by Colum McCann
First published 2003
Rudi, a peasant boy, escapes his stunted village life through ballet. As his talent soars, he becomes an international dance legend, his wild sexual and artistic ambitions driving him to greatness. But in the grip of the Cold War, Rudi's exile from the USSR plunges him into a glittering yet lurid world of celebrity, excess, and thwarted dreams. Through the lens of those who knew him best—his first teacher, a Soviet wife, and a Venezuelan hustler—McCann reveals the complex consciousness of a man consumed by a never-to-be-met need for perfection.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, biographical-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Russia
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
352 pages · Paperback · Weidenfeld & Nicolson