Today I'm on the blog tour for the fantastic A Theatre for Dreamers by Polly Samson* (I received a book from the publisher in order to take part in the blog tour) and of course I now want to go to Hydra!
1960. The world is dancing on the edge of revolution, and nowhere more so than on the Greek island of Hydra, where a circle of poets, painters and musicians live tangled lives, ruled by the writers Charmian Clift and George Johnston, troubled king and queen of bohemia. Forming within this circle is a triangle: its points the magnetic, destructive writer Axel Jensen, his dazzling wife Marianne Ihlen, and a young Canadian poet named Leonard Cohen.
Into their midst arrives teenage Erica, with little more than a bundle of blank notebooks and her grief for her mother. Settling on the periphery of this circle, she watches, entranced and disquieted, as a paradise unravels.
Burning with the heat and light of Greece, A Theatre for Dreamers is a spellbinding novel about utopian dreams and innocence lost – and the wars waged between men and women on the battlegrounds of genius.
About the author:
Polly Samson is the author of two short story collections and two previous novels. Her work has been shortlisted for prizes, translated into several languages and has been dramatized on BBC Radio 4. She has written lyrics to four number one albums and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
My thoughts?
This novel totally entranced me - the characters, storylines and of course the Island of Hydra itself.
It's set around real people in the 1960s who flocked to Hydra - artists and writers living their best lives while creating wonderful art. Teenage Erica is left some money when her mother dies and while feeling broken decides to go on an adventure. Of course her brother Bobby and boyfriend Jimmy want in on the act too. The location is set after a book arrives for her mother from her old friend, Charmain Clift who is residing on Hydra along with her writer husband George and family.
Charmain is always busy with her husband's demands and her children but always finds time for young Erica and in turn she latches on to whatever kindness is on offer. Erica is battling her emotions she's just lost her mum, is far away from home but life is sweet although surreal at times.
Things are not all rosy with the artists there are love triangles, anger, fallings out and as summer draws to a close Marianne leaves the island with Leonard Cohen as her husband novelist, Axel Jensen has deserted her. Jimmy also shows his true colours and Erica finds she doesn't want to leave the island she now loves as she's had a summer of change - growing up and finding out who she is.
Eventually, duty calls and she has to go back to London and real life and a chance meeting there is bittersweet. She never forgets her summer on the island and goes back throughout her lifetime. I absolutely loved the storylines, the setting and found the characters interesting. Would highly recommend.
This novel totally entranced me - the characters, storylines and of course the Island of Hydra itself.
It's set around real people in the 1960s who flocked to Hydra - artists and writers living their best lives while creating wonderful art. Teenage Erica is left some money when her mother dies and while feeling broken decides to go on an adventure. Of course her brother Bobby and boyfriend Jimmy want in on the act too. The location is set after a book arrives for her mother from her old friend, Charmain Clift who is residing on Hydra along with her writer husband George and family.
Charmain is always busy with her husband's demands and her children but always finds time for young Erica and in turn she latches on to whatever kindness is on offer. Erica is battling her emotions she's just lost her mum, is far away from home but life is sweet although surreal at times.
Things are not all rosy with the artists there are love triangles, anger, fallings out and as summer draws to a close Marianne leaves the island with Leonard Cohen as her husband novelist, Axel Jensen has deserted her. Jimmy also shows his true colours and Erica finds she doesn't want to leave the island she now loves as she's had a summer of change - growing up and finding out who she is.
Eventually, duty calls and she has to go back to London and real life and a chance meeting there is bittersweet. She never forgets her summer on the island and goes back throughout her lifetime. I absolutely loved the storylines, the setting and found the characters interesting. Would highly recommend.
Thanks so much for the blog tour support Sandra xx
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