Product Description

Lovelace's classic novel of Carnival. Carnival takes on social and political importance in this recognized classic. The people of the shantytown Calvary Hill, usually invisible to the rest of society, join the throng and flaunt their neighborhood personas in masquerade during Carnival. Aldrick, the dashing "king of the Hill," becomes a glorious, dancing dragon; his lovely Sylvia, a princess; Fisheye, rebel idealist, a fierce steel band contestant; and Philo, Calypso songwriter, a star. Then a business sponsors Fisheye's band, Philo gets a hit song, and Sylvia leaves the Hill with a prosperous older man. For Aldrick, it will take one more masquerade—this time, involving guns and hostages—before the illusion of power becomes reality.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #870197 in Books
• Published on: 1998-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The lilting, metallic harmonies of steel drums and the musical rhythm of Trinidadian Creole patois are elegantly rendered by consummate Caribbean man-of-letters Lovelace (Salt) in this novel, published in England in 1979. As always, Lovelace is concerned with how West Indian men and women struggle to find their individual identities in the face of dehumanizing living conditions, and how they resist cultural assimilation. For two days a year, the festival-parade of Carnival allows struggling Trinidadians to forget their poverty and embrace the frenzy and glory that masquerade provides. For the hilltop shack communities that dot the outskirts of Port-of-Spain, Carnival takes on mythic proportions. The respect that hustler Aldrick gains for his portrayal of an intricately scaled dragon carries him through the year. But the old order is fading: aging Carnival queen Cleothilde is forced to give way to beautiful, free-spirited Sylvia; drummer Fisheye fights to preserve his pride; and corporate sponsors rush to profit from Carnival and do away with its old customs of warriorhood between rival bands in favor of a more tourist-friendly version of the festivities. Conflicts arise when whose who resist control by the corporations alienate neighbors by challenging the inevitable commercialization of Carnival. Kaleidoscopically colorful characters and a faithful ear help make this quest for personhood one of Lovelace's best works.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Boston Globe, Bill Marx
...The Dragon Can't Dance falls prey to the ... sin of much Third World fiction: the romanticization of the underclass, the alleged poetry of poverty.

From Booklist
Distinguished Trinidadian novelist Lovelace writes fiction as syncopated, sinuous, and irresistible as the calypso music that punctuates the lives of his poor but proud characters. Here, as he did in the award-winning Salt , Lovelace peers beneath the rigid structure of island society into the desiring hearts of men and women struggling for recognition, respect, and love. Carnival season has just begun in Calvary Hill, a Port of Spain shantytown, and Miss Cleothilda, the carnival queen, and Aldrick, the dragon king, try to concentrate on creating their elaborate costumes, but both are distracted by a young beauty named Sylvia. The queen senses a rival, and Aldrick, famous for his avoidance of work and marriage, feels love coming on. Conflict also drives Fisheye, a warrior without a cause whose restlessness infects his fellow drummers to the point that their steel bands become veritable street gangs, and Pariag, the only Indian on the Hill and the most ambitious and innocent of the lot. As Lovelace masterfully choreographs the dance of each of his finely drawn characters, he reveals the conundrums not only of Caribbean life but of the human condition itself. Donna Seaman

Customer Reviews

A Book With A Great Lesson (And one minor flaw)
I picked this book by using the "pick a random book with your eyes closed" method at the library.

For an American this book can be tough to start. The "poor talk" that Lovelace used throughout the book can be a little tough to get through, but don't give up! It is too good of a book to let one minor flaw stop you. (And a little secret: As the book progresses, Lovelace seems to have trouble keeping up the "poor talk" and becomes a lot smoother to read).

Lovelace's use of description is almost without comparison. He has Hugo's gift of description without having to use chapters to describe a building, person, or general area. His one line descriptions hit so dead on that you almost feel as if you are standing in "the Hill".

The story itself is also an amazing read, but most reviewers seemed to have missed the biggest purpose behind this book (whether Lovelace intended it or not, it is the overall theme). The major theme is that we all judge people without knowing them fully. We hold people back because we don't like the partial picture we are presented. We never take the time to learn the whole story. As you read the book, you think to yourself how you want to be better. You don't want to judge. You vow to yourself that you will stop, when suddenly the last paragraph hits and you realize, "Wow, I am STILL judging without the whole story, maybe it's not possible to stop." If the last paragraph did not make you think this, I suggest you reread the book and think about each character and how you feel about them.

Overall, an amazing read. Lovelace writes an amazing book, with the only flaw being that the "poor talk" seems a little forced. As the book progressed, he seemed to get into a more comfortable area.

Definitely Recommended!

Good Not Great Story,
Don't get me wrong I enjoyed this story but in all honesty I thought it was a GOOD but not GREAT story. A little too stiff for me. I did like the characters but at times the reading got a little too much like work just trying to get to another part of the story that was a little more fun and not as much work. [I think I said that right], nothing personal just one reader's opinion.

A Luminous Portrait
In Earl Lovelace, without exception, we have the Master Storyteller of the Caribbean. Even years after its publication (1979 and 1998), "Dragon" remains peerless as an authentic, forceful voice of postcolonial Trinidadian society. Nowhere else have the intricacies of carnival been more profoundly explored and dissected than here by the artful mastery of prose in this defining portrait. Lovelace's stinging critique of race and politics is poignant and luminously presented. With heavy symbolism and sensitivity, the story reaches successfully beyond Caribbean life to touch the larger human condition itself. The central figure of Aldrick (whose "mission" is to performa the Dragon dance during carnival) embodies a entire people's frustrations and aspirations. This is an unexaggerated powerful tale by one my absolute favorite Caribbean writers. This story is timeless and one of Lovelace's best creations, far surpassing, in my opinion, his other wonderful novels like "The Wine of Astonishment", "The Schoolmaster", or even "Salt." Anyone sincerely interested in Caribbean culture and literature will find this novel indispensable reading.

Alan Cambeira
Author of AZUCAR! The Story of Sugar (a novel)