What do readers think of A Theater for Dreamers by Polly Samson? Write your own review.

The beautiful Greek island of Hydra sets an engaging stage for Erica, the main narrator, as she explores the pleasure, pain, and possibility of youthful dreams. Readers will enjoy digging into the evocative details of this place and might find themselves wanting to know more about the writers and musicians, including the iconic Leonard Cohen. Guided by desire, the characters form their lyrics and stories from their amorphous days on the island, and yet, so much is left unsaid by the artists. They become like figures in a mythic Greek drama, complete with their muses and mistakes. The novel A Theater for Dreamers exposes the emotional price artists pay for their artistic expression.

I feel the author did a good job of describing the time and place. In my mind's eye, I could plainly see the island and the houses, shops, beach, and people. The relationships added interesting texture and tension. My only complaint was that none of the characters were particularly likable, they all seemed self absorbed and callous. I couldn't really feel any connection to them. I also had trouble keeping track of who was who and where they fit into the story. What I enjoyed most was an interesting look at a piece of Leonard Cohen's early life.

A Theater for Dreamers is a pleasant, somewhat confusing, book. The author introduces so many characters it is difficult to remember all of them. Samson's writing is lyrical and descriptive--the reader is immersed on a magical Greek island.

The story is a coming of age for young, recently motherless Erica as she searches for the truth about her mother's young life, too. She meets Chairman on Piraeus, beginning an unusual friendship with her mother's friend as she tries to understand what her mother wished for her to find in the lovely little village. Erica will remain here throughout her life, even though others left to resume their lives in England. I would recommend this book, but not the top of one's reading list.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I was confused by all the characters, and couldn't keep them straight. The author's descriptions of the island itself are beautiful, and it seemed like a lovely place, but I don't think I would have wanted to live there in 1960.

In 1960, teenager Erica was out of her depths. An innocent who lost her mother and sought to escape the controlling thumb of her cold-hearted father, she used her inheritance to take brother and friends to the Greek isle of Hydra. There they met novelists Charmian Clift and George Johnston, poet Leonard Cohen, and a tribe of writers, painters and hangers-on, living the free life. With one wild party after another, as the characters waited for their muse (or a publisher), the story became repetitive and I lost interest.

Reading this is like visiting the Greek isles. You can feel the sun, sand and wind. Some parts of the book drew you in while other sections seemed wander and run on. Many of the characters were hard to keep track of. Their names seemed interchangeable. This was a solo read for me.

Sorry, one of the few Bookbrowse books I could not finish. The author used far too many descriptive words, phrase, and adjectives--the story line was lost between subject and verb. I have been to Greece and based on her writings, would not have appreciated the beauty of the country and its people. This book is definitely not for everyone!

I don't know if I am missing something, but I found this book a struggle to read. I had no idea what was going on, what was happening, etc.

From what I gather, the story is about Erica, who is still dealing with her mom's death, her brother, Bobby, and Jimmy, Erica's boyfriend, who she hopes to marry. After Erica's mom leaves her some money, the three take off for Hydra. Her mom's friend, Charmian, who lives on the island with her husband, George, and their children, takes Erica under her wing. It seems everyone is a writer and has had their books published, or waiting to have them published.

For me, this book was a struggle to read. I just could not follow the story line or the characters. I'm sorry I could not give a more positive review, but this book was way over my head. I will come back to it another time.