Poet and Dancer [Hardcover]

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1993

Jhabvala, winner of the Booker Prize as well as an Academy Award for screenwriting, has written a haunting tale of the complex and perilous relations between two young cousins, Angel and Lara.  A masterful novel which explores the dangers of love and committment.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The 16th novel by this acclaimed novelist (whose Heat and Dust won the Booker Prize) and screenwriter ( Howards End ) showcases both her elegant Jamesian prose style and her at times frustratingly lethargic story lines. The poet of the title is serious, plain Angel; her beautiful, attention-seeking cousin Lara is the dancer. They grow close as adults, when their relationship becomes openly pathological: Lara doesn't work, sleeps around, takes drugs, and lies; Angel, her roommate, assumes the burden of caring for her, bringing ridicule and blame on herself in the process. Set in not quite contemporary New York City, the novel has an Indian element in Jhabvala's portrayal of two New Delhi natives--Mrs. Arora, Angel's mother's business partner, and her son Rohit, who becomes Angel's best friend. A subplot involves Angel's enfeebled grandmother Koenig, whose imposing, beautifully described apartment is tended by a succession of perhaps light-fingered maids. In the foreword, the third-person narrator's tantalizing query about the ratio of truth to fiction in any life story raises questions about the story proper: Is Lara insane, or just immature? Are the cousins opposite poles in any human soul--rebellious and compliant? Are Angel and Rohit male and female manifestations of a single passive being? Such intellectual contemplation, prompted by exquisite dialogue and polished sentences, may satisfy some readers, but not likely those who seek significant character development and a definitive conclusion. Major ad/promo.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Both a novelist and a screenwriter, Jhabvala won an Academy Award for her screen adaptation of A Room with a View. Perhaps her intention in writing this book was to use it as a future screenplay, for the main characters are too one-dimensional to appeal in a novel. The two American girls at the center of this work--the poet Angel and her cousin Lara, a dancer--are too eccentric to be credible. Although minutely drawn, they never seem to come to life. With minor characters such as a mother and son who are Indians, the author demonstrates her real strength; these characters are more sympathetic and real. A novel of disillusionment that will appeal primarily to Jhabvala's fans. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/92.
- Patricia C. Heaney, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, N.Y.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 199 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385468695
• ISBN-13: 978-0385468695
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,683,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Haunting Story, June 23, 2003

By 

paisleymonsoon (Tulsa, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Poet and Dancer (Paperback)

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has written this book with the most beautiful prose. She doesn't just tell a story; she becomes a part of her story and brings the reader along with her. When you read it, read it with no distractions and soak in the words.

Poet and Dancer tells the story of two cousins, Angel and Lara. When they first meet during childhood, Angel falls in love with Lara and never loves anyone else in the same way. Later, when they are reacquainted as adults, they become roommates and are inseperable and dependent on one another. The beautiful and alluring Lara sucks those around her into her magnetic aura. Conversely, Angel attaches herself to those around her that she holds dearest. Even as Lara struggles with obviously genetic psychological problems, her sensuality and allure to those around her does not diminish.

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala tempts when she writes. She sets the reader up with a hint of sensual suspense between Angel and Lara that drives the novel to the end. In my opinion, the story of Lara and Angel could end in no other way.

3.0 out of 5 stars Lacking Interest, November 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Poet and Dancer (Paperback)

I thought the relationships between Angel and the other characters got really boring after a while. The book itself was well written but not profound enough. I think you could get writing ideas from this book by just liking the literature rather than the actual content.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dream of a Book, June 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Poet and Dancer (Paperback)

I quite enjoyed Poet and Dancer, as Jhabvala completely immersed me in the world of the protagonist and antagonist. The characters were rich and life-like, but still held an ethereal mystique for me. In particular, Jhabvala's language jolted my senses. Her prose swings its way into the most beautiful poetry. The imagery within the story was covered in a deep mist, but as a reader I wanted that mist there to distance me from the at times difficult scenarios the characters found themselves in.

Be prepared for a heartbreak of an ending that will drag to you read another Jhabvala's.

If you like this book, I HIGHLY recommend "When FOX is a Thousand" by Larissa Lai.