Product Description

A story of shanty-town life in Trinidad. Calvary Hill is the home of Aldrick Prospect, who lives for the carnival and his once-a-year chance to play dragon. Here too live Miss Cleothilda, the ageing carnival queen, Philo the Calypsonian, and Fisheye, who flaunts his strength in the steel bands.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28083 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Customer Reviews

Fight back or sell out?
If you read only one novel by a Caribbean author this is the one to go for. Raw, vibrant, and moving, this realistic slice of Trinidad yard culture, and the central role of carnival within that culture, is a relatively unknown gem of international literature. Although the speech and some of the narrative are written in local dialect it is by no means impenetrable and gives a real flavour of the rhythm and patterns of shanty life, a world where hope of escape or improvement ranges from slight to zero. Life is unforgiving and constant hardship forces its citizens to seize whatever opportunities arise, and at whatever cost.
The Dragon Can't Dance strays into similar territory to the earlier novels of V S Naipaul about life in the slums of Port of Spain. However, the characters in Lovelace's novel are more rounded than those in the works of the British-Trinidadian author, and there is certainly greater sympathy towards their plight than in the more comical depiction of slum life by the slightly haughty Naipaul. Clothilda, the yard queen, Philo, the successful calypsonian, Sylvia, the young temptress, Fisheye, the angry pugilistic rebel, Paraig and his wife Dolly, the solitary, isolated Indians and Aldrick, reflective and confused about his role in life; all real human beings, believable and sympathetic, people whose behaviour is explainable and understandable in the context of lives blighted by powerlessness and poverty, and it is these intertwined lives around which the story revolves. There is a plot including a staged anti-police riot, but these play a secondary role to the central dilemma of the novel, and that facing slums dwellers throughout the world: whether to fight back or to sell out. In the Dragon Can't Dance we see characters making their personal choice. Sadly, thirty years on from the publication of this novel, the situation in Trinidad's notorious Laventille shanty - where this novel was probably based -has become considerably worse.

City of God meets Ralph Ellison
How can I praise this novel? If you have seen the film 'City of God' or read Gil Scott Herons 'The Vulture' you will have some idea of its structure. Yes! It is a great novel!! Earl Lovelace has empathy for all of his characters.. each character however much you would prefer to dislike them, is shown with depth and humanity. That their paths cross is what makes this such a fine read!

The evocation and rhythm of trinidadian language is sublime.. "Dangerous woman youthfulness" for instance!!! Not only this but the authors handling of time approaches the genius of Ralph Ellison (esp. chapter 3 - "The Dragon") Above all this IS A PLEASURE TO READ.

There are hidden depths to this novel.. For Calypso neophytes don't forget to listen to the music!! You will be repaid many times over!

Deep, lyrical language
Earl Lovelace is an excellent author. Dragon Can't Dance is one of the best books I've read this year. The characters are lively and jump out of the page and for anyone who has been to the Carribbean in the build up for Carnival, this will evoke many good memories! He creates music in his language that captures from the beginning to the end.