Kennedy, A. L.: *1965

Looking for the Possible Dance, 1993 - Information about the Book

  • General Information
    • A story of Margaret and the two men in her life: her father, who brought her up, and Colin, her lover ... A tender, moving story, punctuated by flashes of comedy and one climatic moment of appalling violence.
    • Awards: Scottish Arts Council Book Award and Somerset Maugham Award in 1993
  • Facts
    • Awards: The novel won the Scottish Arts Council Book Award (1994)

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    • Margaret - The young Scottish female protagonist who has close relationships with her father and lover Colin. She navigates the complexities of these relationships as well as her job and wider societal interactions.

      Margaret's Father - An important paternal figure in Margaret's life, as her mother left when she was a baby. He shares a deep bond with his daughter.

      Colin McCloag - Margaret's lover, described as "cute and love to fuck" by one reviewer. Their romantic relationship is central to the novel's exploration of human connections.

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    • Family Relationships
      The novel explores the intense bond between the protagonist Margaret and her father, who raised her alone. Their relationship is so close that it makes Margaret hesitant to fully commit to her boyfriend Colin. Kennedy examines the complexities of father-daughter dynamics.

      Love and Intimacy
      A central theme is Margaret's struggle to navigate her romantic relationship with Colin while still feeling beholden to her late father. The novel dissects the "intricate difficulties of human relationships" between lovers, family, employers/employees, etc.

      Social Commentary
      Kennedy sets the story against the backdrop of depressed, contemporary Glasgow, touching on issues like lack of community, the decline of social services, and the exploitative nature of loan sharks preying on the disadvantaged. The novel has a "gently political" bent in its social observations.

      Postmodern Techniques
      The novel employs postmodern narrative techniques like a non-linear structure, blending of past/present, and cryptic foreshadowing of future events. Kennedy's prose style is praised for its nuanced exploration of human connections.

      In summary, "Looking for the Possible Dance" is a character-driven novel that treats familial bonds, romantic entanglements, and social ills, employing an intricate, postmodern narrative approach.

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  • Articles
    • Review. "Kennedy weaves into the story a single piece of extraordinary — and extraordinarily shocking — violence." Patrick T. Reardon