Dancing in the Void

Robert Edward Levin
Tate Hill Books (2006)
ISBN 192914864X
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/06)

“Dancing in the Void” starts by telling the story of Hubbell Webster and the trouble he gets into with his family.  As his unusual though entertaining antics begin driving his wife away - Hubbell reacts badly when she betrays him.  Hubbell is sent away to a mental hospital when he responds violently to his wife’s boyfriend for abusing their daughter.  While Hubbell is away, his real journey begins.
           
Levin introduces other characters into the story.  I learned about their backgrounds before I knew how they were connected to Hubbell.  Each person has had a really difficult upbringing and a hard life as a result of it.  I really enjoyed how Levin writes in their voices so that you really get a feel for who these people are.  It is almost as if each person is writing their own story.  Levin manages to tie everyone together in a way that is very intriguing. 
           
I really enjoyed this story.  It is about one man’s desire to help others in spite of his own difficulties.  Hubbell’s desire to make other people’s lives better overrides everything within himself.  This is the focus of his reality, which actually consists of his fantasies.  The twists and turns in the story kept me in suspense.  I was not sure how everything was going to tie together and in the conclusion, I was totally taken aback.
           
I like Levin’s style of writing and his plot.  He offered hints as to what the outcome would be, but they were not so obvious that I picked up on them right away.  I enjoyed being surprised at the end, and then looking back and realizing that he was feeding me clues along the way.     
           
“Dancing in the Void” is a must read for a reader’s group or a fiction literature class.  This is a well written, enjoyable story that would be a pleasure to discuss in a group setting.  I look forward to future books by this author.

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