Looking for the Possible Dance

by A. L. Kennedy

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Description

Mary Margaret Hamilton was educated in Scotland. She was born there too. These may not have been the best possible options, but they were the only ones on offer at the time. Although her father did his best, her knowledge of life is perhaps a little incomplete. Margaret knows the best way to look at the moon, how to wake on time and how to breathe fire. Now she must learn how to live. A. L. Kennedy's absorbing, moving and gently political first novel dissects the intricate difficulties of show more human relationships, from Margaret's passionate attachment to her father and her more problematic involvement with Colin, her lover, to the wider social relations between pupil and teacher, employer and employee, individual and state. show less

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Member Reviews

2 reviews
Short but very readable book. Centred on Margaret, sometimes Maggie, youngish, Scottish, it illuminates various relationships that shape her life. Although much of the book is concerned with the relationship between Margaret and her boyfriend Colin it's the relationship she had with her late father that has shaped her and there are other great examples of interactions between co-workers, strangers on trains and so on.

I enjoyed it very much, in a way it seemed to ramble on without a plot but seemed like a coherent whole by the end of the book.
beautiful writing very cosy even if the subject matter wasn’t

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Author Information

Picture of author.
64+ Works 3,829 Members
A. L. Kennedy lives in Glasgow, Scotland. (Bowker Author Biography)

Some Editions

Stratmann, Gerd (Translator)

Awards and Honors

Common Knowledge

Original publication date
1993
First words
'Everything else is a waste of time. Do you hear me? Everything else is a waster of time. You hear me, Margaret? You understand?'
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Margaret walks to one door and sinks into brilliant air, becoming first a moving shadow, then a curve, a dancing line.
Original language
English

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction
DDC/MDS
823.914Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1900-1901-19991945-1999
LCC
PR6061 .E59528 .L66Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature1961-2000
BISAC

Statistics

Members
205
Popularity
160,172
Reviews
2
Rating
½ (3.67)
Languages
English, German
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
6
ASINs
1