Astonish Me: A Novel
by Maggie Shipstead
by Maggie Shipstead
Synopsis
Astonish Me is the irresistible story of Joan, a young American dancer who helps a Soviet ballet star, the great Arslan Rusakov, defect in 1975. A flash of fame and a passionate love affair follow, but Joan knows that, onstage and off, she is destined to remain in the background. She will never possess Arslan, and she will never be a prima ballerina. She will rise no higher than the corps, one dancer among many.
After her relationship with Arslan sours, Joan plots to make a new life for herself. She quits ballet, marries a good man, and settles in California with him and their son, Harry. But as the years pass, Joan comes to understand that ballet isn’t finished with her yet, for there is no mistaking that Harry is a prodigy. Through Harry, Joan is pulled back into a world she thought she’d left behind—back into dangerous secrets, and back, inevitably, to Arslan.
Combining a sweeping, operatic plot with subtly observed characters, Maggie Shipstead gives us a novel of stunning intensity and deft psychological nuance. Gripping, dramatic, and brilliantly conjured, Astonish Me confirms Shipstead’s range and ability and raises provocative questions about the nature of talent, the choices we must make in search of fulfillment, and how we square the yearning for comfort with the demands of art.
Review
First off, isn't this a gorgeous cover? I loved it. Sometimes it is fun to judge a book by it's cover! I picked up this book in 10 and 15 minute increments at first and had a hard time getting into it… but once I had more than 30 minutes to really dig into it I didn't put it down until I was done. This book really pulled me in. So much so that there was a twist at the end which I was surprised I didn't see coming. I hope that doesn't give too much away!
I loved this author's previous book Seating Arrangements and was pleasantly surprised by this follow up novel (which doesn't seem to happen to me lately). The characters were brilliantly written, the story line while jumping back and forth to different years and locations was perfectly choreographed (love the pun) and the writing about ballet was exquisite without being overly involved or confusing. The world of ballet has always intrigued me and this book was no exception. Bravo Maggie Shipstead on this fantastic novel! I never wanted it to end…
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