Dance of the Dwarfs [Hardcover]

Geoffrey Household (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Black Dagger Crime (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0754085651
• ISBN-13: 978-0754085652
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,008,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brave rationalist at grips with primitive fear, December 1, 1999

By 

Lady Marian "wordreign" (Florence Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance of the dwarfs (Hardcover)

From the first sentence --- "It will be remembered that the death of Dr. Owen Dawnay was attributed to partisans of the Columbian National Liberation Army" --- one is aware of the protagonist's fate. And yet how easily we forget that Dawnay is doomed. Once immersed in the compelling personal journal that records his methodical investigation of an ominous enigma and his manly confrontation of a final, fatal emergency, the reader is captivated by Dawnay's vigorous personality and intently inquiring mind. Rarely does the hero of a "thriller" inspire the spontaneous sympathy and admiration that readers of "Dance of the Dwarfs" will tribute to this valiant young scientist who goes down to defeat, in the end, through a purely human, noble, reactive impulse of duty and love. The last interrupted word in his diary comes as a heart-wrenching shock to those who had forgotten the ample warning conveyed by the preface. Geoffrey Household is best known for his novels of adventure and suspense, of which "Rogue Male" is one of the more successful. But here he subtly crosses the border into a neighbouring genre and writes what can only be called a story of authentic horror --- and one that has few, if any, equals for intensity and credibility. Owen Dawnay is an agronomist working at a remote experimental station in southwestern Columbia, on the edge of vast, unexplored jungles. During an unusual dry season, having time on his hands, he becomes intrigued by an incoherent local superstition and boldly brings his trained scientific mind to bear on the unknown, only to take ever more harrowing lessons on the nature of fear as he pursues and discovers the mystery's ferocious natural cause. The reader will participate fully in that fear with every journey Dawnay makes into the gloomy forest, and even when the source of dread is revealed, the tension will refuse to abate. This is a well-written and powerful story that can be reread numerous times with the same keen attention and emotion as on a first encounter. And once read, it is unlikely to be forgotten.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A splendid, terrifying mystery., June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dance of the Dwarfs (Mass Market Paperback)

A splendid, terrifying mystery. An agricultural scientist in the back-blocks of Columbia comes across a strange "blank" fear among the locals.Why are there no guitars in the village? Why does the idea of dancing jaguars terrify the locals? Gradually the terror comes closer. Like all Household's works it has wonderful descriptive writing and believable and often attractive characters, celebrating a strange stoic courage. After reading it for the first time at the age of 30, I had to sleep with the light on, as I did after reading his The Spanish Cave. A superb example of the story-tellers' art! Beg borrow or steal a copy!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!, December 28, 1999

By 

"alasdhair_c" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance of the Dwarfs (Mass Market Paperback)

What a spell-binder! From start to end this is an excellent read that has you on the edge of your seat wondering what the hey will happen next. It reminded me a bit of Llosa which means Household really did get into the spirit of South America. It deserves to be among the all-time best horror stories, but like much of Household remains undiscovered by much of today's readership. Buy it!