Customer Reviews

Pippa Passes

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A curiously charming romance that is almost all wish-fulfillment fantasy. No one could be so lucky, so beautiful, so talented as Pippa Fane-- but we forget the unreality in the pleasure of romance, as Pippa falls for a gondalier, is befriended by a Marchesa, gets naively into difficulties with her lesbian ballet mistress, meets an archbishop and finds favor with Venetian audiences dancing at La Fenice. And no matter how crowded or hot we may have found Venice in the summer, everyone knows it is somehow a magical place. If this novel took itself seriously, it would be a disaster; but it recognizes that it is playing with romantic stereotypes in a world so fragile the lightest breath would blow it away. Sometimes, as in the portrayal of the ballet mistress, we seem to have stepped back into a 1940s movie; indeed, the novel reminds me of nothing so much as the old series of Noel Streatfield's children's books, especially "Ballet Shoes." Rumer Godden trained in ballet and ran a multi-racial ballet school in India for eight years. That she could have produced this little bit of gossamer when she was nearly ninety is remarkable.

Young Pippa is in Venice with the Midlands City Ballet, as their youngest recruit. She meets a handsome young gondolier and through him, befriends a marchesa. She also catches the eye of ballet mistress Angaharad who unfortunately has more of a lecherous interest in our innocent 17-year-old. However, it is a mere blemish in the life of this rising star, who finds herself taking on a principal role in the ballet (Now I may not know much about the ballet world but going from the corps to soloist to a principal's part in just a fortnight seems a bit much to me!) and fronting the band of her darling gondolier, which catches the attention of an American businessman who wants them to sign a contract with him! Can anything better happen to Pippa? A marriage proposal from a prince would be the icing on the cake. Of course that would be taking this story just that little bit too far...! Eye rolls a plenty!

A curiously charming romance that is almost all wish-fulfillment fantasy. No one could be so lucky, so beautiful, so talented as Pippa Fane-- but we forget the unreality in the pleasure of romance, as Pippa falls for a gondalier, is befriended by a Marchesa, gets naively into difficulties with her lesbian ballet mistress, meets an archbishop and finds favor with Venetian audiences dancing at La Fenice. And no matter how crowded or hot we may have found Venice in the summer, everyone knows it is somehow a magical place. If this novel took itself seriously, it would be a disaster; but it recognizes that it is playing with romantic stereotypes in a world so fragile the lightest breath would blow it away. Sometimes, as in the portrayal of the ballet mistress, we seem to have stepped back into a 1940s movie; indeed, the novel reminds me of nothing so much as the old series of Noel Streatfield's children's books, especially "Ballet Shoes." Rumer Godden trained in ballet and ran a multi-racial ballet school in India for eight years. That she could have produced this little bit of gossamer when she was nearly ninety is remarkable.

Pippa is startled to find herself chosen to dance with her ballet company on an international tour. While in Venice, she is selected to dance a special part designed with her in mind. She meets a handsome gondolier who hears her beautiful voice and decides she is perfect for his band. A delightful lark of a story. Perhaps a bit dated for modern readers.

As a Cinderella story, this has its moments. Beautiful young dancer overcomes adversity, makes hard choices,eventually triumphs. Beautiful descriptions of Venice, supportive secondary cast (for the most part), and nice descriptions of dancing and the hard work it takes to get there.

However. The undertones are chillingly homophobic, the love scene, though tender, was marred by Pippa's incredible stupidity - would she really want to risk a pregnancy, in view of her attachment to ballet? Granted, she is young and all that, but still! Also, at her age, she might have a great natural talent for singing, but it would be far too soon to see if she could have a career in it, especially without serious study. The average soprano voice does not develop until the early twenties at least - and if Pippa really could sing the Doll Song, as depicted, she'd be a prodigy in music as well as dance. Finally, aside from her naivetie, does Pippa have *any* faults? I much prefer Ms. Godden's other works with more realistic protagonists.

This book, if viewed as a fairy tale with a travelogue of the best things to see and do in Venice thrown in, is entertaining to read. As a story, it is ridiculous. No one could be so beautiful and desirable to people of both sexes, so good and innocent, so charming to the local nobility, so talented a dancer that she immediately shoots from the back of the corps to a principal role, so talented a singer that she becomes an overnght success and is offered a $100,000 contract--all without doing much work to get there. And to call this a children's story is not too accurate--young adult maybe, but it contains a same-sex attempted assault and a dishonest affair on the part of Nicolo. I dont know how much Godden knows about ballet and what hard work it is, and how few people do make it, some only after many years. This book just does not ring true and this author has written better stories (e.g., The Peacock Spring).

...from a writer that has done far better work. Goes to show you that maybe writers should just loaf (or take a paying job) when they have nothing much to say. The attempted rape of the young girl dancer by the older dance mistress has the ring of truth for anyone who has suffered sexual abuse. That episode contrasts with the mostly mindless fantasy of the rest of the book. Does it deserve two stars? nah Read Greengage Summer or This House of Brede instead.