some cool shining path stuff..the sickos ( )

Nicholas Shakespeare wrote THE DANCER UPSTAIRS twice—as an intriguing novel in 1995 and a screenplay that became a riveting film in 2002. I wish I could have read the screenplay, but I was unable to find a copy either for sale or free on the internet.
An aspiring screenwriter would do well to read the novel and then to watch the film. As good as the novel was, the film, directed by John Malkovich, was even better. In the transition from novel to film, Shakespeare trimmed away a few characters and did very little reshaping of the story. This is a study in how to translate a novel onto the screen without damaging the plot or central characters.
The seed of the story, of course, is the capture of Abimael Guzmán who led the brutal Shining Path revolutionaries in Peru. In the novel, the narrator is Dyer, an enterprising journalist, who stumbles across Agustín Rejas, the detective who tracked down President Ezequiel (based on Guzman), the mysterious leader of the murderous revolutionaries. Rejas’ story unfolds in a series of interviews with Dyer in a restaurant. Dyer and a few other minor characters are excised in the transition from novel to screenplay. ( )

I saw the movie first and it was interesting but confused me. What country was this supposed to be? What political movement is this? I liked the humor and humanity of the book. I know a lot of critics did not appreciate the movie but I cannot stop watching it when I come across it. The book grabs you in the same way. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is a distasteful subject but written in an almost charming manner? ( )

For me, this was a real page turner. A well written novel in which a journalist stumbles upon the story of a lifetime when an off-duty police Colonel relates events leading to the capture of a guerilla leader. Set in the 1980s/90s the story draws on many aspects of the Colonel's life and character in a way that captures attention. It was a great read, one that I really enjoyed. ( )

Starts off well but he is no Graham Greene. I found myself skimming paragraphs in sections that seemed only mildly relevant to the story. Nothing insightful or metaphorically memorable but an ok story. ( )