Dance Night

I previously read Dawn Powell's The Golden Spur, which was a combination of Dorothy Parker's wit and Iris Murdoch's use of a multitude of characters, and liked it enough to purchase and read Dance Night. Of the two, Dance Night is, by far, the better. Powell has created two characters - Morry and Jen - whom you come to care about, while also accurately depicting small town life in the early 1900s and how it is to be young... Read Full Review

Dawn Powell (1897-1965) received little attention in her lifetime, but her novels are now in print and accessible due to the critical efforts of Gore Vidal and Tim Page, among others. She is an "autobigraphical" writer, and her novels fall into two groups: 1. the earlier "Ohio" novels which are based on Powell's childhood and adolescence in small-town Ohio in the early 20th Century and 2. the later "New York novels which... Read Full Review

This novel of early 20th century Ohio deserves a place with the novels of Willa Cather and Theodore Dreiser. Unlike Dawn Powell's satirical New York novels, this is a straightforward and touching story of a young man growing up and growing out of a stifling small town. The story paints a wonderful picture of a simpler time in our country. This portrait, along with Powell's knack for characterization and interesting plot... Read Full Review

Dawn Powell is without a doubt one of the most remarkable writers of this century. Anyone who wants to know how this country truly looked, sounded, and felt in the 30's, 40's & 50's owes it to themselves to stock up on her books. Her New York novels, like "The Locusts Have No King", can be almost savage in their bitingly hilarious portayals of life in mid-century Manhattan and Greenwich Village. "Dance Night" is something... Read Full Review

The four stars are simply because, as a huge Dawn Powell fan, I feel that some of her other novels are a little more well rounded. Having said that, I feel that four stars for Dawn Powell is the equivilent of five stars for anyone else. Dance Night is an engaging and easy to read novel, with Powell's usual flair for nailing character types. I highly recommend this novel, but more importantly, I recommend all of Dawn Powell's... Read Full Review