Childhood memories and the relationship we built with our parents at an early age shape at a great extent our behavior as adults. The way our parents treated us may influence our adult behavior towards other humans, including our own family. The Dancer by Óskar Guðmundsson, translated from Icelandic by Quentin Bates, is a terrific example in this respect. The book was published by Corylus Books, that recently published another book by this author.
The start is terrifying, and practically elucidates the crime we are about to deal with in the book. It´s a big bet only an author that can rely on his fantastic writing skills may make. If you show to your readers the key of the crime, you need to put into motion fictional mechanisms able to keep them connected, and in this case, the connection is the complex story of psychological abuse and trauma. We, as humans, we have such a huge power to create beauty or to pervert it, including by the way in which we treat other humans. Human nature has such an unlimited potential for both cruelty and kindness, and The Dancer reminded me again and again of this cruel reality.
The ambiance as well as the smallest details of the crime - the preparation, the tools (especially the tools), the context - is described in the smallest details, so poignant that you may feel and imagine everything as you are part of the story yourself.
It is one of the darkest stories I´ve read in a very long while, but written in a magistral way, and planned in a way that goes beyond imagination. It´s a dark side of life that we usually try to ignore, and preferably we only read about it.
A side note of appreciation for the inspired book cover, which in its simplicity resonates with the topic of the book and its approach.
Rating: 5 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own
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