The Tap Dancer

by Andrew Barrow

Everyone craves retirement from the Civil Service, don’t they? That time for an ageing patriarch to enjoy the fruits of a well-earned pension and the respect of his family; maybe even to indulge in a love of music halls and metropolitan life. If only people would listen and do as they were told…

His fourth son, William, the long-suffering narrator, is the constant butt of his father’s jokes and victim of his brothers’ indifference. But as death, divorce and other darker dramas follow, father and son slowly establish a strange harmony.

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

According to a quote from the Spectator on its cover, The Tap Dancer is ‘a comic masterpiece.’ That should have told me everything I needed to know really. A Spectator reader might find this funny, in the same way that Travels With My Aunt or Scoop are funny. I find that kind of frenetic whimsy quite stressful. That’s not to say it’s bad; Andrew Barrow vividly captures every infuriating scattergun jibe a father makes about his five sons’ mundane lives throughout the 60s and 70s until he eventually dies. Every day a different one of them is in or out of the will. There's a lot of talk about who gets what furniture. If idiosyncratic relatives and jokes about the Isle of Man are your thing, have at it. Sorry, I was bored.

[Betty-Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Bennett said about this book ‘My favourite novel and one I wish I’d written’.
As a fan of Alan Bennett, I purchased this book. Alan, it is a comedic treasure. 👏🏻

[Debbie Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, very funny in places but tinged with lots of sadness. Some of the antics of the father, the main character in the family were distinctly familiar to my dad, perhaps these are common traits for us all as we get older?

[Gregory Beaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky tale of a traditional retired senior civil servant and his relationship with his sons, wife and in-laws. Often amusingly absurd and touching it draws the reader in and becomes increasingly difficult to put down. A very traditional feel for a relatively modern book.

[Lawrence Barrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the greatest unsung writers in the world! I'm in it aka Toby!

[Paula Maguire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book which was recommended on A Good Read - Written by a journalist about his family of four brothers and a very eccentric father ( and mother to a lesser extent) it is full of funny characters who are well drawn and reveal much about a certain class in the 60s - Caught between middle and upperclass the unnamed father is soaked in snobbery, determined to hold his position and possibly even move up when he has an opportunity to marry towards the end of the book - There's not much of a 'stroy' per say, just an account of about 10 years in the family that covers usual dramas, marriages, births, deaths, but one very sad tragedy but another theme is developing an adult relationship with your parents in your 20s. The author goes home to visit is family regularly and his father is incredibly selfish and irritable, but alos a bit charming but a parent in the Philip larkin mode - as in he fucks up his children and his poor wife. Quite higgledypiggledy in terms of narrative and to me it engendered sympathy for the author for having to put up with 'the tap dancer' I wonder if it is autobiographical...

[MikeP · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the most pointless books I've ever read. My wife bought it for me on the strength of the Alan Bennett recommendation on the front cover. Is this really the book he wished he'd written? Or is it the book that was written by some pal of a pal that he thought he'd give a bit of a leg up to?

It doesn't have a plot as such, it's more of a tedious journal of family life. With the exception of Aunt Peg, the character development is shallow and unrelatable. Even the title becomes an irritation as you come to realise that the tap dancing (referred to in passing three times) is not going to feature in the book. As for the 'hilarity', clearly a matter of personal taste. There was nothing in this book that got close to even raising a smile.

If you do labour to the end, at least you'll come away knowing what "area steps" are - referred to on at least six occasions. If you don't know already, save yourself the trouble of reading the book and just google it.

[A J HOOPER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Affectionate and comic description of a bigoted, misogynistic and racist father. William is one of five sons and his father has never rated him highly. Indeed, as his father ages, he rates fewer and fewer people highly.
Alan Bennett describes this novel as his favourite and I can see why. Barrow has captured the mad eccentricity of William's father making it clear just how hard it is for his five sons to survive emotionally.
This is a very funny book not in the haha manner of comedy but in the cleverness of inventing this appalling yet somehow appealing individual.

Its written as if its autobiography so I decided to look up Andrew Barrow. Turns out his career and profile closely match that of William. No surprise there then and maybe explains the lack of drama as the narrative wraps up. The character of William's father is nevertheless a masterpiece.

[Carmine Di Giacomo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rambling, nonsensical

I’m 65 and I’ve never read a worse book. No plot, no real character development, just sucked, for lack of better terminology.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read on the recommendation of Alan Bennett and very much written in his style (so I can see why he enjoyed it so much.) It took me quite a while to find the rhythm of this book. In fact, after 30 pages I was beginning to think I’d been sold a pup. But as it progressed in its own individual way (certainly I have never read a book that compares with this for style; except Bennet’s and even then there are huge differences) I found that I had a clearer and more complete idea of this family than most novels provide. It helped (or hindered) that my own family bear a strong resemblance and the relationship between father and narrator son is a familiar one to me).

By halfway I was actually enjoying it (I had been laughing out loud from the earliest pages but not engaging) and by the closing stages found that I was very keen to see how it evolved and concluded. The narration is brilliant. The spread of characters inspired (I presume it has strong elements of autobiography). The minor characters; the grandmother and Aunt Peg absolutely essential to the fullness of the story.

An odd book but a wonderful one. This one will stay with me for a long time.

[Ian B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn’t heard of this novel, and if I hadn’t come across Alan Bennett’s praise of it, I never would have read it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a laudatory quote from him on the cover of anything else; I like him and felt I could trust him. It took me a while to get to grips with the book, and to decide that I liked it. The reason for this was its peculiar style: scenes run very short, and there is much emphasis on inconsequential detail. Even the title has almost nothing to do with the story.

Initially, I was waiting for ‘the plot’ to reveal itself, but it never really does. I felt wrong-footed. It is strangely disturbing to have the usual rhythm and shape of a work of fiction withheld from you, especially when the tone is comic. The inconsequentialities give it a strong sense of the autobiographical, and I would be very surprised if it wasn’t based on the author’s own life and family. Andrew Barrow’s approach is oblique and slyly experimental, playful and idiosyncratic, and once I’d adjusted to it, I enjoyed myself and laughed a fair bit.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars from me. There is no plot - which in itself is not off-putting but...There is little warmth between the characters (apart from that shown by Aunt Peg) indeed the father is vile to just about everyone and the brothers are also unlikeable. The protagonist gives nothing away apart from the fact he is lonely and seems rather feeble.
There were some funny sentences but overall the characters were so unlikeable and, without a plot, this was a fundamental flaw.
I felt the author was aiming for Nancy Mitford-esq posh eccentricity but fell short as there was zero warmth or depth - just the money-obsessed, belittling father and endless sniping from the rest of the characters.
I wouldn't have bothered finishing it if it were any longer or a slog.
One of the few books I've heard about on A Good Read that has disappointed.
I can't fathom the appeal of this.

[David Cutler · Rating 1 out of 5]

How many people have been tricked into buying this book by that bizarre testimonial by Alan Bennett on the cover? It prorbaly is the book I would have least liked to have against my name.

Through a strange series of coincidences this was chosen by my book group so I heard other people's more favourable opinions, but they did not persuade me.

if the idea is that this is the picture of a relationship with an eccentric and increasingly disagreeable father (apparently Quakerly and even with a Quaker on the cover but seems to be utterly unQuakerly) then I can only say how dull the description is. And perhaps it is a description of Sibling relations but these are equally banal.

Read Alan Bennett if you must - he is no novelist but perhaps the diaries or the monologues - but save yourself the time and don't buy this lamentable project.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

This only gets two stars because the writing is pretty exceptional. The rest is appalling dross. I don't think I've ever been as bored as I was reading this, managing only a few pages at a time before losing the will to live. I don't like to leave a book unfinished so I ploughed on. There was one event, in the middle, where I thought maybe things were beginning to look up but not so. The idea that this is comedy is in fact comedic. The last line of the novel pretty much sums it up. Go ahead and read that last line; it could be plonked anywhere else without changing a thing.
I know that this is Alan Bennett's favourite book (the main reason that I started reading it) but I guess I just have to differ with him there.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think I was going to like this book when I started it, then something changed. I began to engage with it, and the characters came alive. It is a sad book but very true to life. The book tracks the life of 5 adult brothers and their parents during the 1970s, seen through the eyes of one of the brothers. Arguably little happens, yet the stuff of life is there on every page. It is funny, sad and acutely observant of people and the strangeness of families. What struck me particularly is the way we accept from family members behaviour unexceptable to us in everyone else and in society generally. It also struck me how much life has changed and, perhaps, how much less colourful and eccentric people are today.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bizarre. I found this book disturbing at the start. I felt like I was reading the description of adult children being bullied still be a parent and it almost made me want to stop reading, but I persevered. It remained bizarre but was almost diary like. It was like reading the diary of someone who had been bullied by a parent all their lives but had spent their own lives trying not to take the bullying to heart despite it hurting a lot. It was sad to read too…from the point of view of the son(s) and the parent(s).
This was a random purchase from Hatchard’s Bookshop while in London. From the description I was expecting something ‘funnier’ but it that do say not so o judge a book by its cover 🤷‍♀️

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always think that when I don’t “get” anything from a book, it’s my lack of literary intelligence, so with the Tap Dancer, I’m sure I’ve missed some deep and meaningful observations of relationships or some such, but for me the book was a bit bland and superficial.

I didn’t feel any connection with any of the characters, because the book seemed more to be a series of anecdotes about situations and events, rather than the characters themselves - the death of the brother, for example, was just another episode and nothing much changed.

I wanted more from the book.

[DaveMate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and amusing read

I am surprised Alan Bennett said this is a book he would like to have written.
It is an easy read which skips merrily along. Great characterisation and slightly amusing - chuckles rather than guffaws.
In spite of very little happening (OK, there are three deaths!), this engaged my interest, due largely to the vividly drawn and wildly eccentric father.

[Laura Daly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange not laugh out loud but be mildly amused by it type of book. I have to say the whole family strike me as horrible but the Father is the most horrible. I guess that's the joke. I have to say I found it a strange family but hey aren't they all? Only read it if you really must. The character developments and the plot are zero so you are really just left with a diary of a family in the 1960s just living....

[Frances Wainwright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up halfway through this book. To me, it is more like a journal than a novel and written in a very flat, unemotional tone. Also, it is dominated by the narrator's father who is a repulsive character and whose nastiness I soon got tired of. I could see that there were scenes which were meant to be funny but I'm afraid they didn't amuse me at all.

[Karim Khalil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read and a good concept but ... didn't really find the central character as "endearing"/"entertaining" as the the reviews suggest until he moved to the The Isle of Wight ... feel that the reviews are overly generous which ultimately detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book - another lesson in the art of under promising and overdelivering being the better way.

[Kerry Hullett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phlegmatic portrayal of a patriarchal family terrorised by a socially awkward, self-absorbed, judgemental and miserly father. Despite his awfulness his four sons never seem to rebel, maintaining the ex boarding school stiff upper lip at all times whilst gradually distancing themselves from him but remaining dutiful . Success is measured in terms of money and position. All portrayed with the lightest of touches. A mention near the end that his 8 year old grandson, whose parents live in Japan, is about to start boarding school in English - and so it begins again…

[John Rossington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a comic romp. A young man pens a porttrait of his outrageous narcisstic delusional father. In writing this book the author has created a comic figure of horrendous beauty. The reader squirms at his insensitivity and pointless bravado. I loved this book. You cannot choose your family.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Not what I was expecting but the narrator gives the reader an insight into English middle/upper class life in the 60s and early 70s. His father is the pivotal character and is awful, comical and fascinating in equal measures. It’s written almost like a journal where the narrator muses on his family members and their lives. Wonderful characters.

[Clare McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This family portrait is an odd novel in many ways, as it is anti-theatrical—lacks true scenes, and the tone is dead-pan. Yet it is manages to be both very funny, also touching, and the precision of the observation remarkable.

[Elspeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny little book about a family told by the 4th of 5 boys in their 20s and their parents. The dad is particularly eccentric and the anecdotes and dialogue really capture an imaginable, entertaining character.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely, I’d almost say, gentle book, except that at least one plot twist took me completely by surprise. The characters are very well drawn - Barrow’s ear for speech is excellent. Barrow’s portrayal of the 1960’s also rang true. If I’ve got a gripe, it did seem to end rather abruptly.

[Shaughan Parish · Rating 3 out of 5]

"My favourite novel and one which I wish I'd written" ALAN BENNETT.
This quote/review on the front cover is what sold the book to me and I can only agree with what my favourite writer says... I wish you'd written it too, Mr B.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The dull ache of passive aggressive English family life is not particularly funny in my world. The writing is nice but the story is just like somebody’s journal, not an actual plot where we see the arc of character development. Just not for me, I guess.

[Hilary Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't know what to make of this rather strange,quirky book.