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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wouldn't It Be Lovely?,
This review is from: Pippa Passes (Paperback)
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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing!,
By Sharlene T (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pippa Passes (Paperback)
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!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wouldn't It Be Lovely?,
This review is from: Pippa Passes (Paperback)
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.
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