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 – tense, intricate and heartbreaking.
Published
1995
Awards
Chosen by the American Library Association as the Best Novel of 1997
Film
The Dancer Upstairs, 2001. Directed by John Malkovich, starring Javier Bardem, adapted by Nicholas Shakespeare from his novel
Reviews
A completely overwhelming novel, and I suspect that it will become a classic… one of those perfect novels
Nicholas Shakespeare’s stunning new book proclaims him the undisputed master of the Latin American scene
Shakespeare is interested in grand themes: love, vocation, politics and the corrupting power of moral and ideological absolutes… The Dancer Upstairs will be enjoyed by any kind of reader… It is enviably good, a genuinely fine novel from a writer who possesses real heart and flair
Almost steams with the author’s understanding of South America and yet is somehow poetic and tender
Will count among the best work being produced by the present generation of British writers
As cracking a story as any yarn, as informed as any journalism, and delivered with firmness and urgency
Astoundingly good…This dramatic, moving story demands you put your life on hold until it is finished
In addition to being a satisfyingly rich tale or romance this is a highly intelligent examination of Peruvian – and South American – reality… Funny and devastating… I was riveted by this superb novel
A crackling good yarn – Graham Greene meets Gabriel García Marquez
Riveting… An intriguing, well-crafted and powerful novel
A beautifully crafted tale of love, obsession, and terror
A gripping literary thriller… An unusually powerful examination of what animates the souls of those who choose—or are forced—to play upon the stage of history
Shakespeare explores an explosive situation in Latin America, deftly mingling love and suspense in a powerful, persuasive narrative… Precisely, beautifully detailed, a tale both faithful to its time and utterly timeless
Nicholas Shakespeare, using only black marks on white paper, has set in 1990s South America a story quite as evilly enchanting as the one about The Third Man Graham Greene set in Vienna… Shakespeare’s unadorned prose is as clean and precise as the coroner’s scalpel. The Dancer Upstairs is an extraordinary story; no grown-up reader should neglect it
