The Dancer

From the author of Heatwave, a Waterstones Book of the Month
From the translator of The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, Lullaby and HHhH
 
'The modern day successor to Francoise Sagan' Evening Standard

The Beach is the only nightclub in town, a bright yellow cuboid on the docks. For most people it is a place to drink, flirt and hook up. Most people grow out of The Beach; they leave town, have families and pursue careers.

Arthur is not most people.

For Arthur The Beach is a sanctuary: a place where he can go every night to express himself, a place where he can make friends, a place where he can be somebody.

By day, Arthur is a loner. Shy and awkward, he fails at relationships and doesn't even make the first rung of a career ladder. But by night, he is a star, electrifying the dancefloor and lighting up the night of those around him.

But, as he nears 40, even those who work at The Beach start to worry about him. How long can he continue living the fantasy life of an adolescent? And, with nightclubs closing at an ever-increasing rate, will The Beach disappear before he is ready to leave it behind?

In crystalline prose and with unmatched emotional acuity, Jestin examines the tension between society's expectations and 21st Century realities, while introducing the world to one of literature's great oddballs.

'A frightening talent' Le Figaro Magazine

'A dazzling second novel where his powerful words and his sense of rhythm make our intimate dance floors tremble.' Marie Claire'

Victor Jestin keeps the reader in suspense, making him the best ally, almost the best friend of his lonely hero.' Le Monde des Livres