Come Dance With Me

by Russell Hoban (Artist)

Since the age of thirteen, Christabel Alderton has been troubled by a sort of second sight that works sometimes, but not always. Death is much on her mind because the men in her life tend to die before their time and she's come to think she's bad luck. Fascinated by Christabel, diabetologist Elias Newman is keen to know her better, but she's afraid of what might happen.

Taking the reader from the River Lea in Upper Clacton via a haunted woodland bog, out to the crash of the Pacific surf on Kahakuloa Head in the Hawaiian Islands, this is Russell Hoban at his engrossing, inimitable best.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Russell Conwell Hoban was an American expatriate writer. His works span many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magical realism, poetry, and children's books. He lived in London, England, from 1969 until his death. (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russell Hoban was a unique author. He does whimsy and quirkiness in a highbrow way that I find compelling. He also does culture - art galleries are a frequent setting. Coincidences are regular occurrences, and somehow he gets away with it.

He nests some of his characters in multiple books, always in a fleeting way, blink and you miss it.

Middle aged middle class duo slowly fall into coupledom. They have to battle against history - she somehow feels responsible for killing several men in her life. There is a bit of will they won't they, I think they will.

[Mark Cofta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since he passed, I've been rationing the few works for adults by Russell Hoban I hadn't already read, and finally treated myself to this fine 2004 novel. Like his other works, it's a bit dark yet whimsical, magical, and unexpectedly fun. Come Dance with Me is told in 38 short chapters, all first-person narratives except for the final one; most are from the point of view of one main character or the other, but several are stand-alones by people the two central figures meet briefly. Why do they get a say? Well, why not?

Not everyone warms to Hoban, which used to mystify me. I gave his often hard to find novels as gifts a few times years ago and received no more than a polite "meh" in reply. Yet he's been one of my favorites for over 40 years, and I often mention Hoban when someone asks for the name of a writer who's been overlooked or that people should know, but don't.

I suspect some think that his novels lack "conflict," and they would be right in most cases. I think "conflict" is over-rated, however; I think people struggle in life, finding connection difficult and happiness elusive, and novels that explore this are plenty engaging without life-and-death, knives-and-guns "conflict." See my reviews of works by Becky Chambers and Leah Franqui for more thoughts about this as well as worthwhile novels to read.

When I was in college, I read The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz and was so moved that I wrote a fan note to Hoban. He wrote back! I don't know where that short note is today, except for its existence in my mind as a fond memory.

[Dave Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://electrichalibut.blogspot.com/2...

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, gentle, somehow wholly involving narrative of revolving around a romance. Beautiful.

[Terry Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third of Russell Hoban's novels I've read and won't be the last. Come Dance With Me is a love story of sorts about two people from totally different backgrounds who were destined to meet, and when they do within an art gallery looking at the same picture they realise something special just happened. Russell Hoban's books are never as simple as first thought and deeper meanings come in to your head after you've finished reading it. I love the way it was written with the persons name at the beginning of each chapter so it's looking through their eyes and thoughts including tiny snippets such as the flight attendant or a passenger on a plane and how they see and feel about the people around them, which you don't tend to get with other novels. For anyone who hasn't read anything by Russell Hoban give him a try you won't regret it......... hopefully not anyway.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've just read four Hoban novels in quick succession and each was very different (I have rarely come across an author who varies his style so much - perhaps John Fowles?). This was the easiest and most straight forward read. The sleeve summary and initial premise set up in the first page suggest a lead character with dangerous powers of foresight. However this does not develop in the expected direction of a futuristic science fiction adventure, but rather becomes a down to earth love story of sadness and loss and ultimately satisfying redemption. A good one to begin with if you are new to this versatile author or want to experience a complete contrast if you found yourself here after being mesmerised by the unique and challenging Riddley Walker.

[Andrew Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gentle and quirky love story; with some very Hobanesque use of language at times. Very readable and enjoyable, but not that memorable: (I've read it before sometime before 2011). Not up there with his best work (though that is a very high standard of comparison).

[Miffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really see the point of this book. By the end we had discovered more about the lives of the two main characters, yet we still were not sure of the direction of the relationship between the two of them... hmm...

[Lisa Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. Russell Hoban writes in a distinctively different manner....it is a love story but not your normal run of the mill love story. Unpredictable.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

not great