Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance

by Lloyd Jones

In a cave set back from the ocean, on the coast of New Zealand, Louise and Schmidt hide along with two local boys frightened of being called up to fight in the Great War. But the sensual rhythm of the tango lessons which Schmidt teaches on that sandy cave floor will have devastating consequences for all of them. Two generations later, Schmidt's fiery granddaughter Rosa, running an Argentine restaurant, captivates a young man with the same sultry music that inspired seduction and deception so many years before.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Book Club, Novels, Romance, Australia

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Lloyd Jones was born in 1955 in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, a place which has become a frequent setting and subject for his subsequent works of fiction. He studied at Victoria University, and has worked as a journalist and consultant as well as a writer. His recent novels are: Biografi (1993); Choo Woo (1998); Here At The End of the World We Learn to Dance (2002); Paint Your Wife (2004);and Mister Pip (2007). He is also the author of a collection of short stories, Swimming to Australia (1991).

In 2003, he published a children's picture book, Napoleon and the Chicken Farmer, and this was followed by Everything You Need to Know About the World by Simon Eliot (2004), a book for 9-14 year olds. He compiled Into the Field of Play: New Zealand Writers on the Theme of Sport (1992), and also wrote Last Saturday (1994), the book of an exhibition about New Zealand Saturdays, with photographs by Bruce Foster. The Book of Fame (2000), is his semi-fictional account of the 1905 All-Black tour, and was adapted for the stage by Carol Nixon in 2003.

Lloyd Jones won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book) and the Kiriyama Prize for his novel, Mister Pip (2007), set in Bougainville in the South Pacific, during the 1990s. He was also shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. In the same year he undertook a Creative New Zealand Berlin Writers' Residency.

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written with the timing of the tango, that weaves it's steps and history through the narrative. It is slow, seductive and beautiful, partnering the long history of Louise and Schmidt with a short lived affair between Rosa and "Pasta". It speeds up and slows down, with tantalising little flicks of story, in no particular order and without any sense of premeditation. I loved it.

Lionel is working in Rosa's restaurant as KP, nicknamed Pasta, and late one night, she starts teaching him the Argentine tango - but it's possible to fall in love with more than the dance. Their story is backed by a rediscovery of the romance between Rosa's grandfather and his shopkeeper, the sadness and the passion. It's a quiet, thoughtful book, but very well written and very absorbing.

[Judy Walton Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful fabulous book. I read it in a day. I could so vividly see the characters dancing their tango.Jones portrays the star crossed lives of two characters and the weaving in of others connected. Wonderful book. Highly recommended.

[Bachyboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author! Such a beautifully crafted book with real symmetry. The book move between New Zealand and Argentina and links the character Rosa with her grandfather in Argentina. Lionel tells the story of his love for the enigmatic Rosa and all the time there is the dance, the tango, and the possibility of passion. Such a good writer.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slender book is a tango -- a blending of a young man's attraction to his employer's grace and fire as they dance together in a closed restaurant with the stories of her grandfather and his love, long ago. Lloyd Jones is a master at creating beauty with ordinary words.

[Felicity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ignore the blurb.. which makes this gem of a novel seem rather ordinary. This is the best book I've read in months and raises Lloyd Jones into my personal pantheon of favourite writers! I adored it. Redolent of Garcia Marquez the characters and their intertwining stories, like the tango which threads them together, are deftly drawn each of them quirky, fascinating and humane. I started this book on a Sunday morning, in bed with a cup of tea and finished it this afternoon on the sofa. Wonderful, delightful and moving. Tears always on the edge... but this is not a tragic story at all. Just lovely. Thank you Mr Jones!

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to a great dancing novel but it was boring and the characters did not have a lot of depth.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off slow for me..I couldn't get interested in the main characters. I was a little disappointed, because Jones' book Mr.Pip was enjoyable.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preliminary rating of 7/10, pending book group discussion.

[☕Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ratings (1 to 5)
Writing: 3.5
Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Emotional impact: 4
Overall rating: 4
Notes
Other notes: I thought this book handled the multiple time periods very well.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be rather charming in many ways. I liked reading about the characters throughout the three generations of Rosa's family and how vital the Tango was in their lives. I especially liked Rosa's spunkiness and Lionel's naive, youthfulness.
One thing that surprised me was how the author of this book, who happens to be male, portrayed the males in this book as rather passive and the females as the active, strong decision makers. Part of me was impressed that he made that decision while the other part of me questions his motivation for writing that characters like that.
At the end of the day, I really liked this book and thought it was a nice change from all the war novels I've been reading this summer. It was almost like a vacation.

[Robert Wechsler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jones' novel is marred by its frame. At the start of the novel, the interaction of story and frame are unnecessarily confusing. But, more important, there is too much frame, and the narrator in the frame is simply too uninteresting compared to all the other characters. What is a well-written novel could have been a much better novel with a more narrow frame, just enough to get the story told. It’s almost as if Jones wanted to show off what he could do, and make something more than a realistic novel, something more post-modern. But it still is essentially a story focused on its characters.

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book enjoyable, if not earth-shattering in any way. At times I found the story amazingly compelling, if a bit sad, and at times I found the story veering into places I didn't really care about. (Not to mention I found some of the narration a bit confusing as well.) Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, as the characters were pretty affecting. And of course, I want to go watch "Strictly Ballroom" or some other movie where there's lots of dancing now.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written work of historical fiction that dances gracefully between past and present and between rural New Zealand and Buenos Aires! Don't miss this love story that celebrates love between a man and a woman as much as it celebrates love of the dance, the tango. The backdrop of WWI just adds to the urgency and mystery of this gorgeous tale. I couldn't put it down, so I highly recommend it.

[Ruth Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just like watching the Tango, it weaved in and out of history, love and hope. The story of a 20 something's hope that the love he so desires will come his way. The scene is set in a place familiar to me and I loved every description, even though the places might have never existed. I throughly enjoyed this book, a romance ill never forget.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two adulterous affairs and a bunch of shopworn tango cliches don't add up to very much in this fairly pedestrian, slightly incoherent, story. Aimless.

Also, I think there needs to be a moratorium on the deployment of lazy tango metaphors by non-Argentine writers.

[Georgiana Rowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book in a while I’ve read randomly, no recommendation just saw it in a charity store & thought it sounded interesting. The first half/3/4 of the book was really great, super interesting and then no clue why but the second was boring, felt lost and the ending was a tad disappointing😕

[Janet Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. A beautiful story about love, dancing and the intermingling of cultures.

[Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather melancholic but evocative and slow moving (although not dull) story set in New Zealand and Argentina over many a decade. It was interesting for the first read, although the passive nature of some of the characters made them a wee bit infuriating, and I don't think I'd read this again. Although it's only the second of his books I've read, I did much prefer Mr Pip.

The story doesn't go in neat chronological order, so it skitters about between NZ today, NZ during the first world war and Argentina at various points inbetween. But it's a tale told since the beginning of time so it's not difficult to follow the pieces.

The earliest part sees two pacifist NZ boys hiding in a remote coastal cave to avoid being called up (the wonderful local community spirit forged their signatures for them). Local girl Louise finds herself having to retreat to the cave as well, when her British piano tuner, who has the misfortune of having a German surname (Schmidt) is under threat of attack from the locals. Schmidt is tango-crazy, and to keep the boredom at bay, he teaches the three of them the art of the tango. It's a passionate dance and there's only one girl to three boys, so you can see this is going to spell trouble. There is an unspoken kind of falling in love between Louise and Schmidt, who eventually leaves as he sees this is causing trouble with the two other boys.

They loose touch, Schmidt moves to Argentina, they get in touch again. But Louise seems to be so passive and lacking in gumption that she never makes a move or states her position for years and years, so that by the time she eventually gets herself out to South America, Schmidt is married. And he basically uses her as a bit on the side who will never get a full open life, and she lets him. Further on in time, we see his granddaughter, Rosa, living in NZ and running a restaurant, treating people in exactly the same way as being there for her conveniance, to be dropped as and when suits. Of course, it's all the passion of the tango so it's all right (apparently). And there's our modern day narrator, Lionel 'Pasta' who passively accepts all this (he is very young though), and is really dismissive and off with his farming parents before going back there and kind of passively accepting the fate that will be dished out to him as though it's better than nothing. Or maybe he realises where he is truely meant to be. I don't know. The ending left a little wanting for me.

[Liane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't say I particularly liked this book. At one point I was even going to put it down, then it got interesting for a while, so I had to complete it. Because there were two story lines, a person in the present is describing the love story of some people in the past, I sometimes got confused about who was who and their relationships. I also got confused by the seasons since the story was set south of the equator. I had not grasped that fact early on and was picturing absolutely the wrong setting. I simply could not identify with many of the characters. I either didn't like them or couldn't understand their motivations. It ended as it should such that one of the main characters, a guy in his early 20s, moves on with his life, but all in all, the book was pretty unsatisfactory reading for me.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

1916 in Neuseeland die junge Louise und der Klavierstimmer Schmidt müssen sich im Verborgenen halten und zum Zeitvertreib tanzen sie Tango und kommen sich dabei näher. Doch das Schicksal ist nicht auf ihrer Seite. Viele Jahre später treffen sich Louise und Schmidt in Buenos Aires wieder. Louise hat sich gerade von ihrem Mann getrennt und Schmidt hat geheiratet und erwartet ein Kind. Wieder bleibt den beiden nur der Tango.

Zwei Generationen später lernt Rosa, Schmidts Enkelin, den Studenten Lionel kennen. Auf den Spuren des Großvaters führt sie ihn in die Welt des Tangos ein, beschwört den Zauber der Vergangenheit herauf, und eine weitere Affäre nimmt ihren Lauf.

Die Geschichte an sich finde ich gut, nur leider hat mich die Umsetzung nicht gepackt und gefesselt, es fehlt mir der Spannungsbogen. Der Schreibstil gefällt mir persönlich auch nicht.

[Swhite · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a little taken by tango lately. No I've never danced it. So when I saw this cover at Big Lots with a bunch of other trade paperbacks for $3 each, I naturally picked it up. The story and settings (New Zealand/Argentina) are very interesting and the writer's style is very matter-of-fact, much like a woman who snaps her fingers and exclaims, "I need to dance!" Some moments are tender as the main character explores generational family history, and many others are awkward due to the subject of adultery, where all I could could think was "this shouldn't turn out well." Having read it back to back with "The Paris Wife," another sad tale with adultery in the mix, and even set in some of the same time period, I'm ready for something a little more grounding.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two longish short stories for the price of one wasn't what I was hoping for, especially since they were essentially the same. They were both "quiet." Prettily written. Neither of them quite satisfying. The attempt at marrying them seemed strained and made the resulting "novel" bulky enough but lacking in substance.

The affair between lovers of differing ages and cultures was poignant, more so with Jones' brilliant translation of music into prose for the background. For me, however, a backstory that mirrors the plot is less interesting than one that gives nuance to the motives and actions of the participants. Genealogy aficionados may find the many trips to cemeteries more meaningful than morbid. I did not.

In fairness, Mr. Pip is very hard act to follow.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once in a while a randomly selected book off the shelf becomes an instant favorite. This highly imagined story by Lloyd Jones is one of those. Jones examines the threads that bind people together over generations. The thread of dance, specifically the tango, ties Louise and Schmidt together. The same thread gently binds Rosa, Schmidt's granddaughter and young Lionel. Loyalty and love; filial responsibility and independence. The end of the world is Argentina and Australia and the main characters journey from one to the other over the years, absorbing the culture of their adopted countries. Grace and drama, love and grief, age and youth, dance to the soul-stirring rhythm of the tango.

[Amanda Bynum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Success! I feel caught up! Book 3 is Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance by Lloyd Jones. First good thing about it: it's SHORT - 275 pages. I need more books this length. Any suggestions?


Next best thing about this book: everything else. It was outstanding. And so, so sad. Not crying on the couch sad, but when I closed the book, I felt a heaviness in my heart, and I said, "Wow." So it's THAT kind of sad. I cared about the characters and the changing geography and timeline... and it really made me want to learn to tango.


Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance - A-

[Caren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both the novelist himself and this intriguing title presented me with high expectations. Although I enjoyed the sensuality of the story and Jones's writing, I was somewhat let down. The best of his storytelling allowed me to hear the rhythmic beat of the tango in his language, a medium of love; at other times, however, I became confused as he wove in and out of the past and present. I would have preferred more about the original lovers, Schmidt and Louise, and less about Lionel and Rosa. The complex Rosa intrigued me; but, more often than not, Lionel's self-indulgence and naivety bothered me.

[Maggieg · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Mr Pip I was looking at other books by this author and this title particularly intrigued me. I love to dance and even though I've only had one Argentinian tango lesson (I'm well versed in ballroom tango,though)I could still appreciate the subtelies and nuances of the dance as described in the book. I wonder if the author is a dancer himself. He obviously knows a lot about the music. I visited Buenos Aires a few years ago and found it fascinating. I would love to go back for some more tango lessons.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance’ I picked it up because I found the title intriguing! Though not about Tango, Lloyd Jones effectively connects the characters in the book through the Tango. And as the story unfolded, I found myself emotionally connected to the main characters in a way that, to say more, would be as much a spoiler as going too much into depth. What I can say without giving anything away, is that he left me wanting to read more of his works, and wanting to learn to Tango!

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I am a Lloyd Jones groupie. This book is a story of the relationship Schmidt had with his long time girl friend, Louise, and their love of the tango which is how they fell in love and continued a clandestine relationship until Louise died. The story is told by the Schmidt’s granddaughter, Rosa, to her boyfriend. Lionel, who is the narrator in the book. In their way Rosa and Lionel’s relationship mirrors that of Schmidt and Louise. But the book captures the passion of the tango in a way that made me feel like learning it myself.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interweaving stories/romances from rural New Zealand in the early years of World War I to modern day with a mid-century stopover in Argentina. Tying the stories together is a love of the tango that is passed down through the generations. I found the historical tale of star-crossed lovers far more engrossing than the modern lovers. They were mostly just irritating. Unfortunately I took an active dislike to Lionel, the feckless dishwasher obsessed with his exotic boss to the detriment of every other relationship in his life.

[Jennifer Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up off the "new books" display shelf at the library. It was in among books about dogs, so I actually thought it was going to be fiction for dog lovers. It was more like a weak romance novel (with no dogs!).
Call me old-fashioned, but I don't see romance in two generations of infidelity. (It's supposed to be charming that it happened in a similar way in the next generation--between a 19-year-old boy and a 36-year-old married woman! Heebie-jeebies!) Don't bother.