New book of Clement Crisp's reviews

[Christine]

I haven't received a copy yet and heard nothing from the publishers. I placed my order in May. I do expect shipments to Germany to take even longer, however, 

 

[jm365]

I have had my copy for some time.

[capybara]

3 hours ago, jm365 said:

I have had my copy for some time.

 

Oh dear, this doesn't sound good. The publishers need a shake-up, I think.

[MaddieRose]

I ordered mine through Waterstones at least a month ago and haven't had mine yet, it still says the order's processing, and has taken longer than the 15 days they estimated it would take to get the book from the publisher. 

Edited September 10, 2021 by MaddieRose

[Pulcinella]

My copy arrived today but as I own a bookshop I was able to order it direct from our main supplier. It is a sumptuous volume with lots of photographs and loads to read. Our supplier is showing that they have 49 copies in stock so start complaining if you haven't received your copy yet.

[Bluebird]

Plenty of them in the ROH shop. However, a word of warning: it’s VERY heavy!

[Jeannette]

Mine has not even been dispatched. Payment to Waterstones made on 24 August. I live in Washington, DC...paid for intl dispatching. I’m sure that it will be worth the wait (& weight). 😆 

[Christine]

1 hour ago, Jeannette said:

Mine has not even been dispatched. Payment to Waterstones made on 24 August. I live in Washington, DC...paid for intl dispatching. I’m sure that it will be worth the wait (& weight). 😆 

Completely agree re. wait and weight. I have written to Waterstone Customer Support, perhaps there will be a reply.

[capybara]

I e-mailed the publisher AGAIN last week.  Still no response. I paid for the book two months ago.

[Jeannette]

“This item is no longer available.” That’s the message that I get when clicking within Waterstones’ receipt-email to view status of order...yet PayPal took my £42 for book + intl shipping on 24 August. I’ll give it another two weeks before cancelling the order and requesting a refund. Hey, I tried...I love to support dance authors/historians.

[Christine]

That does not sound too promising. I received an email today telling me, that payment had been made the day before and that the book was now prepared for shipping. At least the reminder has set someting in motion, hopefully not just the payment...

 

[DJW]

Clement Crisp Reviews, the book.

 

The publishers apologise to ballet lovers regarding the late delivery of this book to our distributors, Troubador Books. First staff at the the printers (S Wales) were COVID-pinged  and later those at the binders (W Wales) likewise.

 

If you have ordered through the distributor, Troubador Books, and your book is overdue please email them at  order@troubador.co.uk with your name, order number, how many copies ordered and delivery address. 

 

Yes, the book is big  -  it was hard to say no to so many good articles - and I understand deliveries will be made by courier. 

 

Bookshops are now stocking the book but we guarantee the ROH shop will NEVER run out of stock, certainly not on Monday 4 October, the Friends rehearsal of Romeo & Juliet. 

 

For bookshops still without stock, email to   tradeorders@troubador.co.uk

 

[Two Pigeons]

Waterstone's have confirmed they have taken my money so I am hoping it will arrive within a matter of days.

 

I am really looking forward to receiving it.  Clem is my hero!

[capybara]

1 hour ago, DJW said:

Clement Crisp Reviews, the book.

 

The publishers apologise to ballet lovers regarding the late delivery of this book to our distributors, Troubador Books. First staff at the the printers (S Wales) were COVID-pinged  and later those at the binders (W Wales) likewise.

 

If you have ordered through the distributor, Troubador Books, and your book is overdue please email them at  order@troubador.co.uk with your name, order number, how many copies ordered and delivery address. 

 

Yes, the book is big  -  it was hard to say no to so many good articles - and I understand deliveries will be made by courier. 

 

Bookshops are now stocking the book but we guarantee the ROH shop will NEVER run out of stock, certainly not on Monday 4 October, the Friends rehearsal of Romeo & Juliet. 

 

For bookshops still without stock, email to   tradeorders@troubador.co.uk

 

 

It really shouldn't be necessary to keep on contacting Troubador. Orders should be on their records and need to be fulfilled.

[Pulcinella]

For any members in the UK who are having difficulty obtaining a copy of this book I can arrange for it to be delivered directly to your home or place of work. I run an independent bookshop in Mid Wales and can get our main supplier to send the book directly to you. As a member of this forum I am happy to supply the book postage free to other members. If you are interested please message me. There are other members of the forum who know me and I hope would be willing to vouch for me, so that you know this is not a scam.

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Pulcinella said:

For any members in the UK who are having difficulty obtaining a copy of this book I can arrange for it to be delivered directly to your home or place of work. I run an independent bookshop in Mid Wales and can get our main supplier to send the book directly to you. As a member of this forum I am happy to supply the book postage free to other members. If you are interested please message me. There are other members of the forum who know me and I hope would be willing to vouch for me, so that you know this is not a scam.

 

 

I can absolutely vouch for Pulcinella.  I first met her around 30 or so years ago at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

[Pulcinella]

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

 

I can absolutely vouch for Pulcinella.  I first met her around 30 or so years ago at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

Thank you Janet.

[capybara]

My copy of the book was supposedly delivered on the 9th September - but not to me. I have been sent a photo 'proving' its delivery which shows it leaning against the side of a door which is not mine!

[Sim]

41 minutes ago, capybara said:

My copy of the book was supposedly delivered on the 9th September - but not to me. I have been sent a photo 'proving' its delivery which shows it leaning against the side of a door which is not mine!

Oh dear.  What a saga!  I hope you get it soon.  

[Jeannette]

I’ve just received an email from Waterstones about my order. It’s been dispatched, with a link to Royal Mail tracking! 🥳 ✈️ 👑 

[Jan McNulty]

3 minutes ago, Jeannette said:

I’ve just received an email from Waterstones about my order. It’s been dispatched, with a link to Royal Mail tracking! 🥳 ✈️ 👑 

 

Fingers crossed Jeanette.

 

 

1 hour ago, capybara said:

My copy of the book was supposedly delivered on the 9th September - but not to me. I have been sent a photo 'proving' its delivery which shows it leaning against the side of a door which is not mine!

 

Oh no, that's awful Capybara.  I hope you can get it sorted soon.

[Christine]

22 hours ago, Jeannette said:

I’ve just received an email from Waterstones about my order. It’s been dispatched, with a link to Royal Mail tracking! 🥳 ✈️ 👑 

Same here!

[Geoff]

For those who use Ebay, just to say that some copies have been popping up there.

[capybara]

My copy turned up today, delivered to one wrong address from another wrong address. I should say that this was no fault of the publishers. Delivery practice round where I live is of the 'throw it anywhere' variety.

[bridiem]

16 hours ago, Geoff said:

For those who use Ebay, just to say that some copies have been popping up there.

 

Thanks, Geoff - I've just bought one there.

[Two Pigeons]

My copy has just arrived and I will be delving into over the next few days.  However, there is one point I would like to praise from what I have seen so far.  I think it is a universally acknowledged opinion that Clem is pre-eminent amongst ballet critics and his opinion is to be held in the highest esteem.

 

Right at the end of the book he has a section discussing dancers he has loved.  Amongst them are two great ballerinas who I feel are very underappreciated and effectively being airbrushed out of their place in Royal Ballet.  The first is Lynn Seymour.  I remain staggered that TV programmes discussing the life and work of Macmillan ignores any hope of a contribution from her in favour of younger dancers.

 

The second, as this is sort of the crowning moment of the book, is Alicia Markova.  Now, I am far too young to have ever seen her but whenever I see Fonteyn described as our first truly famous or internationally famous ballerina I want to scream 'but what about Markova?'.

 

I mean absolutely no disrespect to Fonteyn by this but she just wasn't the first.  Markova inspired Clem, he still treasures her memory and that is more than good enough for me.

[li tai po]

Two Pigeons, I could not agree more about Lynn Seymour - an amazingly versatile artist, romantic, lyrical, dramatic, passionate and uproariously funny when she wanted to be.  She was a muse both for Ashton (The Two Pigeons, A Month in the Country, Five Brahms Waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan) and for MacMillan (Juliet, Anastasia, Mary Vetsera).  I particularly remember MacMillan's pas de deux, Side Show, which she danced with Rudolf - they both loved the humour of it.

[Christine]

Good news: my copy has arrived this week - sending a reminder to Waterstones seems to have set the train in motion. Thank you to all of you for your encouragement!
 

There don‘t seem to be border processing issues with shipments from the UK to Europe either anymore, which is great. Another order I had made earlier in the year had been lying around for months at customs control in Frankfurt and could not be cleared due to some missing information perhaps, or for some reason.

 

Anyway, the book looks great, makes perfect bedtime reading -a few reviews at a time - his brilliant dance writing is a joy. Needless to say, I lapped up his wonderful article on Marcia Haydee in the favorite dancers section, an article I hadn‘t come across so far.

[Two Pigeons]

Now available from Amazon at a cost of £20.  Having spent £30 on my copy I am not sorry to have given my money to Waterstone's rather than the behemoth that is taking over the world.

[MaddieRose]

My copy arrived this week as well, and having flicked through it it looks very interesting. I love the little 'bon mots' at the side of the page with the funniest remarks from his reviews in. 

Edited September 25, 2021 by MaddieRose

[Jeannette]

My copy arrived yesterday - hurrah!

 

At first glance, it’s quite the tome! It’s more a “coffee-table” book in size & presentation. Profusely illustrated. Something to savour for a long time. There’s even a chapter of “funny” (negative) reviews...the one on the Mikhailovsky’s Spartacus had me in stitches. Can’t wait to read the rest!

Edited September 26, 2021 by Jeannette

[Odyssey]

Yes, I was (pleasantly) surprised by the book’s format.  My copy arrived at the weekend and I have already found that it’s ideal for dipping into rather than to read in hefty amounts (my habit is to read in bed at night and the sheer weight and size would  make this an uncomfortable experience!) So it’s found it’s place on the coffee table  and a handsome looking volume it is. I like the inventive way the reviews are arranged which is far more interesting and conducive to short bursts of reading than had it been a chronological run through. Does anyone share my surprise that the illustration used for the cover design, which is repeated throughout the chapter pages, doesn’t reference dance? 
That such a beautifully produced publication, devoted entirely to the  elegant writing of one critic about a  minority art form, can  be  produced in  today’s economic climate  makes me very happy.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Odyssey

[capybara]

2 hours ago, Odyssey said:

 That such a beautifully produced publication, devoted entirely to the  elegant writing of one critic about a  minority art form, can  be  produced in  today’s economic climate  makes me very happy.

 I agree but this gorgeous-looking book was clearly sponsored by people close to Clement - which is great but does demonstrate how difficult it must be to bring writing about dance and dancers to publication nowadays.