This is a well-written novel, though the author seemed more interested in her technique than in telling a coherent story. The characters' motivations often seemed opaque and the author often started a story thread and then wandered away from it.
In all, I found the novel arty and self-reverent. Not that arty is a bad thing--it's only bad when the writing style gets in the way of telling a story well. Based on the good reviews in respected magazines for "The Old Ballerina," I waited years to get my hands on a copy. But even if I was disappointed in the end, three cheers for Paperback Swap for finally unearthing a copy.
In all, I found the novel arty and self-reverent. Not that arty is a bad thing--it's only bad when the writing style gets in the way of telling a story well. Based on the good reviews in respected magazines for "The Old Ballerina," I waited years to get my hands on a copy. But even if I was disappointed in the end, three cheers for Paperback Swap for finally unearthing a copy.
