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White Swan, Black Swan (Ballantine Reader's Circle) ReviewAdrienne Sharp has written a very good collection of short stories. The subject is consistent throughout all the tales, and the theme she adheres to is not complimentary of its subject. Finding a good book about a subject that is of interest, and possibly a topic that the reader knows something about is not always easy. One measure of the quality of this book is that it is a subject I knew little about, and had slight interest in. If you are a great fan of this performing art, this book probably will not sit well, for it does little to romanticize the art, rather it consistently elaborates on the dark, and almost deviant behavior of the participants.
There is a disclaimer at the beginning that says that much of what the reader will see is the product of the author's imagination. However, at the end of the book there is a list of biographies the author used, so how close this book is to reality is hard to judge. The author also spent years in the ballet, so it is not unreasonable to presume some of what she has written was experienced or witnessed.
There are major talents that will be familiar to the reader, Margot Fonteyn, George Balanchine, Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alexander Godunov, and many more. The author never questions their talent, at least when they are at their best, however when it comes to their private lives, and their conduct toward their peers, these people are often very easy to dislike despite the talent they had. Their private lives are often self-destructive which is in keeping with the general theme of the book.
There are moments when the brilliance of those that practice this art is described with all the admiration for their gifts they deserve. The book in general is a portrayal of a life that rewards a tiny fraction of those that participate, and even those that do rise to stardom are rarely more than miserable. This feeling is present whether the topic is of the youngest of children just beginning their first lessons, to adolescents who already are abusing drugs to keep their weight down. For those who are allowed to advance, most will never be more than human background.
I enjoyed the book, however it will not endear this art to you. This is certainly one writer's view of the world of ballet, and I am sure there are many others who would proclaim its virtues with the same enthusiasm, its darker sides are displayed with here. An interesting collection of stories that seem to be much closer to non-fiction, rather than the pure creation of imagination.
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