Watch Us Dance: The Vibrant New Novel from the Bestselling Author of Lullaby
As seen:
By Leïla Slimani, and and, Sam Taylor
avg rating
1 review
‘Engrossing.’ Mail on Sunday
‘A powerful and compelling family saga.’ CHRISTINE MANGAN
‘Beautifully atmospheric.’ Financial Times
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LULLABY
Morocco, 1968. The air is electric. Anything feels possible, and Mathilde is determined to celebrate it. Doesn’t she have the right to enjoy life, after dedicating her best years to the war and then to this farm?
Looking out at her elegant garden, Mathilde reflects on all she has achieved. Now in a newly independent country intoxicated by its own sense of freedom, she yearns for a radiant future.
But her babies are now grown up, and Mathilde is about to learn that life can take wild and unexpected turns.
Acclaim for The Country of Others:
‘A panoramic, ambitious tale.’ The Times
‘Exceptional.’ SALMAN RUSHDIE
‘Captivating.’ Elle
’ I loved it and didn’t want it to end.’ CLAIRE MESSUD
‘As wild and lush as a wildflower meadow.’ Observer
Reviews
The second in Leila Slimani’s family trilogy Watch us Dance published in 2023 and set in Morocco in 1960s and 70s, The Years of Lead - a 30 year period - with themes of race, religion and prejudice. This is a summary of our book group's discussion- some of us having read the first in the trilogy already.
Omniscient narrator and a third person narrative.
Success of parents French Mathilde and Moroccan Amine on their farm ( who some of us met in the first book The Country of Others a couple of years ago ) but focus now on the next generation and siblings Aicha and Selim and the extended family.
Discover much about the political regime - a a tyrannical King in power for 40 years in Morocco, with no published books!!Poverty and illiteracy of traditional peasant rural communities contrasting with wealthy Westernised urban cities Historical events - enlightening - Massacre of children in 1965 in Casablanca, - demanding an education. Student protests and unrest. communism and attempted assassination of King, military coup, clampdowns, secret police, disappearances, violence and brutality, public executions.
Felt the hippy, drug culture section overdone.
Contrast between the Arab world and its attitudes and morality -public executions, repression of women, and Western Democracies as epitomised in Aicha and Selim. Conflict of cultures - European(French) and Arab, Christian v Islamic, Black v White, Tradition v Modernity . Casablanca and coastal area - beaches, alcohol, bikinis, liberated, tourism, billionaires, casinos, cinemas, hotels, French jazz.
Gender attitudes - Aicha has her hair straightened, short skirts. freedoms in Alsace studying medicine but racism experienced there. Women’s lives and sexuality.
Selma’s incestuous affair with Selim, her nephew was unpleasant.
Enjoyed the depiction of place - a real sense of heat, colour, noise, smells, tradition, history, foods, architecture, markets, animals. light, etc
Large cast of characters was sometimes hard to deal with. Never felt really invested in any character. There was a Dramatis Personae at the beginning of the book and felt it would have been helpful to have read the previous book perhaps. Disjointed - jumped from one character to another.
Felt there were too many words, too many characters, had no empathy with any of the characters and loathed the book.Had to make myself read it.
On the contrary I enjoyed the portrayal of the characters - flawed and fully rounded. Can’t wait to read the next instalment. Felt it was beautifully written.
Episodic - like life. No major plot as such - one family’s story set against a backdrop of change. Hints of what is to come in next book in USA where Selim has fulfilled his dream and now lives.
This book elicited a range of views so scores ranged from 5 to 9 out of 10 with a total of 65 and an average score of 6.5
