The Dancer Upstairs
by Nicholas Shakespeare
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This novel explores one of the most astonishing stories in the whole history of twentieth century terrorism. Colonel Rejas was the policeman charged with the task of capturing the Peruvian guerrilla leader Ezequiel, but having been dismissed he finds the burden of silence and secrecy too heavy. On meeting Dyer, a foreign correspondent, he is moved to relate the tortuous progress of the manhunt for the first time. The Dancer Upstairs is a story reminiscent of Graham Greene and John le Carré show more - tense, intricate and heartbreaking. show lessTags
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Nicholas Shakespeare wrote THE DANCER UPSTAIRS twice—as an intriguing novel in 1995 and a screenplay that became a riveting film in 2002. I wish I could have read the screenplay, but I was unable to find a copy either for sale or free on the internet.
An aspiring screenwriter would do well to read the novel and then to watch the film. As good as the novel was, the film, directed by John Malkovich, was even better. In the transition from novel to film, Shakespeare trimmed away a few characters and did very little reshaping of the story. This is a study in how to translate a novel onto the screen without damaging the plot or central characters.
The seed of the story, of course, is the capture of Abimael Guzmán who led the brutal Shining show more Path revolutionaries in Peru. In the novel, the narrator is Dyer, an enterprising journalist, who stumbles across Agustín Rejas, the detective who tracked down President Ezequiel (based on Guzman), the mysterious leader of the murderous revolutionaries. Rejas’ story unfolds in a series of interviews with Dyer in a restaurant. Dyer and a few other minor characters are excised in the transition from novel to screenplay. show less
An aspiring screenwriter would do well to read the novel and then to watch the film. As good as the novel was, the film, directed by John Malkovich, was even better. In the transition from novel to film, Shakespeare trimmed away a few characters and did very little reshaping of the story. This is a study in how to translate a novel onto the screen without damaging the plot or central characters.
The seed of the story, of course, is the capture of Abimael Guzmán who led the brutal Shining show more Path revolutionaries in Peru. In the novel, the narrator is Dyer, an enterprising journalist, who stumbles across Agustín Rejas, the detective who tracked down President Ezequiel (based on Guzman), the mysterious leader of the murderous revolutionaries. Rejas’ story unfolds in a series of interviews with Dyer in a restaurant. Dyer and a few other minor characters are excised in the transition from novel to screenplay. show less
I saw the movie first and it was interesting but confused me. What country was this supposed to be? What political movement is this? I liked the humor and humanity of the book. I know a lot of critics did not appreciate the movie but I cannot stop watching it when I come across it. The book grabs you in the same way. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is a distasteful subject but written in an almost charming manner?
For me, this was a real page turner. A well written novel in which a journalist stumbles upon the story of a lifetime when an off-duty police Colonel relates events leading to the capture of a guerilla leader. Set in the 1980s/90s the story draws on many aspects of the Colonel's life and character in a way that captures attention. It was a great read, one that I really enjoyed.
Starts off well but he is no Graham Greene. I found myself skimming paragraphs in sections that seemed only mildly relevant to the story. Nothing insightful or metaphorically memorable but an ok story.
some cool shining path stuff..the sickos
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32+ Works 2,301 Members
Nicholas William Shakespeare is a British novelist and biographer who was born on March 3, 1957, in Worcester. He attended Winchester College and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He worked as a journalist for BBC Television and later as an arts and literary editor for "The Times". He soon after began his writing career. His first books include The show more Men Who Would Be king: A Look at Royalty in Exile, Londoners, and The Vision of Elena Silves. His later works include Inheritance, Under the Sun: The Letters of Bruce Chatwin, and Six Minutes in May: How Churchill Unexpectedly Became Prime Minister. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Has the adaptation
Common Knowledge
- Related movies
- The Dancer Upstairs (2002 | IMDb)
- Epigraph
- I have always thought that if we begin for one minute to say what we thought, society would collapse.
~ Albert Camus - quoting Sainte-Beauve - Dedication
- For Ruth Shakespeare and Donna Tartt
- First words
- Night was swallowing the square.
- Quotations
- We know so little about people. But about the people we love, we know even less.
Always remember, God's mercy is more powerful than God's justice. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)That was all.
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- 6 — Danish, English, German, Italian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
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