in these horrid Coronavirus times and also unaware this book was the third book in a series set in the 1930s based around a hotel, it's guests, it's staff and resident dancers.
Did I enjoy it? Well, I kept reading until the end. I felt it had more breadth than depth,but, to be honest and a few too many story lines and characters. But what I would say is that something of Mr. Du Beke's warmth and personality bubbled through and you can feel his love of dance and something of the joy and openness of himself in the characters and personalities he writes about.
I can see how how his books might become a bit of a secret pleasure for me and that they bring joy and pleasure to those who read them.
Would I read another? Well, maybe, I don't know. It doesn't pretend to be great literature, but it's very sweet and I hadn't expected the setting or the time frame which did add another dimension to what might have just been a story about life and lives and loves - a sort of Upstairs Downstairs story centred around a grand hotel - a bit like a recent TV series about what goes on in The Savoy Hotel behind the scenes. So, a lot to congratulate Mr. Du Beke on - a man of many hats to be sure and he can easily inhabit the mind of a dancer and make a reader feel the away and rhythm of dance. So, a bit of light entertainment, really. And nothing wrong with that. I just think it needs pruning a bit and less characters to follow. My granddaughter, not a reader by any stretch of the imagination, but a lover of dance, may very well enjoy this book and, if it brings more lovers of dance to books, that is pretty wonderful, too.
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