Beautiful writing overwhelmed by gloomy content. 3.5/5 stars.
The blurb: Where love is your only escape ….
1911: Inside an asylum at the edge of the Yorkshire moors, where men and women are kept apart by high walls and barred windows, there is a ballroom vast and beautiful. For one bright evening every week they come together and dance. When John and Ella meet it is a dance that will change two lives forever.
Set over the heatwave summer of 1911, the end of the Edwardian era, THE BALLROOM is a tale of unlikely love and dangerous obsession, of madness and sanity, and of who gets to decide which is which.
My take:
Perhaps I’m just an optimistic romantic… but when I read the blurb for The Ballroom I jumped to the conclusion it would be a “love conquers all” story. Well, it’s not.
I should have paid more attention to the final sentence of the blurb, which hits the nail more squarely on the head. This is a story about madness and, as it’s historical fiction, it doesn’t shy away from reflecting several of the most shocking contemporary views about mental illness (getting into eugenics and ideas of selective “breeding”) and the sometimes cruel treatment of the mentally ill in the early twentieth century.
In this sense, it’s important to note there are some scenes in this book which are deeply unsettling. They’re this way not only because of what they portray but because the writing is excellent and we feel great sympathy for the patients.
The story is told from three character viewpoints: a male patient, a female patient and one of the staff doctors. All three characters are well-drawn, complex and I enjoyed their contrasting perceptions. The descriptions of the asylum, its grounds and surroundings are also wonderful, particularly in how vividly the author manages to capture and convey changes in the seasons.
Overall: I found this a rather harrowing, gloomy read. I can’t deny there are moments of great beauty, but the depressing content outweighed the uplifting. Perhaps it would be easier to read if it were a book club choice and you could talk to people about it afterwards. And if you like to read a more sombre story from time-to-time then this would be ideal!
Art and Soul 
I really am intrigued by this book. I think I’m gonna have to add it to my TBR! Great review!
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Thank you!
Like I say, if you’re in the mood for something a little more downbeat (but still very beautiful) then this is a good book 🙂
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Sometimes it’s a nice change from the normal happy-go-lucky stories. I can see this one being a good book to read after finishing a bunch of contemporaries. 🙂
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This sounds like a book I would definitely like. I love the cover. 🙂
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The cover is beautiful, as is the writing. And the story, too, is beautiful. But it becomes obvious from the start that a happy ending would be a false note in a book which tackles such serious subjects. I look forward to reading whatever Anna Hope writes next 🙂
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I was just thinking it would make a good book group read…it can always be helpful with more serious reads to know you can talk it out over wine!
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Exactly! Almost like group therapy if it left you feeling a little blue. 🙂
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Oh I still quite wanna read it- especially since you said the writing’s beautiful- but I’ll make sure I’m in the right mood for it! Which admittedly won’t be any time soon :p
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If you’d just read quite a few “happily ever after” books with characters who have no real problems, The Ballroom would be the perfect contrast. The characters deserve our sympathy! 🙂
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yeah- I used to alternate between austen whenever I read a Hardy book- it’s the only way to do it! 🙂
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You’re so right! Last weekend I described Jude the Obscure as the “ultimate make you want to cut your own wrists” book! 🙂
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yup- that’s basically what it was! When I read that book I was practically catatonic after
it was so disturbing! (but brilliant)
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I do really want to read this. I don’t mind sombre plots so hopefully this won’t be too dark when I get to it.
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In that case I’m sure you’ll love it. The characters are wonderful, even their dark sides 🙂
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I read somewhere that the plot doesn’t matter as much as the characters do – if the reader falls in love with the characters and feels for them they can overlook a bad plot! Interesting, hm? The characters in this book certainly sound intriguing!
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The characters are good. I had a particularly strong reaction to the Doctor character because his belief and opinions are pretty awful and you can see how they stem from his own undiagnosed issues!
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