Status
Available
Call number
Library's review
USA, 1930'erne
Robert Syverten møder under depressionen Gloria. Han får dem med i en dansekonkurrence, en marathon. Vi ved at det ender i en retssag, hvor Robert er tiltalt for at have skudt Gloria.
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Robert Syverten møder under depressionen Gloria. Han får dem med i en dansekonkurrence, en marathon. Vi ved at det ender i en retssag, hvor Robert er tiltalt for at have skudt Gloria.
???
Collection
Publication
(Kbh.) Gyldendal (1967) 144 s. Tranebog T214
Description
Fiction. Literature. During the Depression, Gloria and Robert enter a dance marathon in return for three square meals a day and a chance at winning the big-money prize. Under the intense scrutiny of the media, corporate sponsors and obsessive fans, the competing couples are put through a series of gruelling and humiliating feats of endurance, until they begin to fight among themselves and betray each other. As days and weeks go by, the tension reaches boiling point, and this pitch-black tale of desire and desperation heads towards a violent conclusion.
User reviews
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
This was a bizarre, psychological tale about two kids with very different dreams. Robert is looking to be a film producer and Gloria wants to be an actress. They pair up and enter a Hollywood dance contest knowing Hollywood bigwigs would be in attendance. The contest is all about making money,
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working the contestants like racehorses, making bigger and better stunts to attract sponsors and a bigger audience. Analogies to horse racing are abundant. From the title of the book it is obvious what happens in the end, but it's a fascinating read just the same. Show Less
LibraryThing member crimson-tide
A very odd little tale, verging on the bizarre if wasn't for the fact that those crazy dance marathons actually happened. McCoy's writing is very taut and contains a heavy dose of dialogue reminiscent of pulp noir fiction that flows along nicely. Apparently the structure - Robert's flashbacks from
The images evoked are a vivid portrait of the misery and despair of many in the depression era and the whole package turns out to be a weird existential look at the times.
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the dock - was considered experimental when written in the 30s, but I think it works exceedingly well.The images evoked are a vivid portrait of the misery and despair of many in the depression era and the whole package turns out to be a weird existential look at the times.
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LibraryThing member ConnieJo
I'm not sure if this was worth a purchase, but I'm definitely glad I read it. It's a novella set during the depression in the 1930s. Two young people are working in Hollywood as struggling extras, and the pair decides to enter a dance marathon to pick up some extra cash. The male is relatively
The pace is weird, and the majority of the story takes place during a dance marathon, a contest where the contestants are forced to keep moving for as long as it takes until only one couple is left. The contestants get a 10-minute break every two hours, but otherwise have to constantly stay moving. This concept itself is unusual enough that it made it worth reading the book. The event plays out with the main pair witnessing a number of disagreements and other little snippets of the lives of the other contestants, and the tedium of the contest sort of builds right up to the end of the book. The novel is framed around a hearing and is told in a flashback, so you know what happens to the main character from the beginning, but I kind of liked that as a framing device. You're reminded of it at the beginning of every chapter.
Definitely a downer, and I kept getting increasingly annoyed by the girl's growing pessimism, but it was still a unique story, and the title fits well.
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optimistic, whereas the girl is extraordinarily pessimistic as well as suicidal.The pace is weird, and the majority of the story takes place during a dance marathon, a contest where the contestants are forced to keep moving for as long as it takes until only one couple is left. The contestants get a 10-minute break every two hours, but otherwise have to constantly stay moving. This concept itself is unusual enough that it made it worth reading the book. The event plays out with the main pair witnessing a number of disagreements and other little snippets of the lives of the other contestants, and the tedium of the contest sort of builds right up to the end of the book. The novel is framed around a hearing and is told in a flashback, so you know what happens to the main character from the beginning, but I kind of liked that as a framing device. You're reminded of it at the beginning of every chapter.
Definitely a downer, and I kept getting increasingly annoyed by the girl's growing pessimism, but it was still a unique story, and the title fits well.
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LibraryThing member theeclecticreview
"Why did you kill her?"
"They shoot horses don't they?"
The beginning of this short story describes a man being sentenced to death for the murder of a woman. The story then explains the events that lead up to the murder which begins with a grueling dance marathon lasting for several days. A very well
"They shoot horses don't they?"
The beginning of this short story describes a man being sentenced to death for the murder of a woman. The story then explains the events that lead up to the murder which begins with a grueling dance marathon lasting for several days. A very well
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written story that keeps the tension mounting to the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member patito-de-hule
"If this myth is tragic, that is because its hero is conscious. Where would his torture be, indeed, if at every step the hope of succeeding upheld him? The workman of today works everyday in his life at the same tasks, and his fate is no less absurd. But it is tragic only at the rare moments when
When Camus published The Myth of Sisyphus in 1942, it was at the height of the fad of existentialism. He was addressing the question: "If life is absurd, is suicide rational?" Horace McCoy's pulp novella [They Shoot Horses, Don't They?] is an example of existential nihilism that preceded Camus' essay by six years. He answers the first part of Camus' question: Life is absurd. In the last line of the novella he proposes his answer to the second part of the question: "They shoot horses, don't they."
I'm not into nihilism, so I give the novel three stars. It was made into a movie in 1969 starring Michael Sarrazin as Robert and Jane Fonda as Gloria. The movie pleased critics, but it was a loser and it didn't follow the plot very well. Nor did it make the point (if you'd call it a point) that the book had made. I don't think the producer understood the book. The book also pleased many critics, but had a mixed reception overall.
But if you're into this kind of literature, Horace McCoy did a good job of it.
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it becomes conscious. Sisyphus, proletarian of the gods, powerless and rebellious, knows the whole extent of his wretched condition: it is what he thinks of during his descent. The lucidity that was to constitute his torture at the same time crowns his victory. There is no fate that can not be surmounted by scorn." Albert Camus, [The Myth of Sisyphus]When Camus published The Myth of Sisyphus in 1942, it was at the height of the fad of existentialism. He was addressing the question: "If life is absurd, is suicide rational?" Horace McCoy's pulp novella [They Shoot Horses, Don't They?] is an example of existential nihilism that preceded Camus' essay by six years. He answers the first part of Camus' question: Life is absurd. In the last line of the novella he proposes his answer to the second part of the question: "They shoot horses, don't they."
I'm not into nihilism, so I give the novel three stars. It was made into a movie in 1969 starring Michael Sarrazin as Robert and Jane Fonda as Gloria. The movie pleased critics, but it was a loser and it didn't follow the plot very well. Nor did it make the point (if you'd call it a point) that the book had made. I don't think the producer understood the book. The book also pleased many critics, but had a mixed reception overall.
But if you're into this kind of literature, Horace McCoy did a good job of it.
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LibraryThing member CBJames
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? by Horace McCoy takes the reader into one of America's darkest corners. Written in 1935, They Shoot Horses, Don't They is the story of Gloria and Robert, two young people who came to Hollywood to get into movies, Gloria as and actor, Robert as a director. Down on
Dance marathons were a brief craze in the 1930's. Couples entered and danced, or at least kept moving, as long as they could. The last couple standing won the prize money. They could go on for weeks, even months. Along the way a couple could be sponsored by local business, win various competitions, get discovered by a Hollywood agent. At the very least they had a roof over their heads and three meals a day which was more than many people had in 1935 America.
You've already guessed that this is not a happy story, even if you haven't seen Jane Fonda in the Sydney Pollack film version. That said, there is still much to recommend in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? McCoy knows his subject; I imagine he attended a dance marathon even if he was never in one. It should be pointed out that They Shoot Horses Don't They takes place in the present; it's not historical fiction, so what we get from McCoy is not filtered through the lens of time, it's what at least one man really thought and felt about the subject. The behind the scenes workings of the dance contest McCoy portrays give the reader a fascinating insider's perspective on dance marathons, 1930's Los Angeles and the bottom rungs of the entertainment business. McCoy's characters are memorable, and his writing hard boiled, very hard boiled, perfect for a film noir story like this. The story has resonance for contemporary America and the current craze for reality television. How far are we from staging a dance marathon for television?
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? did not do well in it's initial printing, selling fewer than 3,000 copies. It was forgotten for decades until the French Existentialist re-discovered the book. Sydney Pollack directed the film version, which is terrific, one of the few times the movie is arguably better than the movie. I'm rating the book four out of five stars. If you're still doing the novella challenge this book should count as it comes in at 129 lean pages
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their luck like so many, they enter a dance marathon, to win some money, to get discovered, to have three decent meals a day. Dance marathons were a brief craze in the 1930's. Couples entered and danced, or at least kept moving, as long as they could. The last couple standing won the prize money. They could go on for weeks, even months. Along the way a couple could be sponsored by local business, win various competitions, get discovered by a Hollywood agent. At the very least they had a roof over their heads and three meals a day which was more than many people had in 1935 America.
You've already guessed that this is not a happy story, even if you haven't seen Jane Fonda in the Sydney Pollack film version. That said, there is still much to recommend in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? McCoy knows his subject; I imagine he attended a dance marathon even if he was never in one. It should be pointed out that They Shoot Horses Don't They takes place in the present; it's not historical fiction, so what we get from McCoy is not filtered through the lens of time, it's what at least one man really thought and felt about the subject. The behind the scenes workings of the dance contest McCoy portrays give the reader a fascinating insider's perspective on dance marathons, 1930's Los Angeles and the bottom rungs of the entertainment business. McCoy's characters are memorable, and his writing hard boiled, very hard boiled, perfect for a film noir story like this. The story has resonance for contemporary America and the current craze for reality television. How far are we from staging a dance marathon for television?
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? did not do well in it's initial printing, selling fewer than 3,000 copies. It was forgotten for decades until the French Existentialist re-discovered the book. Sydney Pollack directed the film version, which is terrific, one of the few times the movie is arguably better than the movie. I'm rating the book four out of five stars. If you're still doing the novella challenge this book should count as it comes in at 129 lean pages
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LibraryThing member danaenicole
I watched the movie for an American mystery class in college. I bought the book in an omnibus for that class as well, but reading this particular book was not one of the requirements, so I just now got around to it.
If I recall correctly, the background events are completely different between the
[SPOILERS BELOW]
In the end, when Gloria asks Robert to shoot her, it just seemed to me like he made his decision too easily. It should have been harder for him to bring himself to end the life of his friend. I also can't help thinking that it was really selfish of her to ask him to do that. There was no attempt to keep him out of trouble. He had so many dreams and aspirations and instead he is executed as a murderer. On the other hand, I do have sympathy for Gloria and I wish she'd have been able to get the help she needed.
[END SPOILERS]
I really like the design of the pages as the judge's sentence is slowly revealed, in larger and larger font, between each chapter.
Honestly, I don't really know how I feel about this book. The story is interesting, but sad in a way that is slightly frustrating...
Also, I just want to state that the "Gilmore Girls" episode named after this book was definitely one of my least favorite episodes. I couldn't possible hate Jess any more than I did during that episode and I believe it was at that episode that I officially decided I didn't like Dean either. In case anyone was wondering... ;)
If I recall correctly, the background events are completely different between the
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book and the movie. Except for Ruby. I think they were more interesting in the movie. I also found it strange that the book really downplayed how tired everyone would be. I felt exhausted just watching the movie, but in the book, it didn't seem like what they were doing was that difficult. [SPOILERS BELOW]
In the end, when Gloria asks Robert to shoot her, it just seemed to me like he made his decision too easily. It should have been harder for him to bring himself to end the life of his friend. I also can't help thinking that it was really selfish of her to ask him to do that. There was no attempt to keep him out of trouble. He had so many dreams and aspirations and instead he is executed as a murderer. On the other hand, I do have sympathy for Gloria and I wish she'd have been able to get the help she needed.
[END SPOILERS]
I really like the design of the pages as the judge's sentence is slowly revealed, in larger and larger font, between each chapter.
Honestly, I don't really know how I feel about this book. The story is interesting, but sad in a way that is slightly frustrating...
Also, I just want to state that the "Gilmore Girls" episode named after this book was definitely one of my least favorite episodes. I couldn't possible hate Jess any more than I did during that episode and I believe it was at that episode that I officially decided I didn't like Dean either. In case anyone was wondering... ;)
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LibraryThing member TheLoisLevel
I'm not sure how I came to read this book, because, to be honest, I just knew it was a movie. I also have to admit that I have a stronger memory of John Boy's entering a dance marathon in The Waltons than I do of the film. Oh, and there was an episode of Happy Days in which there's also a mini
They Shoot Horses has a pretty interesting format for a "crime novel": the reader knows from the beginning that the narrator has committed the crime. What you don't know is what crime and why.
Although They Shoot Horses is set during the depression I think it resonates with anyone who has run out of options. Is it still possible to run out of options at such a young age? I don't know.
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version of the type of competition portrayed in this book. I know the Happy Days version never mentioned that original dance marathons went on for weeks. It seems sick and unreal, but I guess the times made it possible.They Shoot Horses has a pretty interesting format for a "crime novel": the reader knows from the beginning that the narrator has committed the crime. What you don't know is what crime and why.
Although They Shoot Horses is set during the depression I think it resonates with anyone who has run out of options. Is it still possible to run out of options at such a young age? I don't know.
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LibraryThing member Danielle23
A great book with an ending that comes completely out of the blue. Easy to read and very enjoyable.
LibraryThing member HotWolfie
If you like depressing stories with social and political themes, then this is the perfect novella for you. This is a heartbreaking story about disillusionment, poverty, and the loss of the American Dream. I thought it was a good depiction of life during the Depression era and a thought provoking
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look at corruption. Warning. It is a sad story. So if you hated books like Richard Yates' "Revolutionary Road" or John le Carre's "The Constant Gardener" do not read "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Otherwise, it's a memorable, well written story. Show Less
LibraryThing member clfisha
Marathon dancing and Nihilism, this is a novella that packs a punch. A young man recounts how he ended up in court and each chapter is framed with a snippet of the judges sentence. Short and shocking at first then gradually layering on detail as we hurtle towards the fatalistic ending. The setting
A page turning story that offers so much but in the end fails slightly because of the nihilistic doom laden simplicity. A personal taste sure, but also affects Gloria's fatalistic character. There is no substance behind her, no reasons given, Her character and Robert's response just feels stupid, a let down to the richness that came before.
Still I do recommended it. It’s a fantastic, rich novella for all that.
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is fascinating within itself, a surreal never-ending endurance dance off, full of rivalries and dubious showmanship. Couples are offered money to marry, fights start over cheating, collapses and prudish protesters abound. A page turning story that offers so much but in the end fails slightly because of the nihilistic doom laden simplicity. A personal taste sure, but also affects Gloria's fatalistic character. There is no substance behind her, no reasons given, Her character and Robert's response just feels stupid, a let down to the richness that came before.
Still I do recommended it. It’s a fantastic, rich novella for all that.
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LibraryThing member phredfrancis
The cover calls this "a lurid tale of dancing and desperation." How can you resist that?
It's hard to believe this was first published almost 75 years ago. The themes are all very contemporary, as is the bleak world-weariness of most of the characters.
One has to read between the lines a bit to get
Another reviewer here mentioned how this resonates all the more now that reality TV is giving people new and more outrageously shameful ways to become rich and famous. I quite agree.
It's hard to believe this was first published almost 75 years ago. The themes are all very contemporary, as is the bleak world-weariness of most of the characters.
One has to read between the lines a bit to get
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the full impact of some of the comments, but the meaning comes through well enough. I enjoyed the story structure, too, which has a very noir-ish reading of the narrator's verdict being read to him, interspersed with the main main narrative. This is not a spoiler in any way, since the reader is told from the very start how things come out.Another reviewer here mentioned how this resonates all the more now that reality TV is giving people new and more outrageously shameful ways to become rich and famous. I quite agree.
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LibraryThing member KristaK
Such a depressing book, but worth reading. It shows the darker side of humanity....
LibraryThing member CurrerBell
A case of a movie that's better than the book. Not that Horace McCoy's novel isn't excellent, but the movie surpasses it, and this movie tie-in paperback includes not only McCoy's novel but also Robert E. Thompson's screenplay, with a forward to the screenplay by director Sidney Pollack.
LibraryThing member sprainedbrain
This little book from our #1001Discoveries group surprised me. It’s not a happy story, but it’s somehow very cheerful, even with the abrupt, unhappy ending you know is coming all along. Excellent writing about a 1930s dance marathon and the ‘kids’ that are slogging through it. A short,
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fascinating read. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Talk about a downer, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They was a dark and grim little book of only 121 pages but those pages were packed with story. It starts with a man being told to stand up to face judge while he receives his sentence. While standing, he mulls over the events that brought him to be
It’s the 1930’s and the depression is causing people to resort to desperate measures and being a struggling actor was particularly unrewarding. After being rejected by a couple of studios one day, these two kids meet and decide to enter a marathon dance competition in the hopes of winning a prize or even getting some recognition that could lead to a movie role. What follows is the sordid, gruelling ways that people allowed themselves to be tortured in the name of entertainment.
A classic noir story, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They effectively captures a moment in time and although bleak and pessimistic, I admit I was glued to the pages, wanting to find out the how, the why and the what that this story was leading up to.
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standing in this spot.It’s the 1930’s and the depression is causing people to resort to desperate measures and being a struggling actor was particularly unrewarding. After being rejected by a couple of studios one day, these two kids meet and decide to enter a marathon dance competition in the hopes of winning a prize or even getting some recognition that could lead to a movie role. What follows is the sordid, gruelling ways that people allowed themselves to be tortured in the name of entertainment.
A classic noir story, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They effectively captures a moment in time and although bleak and pessimistic, I admit I was glued to the pages, wanting to find out the how, the why and the what that this story was leading up to.
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LibraryThing member DaveWilde
"They Shoot Horses, Don't They" is such an incredible title that I knew I would eventually have to find a copy and read it. It was written in 1935 by Horace McCoy, who wrote a handful of hardboiled novels and worked on screenplays. "They Shoot Horses, Don't They" was not actually made into a movie
It brings to mind the scene in Bonnie and Clyde where Faye Dunaway says, "Baby, I've got the blues." And, this book is about the blues. It takes place during the depression and two young kids meet on the street in Hollywood, seeking their fortune as actors, but getting nowhere fast. Gloria is from West Texas and, as crappy as life is in Hollywood without a dime to your name, it's better than living with her aunt and uncle in Texas with him making passes at her and the aunt yelling at her. She first went to Dallas and found that dull and boring and empty. California is no better. Gloria is bitter and unhappy and wishes she had the courage to end it all.
After they meet on the street in Hollywood, they join what was popular at the time: a dance marathon on the Santa Monica pier. These marathons go on for days and days and the promoters use every trick in the book to publicize them. Robert hopes maybe some producer or star might discover them. They have to dance one hour and fifty minutes to get ten minutes of rest and start all over. Every night, they also have to race around the track to entertain the crowds. It's grueling and painful, but at least they get food and maybe, just maybe, if they are the last couple standing, they can win a prize. Most of the story takes place at the dance contest and McCoy actually takes what should be a dull event and makes it interesting.
The story really isn't about dancing. It is about hopelessness and bitterness and ennui. This book was a hit in France long before it became popular in America. Gloria constantly talks about wishing she could end it all because it is all pointless. The story foreshadows the disaffection and alienation of later generations, but maybe it gives an honest portrayal of what it felt like in the depression with no money, no family, no future.
Interspersed with the dance contest narrative are scenes from Robert's trial and, since its revealed at the beginning, its no secret, he eventually gave in and helped Gloria end it all just as she always said she wanted. "They shoot horses, don't they," he explained as the police took him into custody.
This is not just another hardboiled novel. It is a powerful work of literature that captures quite extraordinarily Gloria's descent into depression and hopelessness and Robert's annoyance and later grudging understanding of her pain.
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until after McCoy's death. It came out in 1969, directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Jane Fonda and Michael Sarazin. Although fairly short as a novel and not widely read at the time it was published, it is an incredibly powerful book.It brings to mind the scene in Bonnie and Clyde where Faye Dunaway says, "Baby, I've got the blues." And, this book is about the blues. It takes place during the depression and two young kids meet on the street in Hollywood, seeking their fortune as actors, but getting nowhere fast. Gloria is from West Texas and, as crappy as life is in Hollywood without a dime to your name, it's better than living with her aunt and uncle in Texas with him making passes at her and the aunt yelling at her. She first went to Dallas and found that dull and boring and empty. California is no better. Gloria is bitter and unhappy and wishes she had the courage to end it all.
After they meet on the street in Hollywood, they join what was popular at the time: a dance marathon on the Santa Monica pier. These marathons go on for days and days and the promoters use every trick in the book to publicize them. Robert hopes maybe some producer or star might discover them. They have to dance one hour and fifty minutes to get ten minutes of rest and start all over. Every night, they also have to race around the track to entertain the crowds. It's grueling and painful, but at least they get food and maybe, just maybe, if they are the last couple standing, they can win a prize. Most of the story takes place at the dance contest and McCoy actually takes what should be a dull event and makes it interesting.
The story really isn't about dancing. It is about hopelessness and bitterness and ennui. This book was a hit in France long before it became popular in America. Gloria constantly talks about wishing she could end it all because it is all pointless. The story foreshadows the disaffection and alienation of later generations, but maybe it gives an honest portrayal of what it felt like in the depression with no money, no family, no future.
Interspersed with the dance contest narrative are scenes from Robert's trial and, since its revealed at the beginning, its no secret, he eventually gave in and helped Gloria end it all just as she always said she wanted. "They shoot horses, don't they," he explained as the police took him into custody.
This is not just another hardboiled novel. It is a powerful work of literature that captures quite extraordinarily Gloria's descent into depression and hopelessness and Robert's annoyance and later grudging understanding of her pain.
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LibraryThing member Kristelh
A story of the generation that went to Hollywood to be famous on the screen and set in the time of the great depression. This is the story of a young man and a woman who meet up after another failed attempt to get "in". They talk a little and at her suggestion, they go to the dance marathon. These
The story starts with short bursts of information. Right away you know a woman dies of a gun shot. Then you find out that the person telling the story is accused of killing her. Then you find out that "he is going to die". The dance marathon is where the reader slowly learns the why of the murder and even the question of whether the murder was wrong or a mercy.
I found this a very engaging and a fast read. It is short, novella length but the author manages to explore great themes of existentialism.
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dance marathons really did exist and started out in the 20s as competitions but became a type of entertainment during the depression. It really was more of a human endurance than an actual dance. The story starts with short bursts of information. Right away you know a woman dies of a gun shot. Then you find out that the person telling the story is accused of killing her. Then you find out that "he is going to die". The dance marathon is where the reader slowly learns the why of the murder and even the question of whether the murder was wrong or a mercy.
I found this a very engaging and a fast read. It is short, novella length but the author manages to explore great themes of existentialism.
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LibraryThing member suesbooks
I did not care for the writing of this book, and I felt the details were tedious. I appreciated learning about the trials and exploitation of the characters, but I was not able to see poetry in the words.
LibraryThing member write-review
Waltzing with Absurdity
When your world falls down around you, when most of everything you believed true proves false, as happened to many in the Great Depression, then the entire idea of existence, of your existence can go from optimistic to hopeless, from rational (or at least somewhat rational)
Robert and Gloria meet by accident at a movie studio, where both have failed to land jobs as extras. Gloria persuades Robert, who is as down and out as she, to partner with her in a dance marathon down on a pier in Los Angeles. As the two get to know each other over the course of the five weeks they dance and walk together, readers learn about their lives.
Robert’s a farm boy who came to L.A. to become a director, a wildly optimistic pursuit as he has no training or film experience. However, he is stubbornly hopeful, always trying to look on the bright side of life.
Robert could not have found a more polar opposite to himself than Gloria if he had tried. She sees only the darkness in the world and openly and often tells him she wishes she were dead, that she would die, that once she had tried killing herself. Her parents are dead; she fled her relatives in West Texas, where her uncle attempted sexually abusing her. In addition, she is argumentative and pugnacious, calling for a married pregnant contestant to get an abortion, while herself having sex with one of the promoters to advance her chances of winning.
For five weeks, they live and dance in the confines of the dance hall. The audiences build and cheer them on, attracted by the promise of drama on the floor. Couples, pushed to and beyond their limits in derbies (extended periods of racing to avoid elimination), collapse, arguments and fights breakout, and, in the end, a fatal shooting (not Robert and Gloria’s) take place, ending the competition abruptly.
In other words, the pair, and the other contestants, exist in a pressure cooker of frustration, false hope, and fear of elimination and a return to an ever rougher, more unforgiving world. It’s enough to wear even an optimist like Robert to the nub, to the point where even the absurd seems reasonable. And the ultimate of that, Robert becoming the agent helping Gloria exit her dismal world of pain. Then accounting for his action with a remembrance of how his grandfather dispatched an injured horse they both loved, saying, “They shoot horses, don’t they?” By extension, why should suffering humans be treated any differently and allowed to linger and suffer?
When your world falls down around you, when most of everything you believed true proves false, as happened to many in the Great Depression, then the entire idea of existence, of your existence can go from optimistic to hopeless, from rational (or at least somewhat rational)
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to completely absurd, in the sense of meaningless. With this in mind, you have a reasonable framework for understanding why Robert Syverten stands before a judge receiving his death sentence for the murder of Gloria Beatty. Here you have the bright eternal optimist, Robert, dancing with the ground-down pessimist, Gloria, both isolated in a ring of absurdity, the marathon dance ring (popular entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s).Robert and Gloria meet by accident at a movie studio, where both have failed to land jobs as extras. Gloria persuades Robert, who is as down and out as she, to partner with her in a dance marathon down on a pier in Los Angeles. As the two get to know each other over the course of the five weeks they dance and walk together, readers learn about their lives.
Robert’s a farm boy who came to L.A. to become a director, a wildly optimistic pursuit as he has no training or film experience. However, he is stubbornly hopeful, always trying to look on the bright side of life.
Robert could not have found a more polar opposite to himself than Gloria if he had tried. She sees only the darkness in the world and openly and often tells him she wishes she were dead, that she would die, that once she had tried killing herself. Her parents are dead; she fled her relatives in West Texas, where her uncle attempted sexually abusing her. In addition, she is argumentative and pugnacious, calling for a married pregnant contestant to get an abortion, while herself having sex with one of the promoters to advance her chances of winning.
For five weeks, they live and dance in the confines of the dance hall. The audiences build and cheer them on, attracted by the promise of drama on the floor. Couples, pushed to and beyond their limits in derbies (extended periods of racing to avoid elimination), collapse, arguments and fights breakout, and, in the end, a fatal shooting (not Robert and Gloria’s) take place, ending the competition abruptly.
In other words, the pair, and the other contestants, exist in a pressure cooker of frustration, false hope, and fear of elimination and a return to an ever rougher, more unforgiving world. It’s enough to wear even an optimist like Robert to the nub, to the point where even the absurd seems reasonable. And the ultimate of that, Robert becoming the agent helping Gloria exit her dismal world of pain. Then accounting for his action with a remembrance of how his grandfather dispatched an injured horse they both loved, saying, “They shoot horses, don’t they?” By extension, why should suffering humans be treated any differently and allowed to linger and suffer?
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LibraryThing member write-review
Waltzing with Absurdity
When your world falls down around you, when most of everything you believed true proves false, as happened to many in the Great Depression, then the entire idea of existence, of your existence can go from optimistic to hopeless, from rational (or at least somewhat rational)
Robert and Gloria meet by accident at a movie studio, where both have failed to land jobs as extras. Gloria persuades Robert, who is as down and out as she, to partner with her in a dance marathon down on a pier in Los Angeles. As the two get to know each other over the course of the five weeks they dance and walk together, readers learn about their lives.
Robert’s a farm boy who came to L.A. to become a director, a wildly optimistic pursuit as he has no training or film experience. However, he is stubbornly hopeful, always trying to look on the bright side of life.
Robert could not have found a more polar opposite to himself than Gloria if he had tried. She sees only the darkness in the world and openly and often tells him she wishes she were dead, that she would die, that once she had tried killing herself. Her parents are dead; she fled her relatives in West Texas, where her uncle attempted sexually abusing her. In addition, she is argumentative and pugnacious, calling for a married pregnant contestant to get an abortion, while herself having sex with one of the promoters to advance her chances of winning.
For five weeks, they live and dance in the confines of the dance hall. The audiences build and cheer them on, attracted by the promise of drama on the floor. Couples, pushed to and beyond their limits in derbies (extended periods of racing to avoid elimination), collapse, arguments and fights breakout, and, in the end, a fatal shooting (not Robert and Gloria’s) take place, ending the competition abruptly.
In other words, the pair, and the other contestants, exist in a pressure cooker of frustration, false hope, and fear of elimination and a return to an ever rougher, more unforgiving world. It’s enough to wear even an optimist like Robert to the nub, to the point where even the absurd seems reasonable. And the ultimate of that, Robert becoming the agent helping Gloria exit her dismal world of pain. Then accounting for his action with a remembrance of how his grandfather dispatched an injured horse they both loved, saying, “They shoot horses, don’t they?” By extension, why should suffering humans be treated any differently and allowed to linger and suffer?
When your world falls down around you, when most of everything you believed true proves false, as happened to many in the Great Depression, then the entire idea of existence, of your existence can go from optimistic to hopeless, from rational (or at least somewhat rational)
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to completely absurd, in the sense of meaningless. With this in mind, you have a reasonable framework for understanding why Robert Syverten stands before a judge receiving his death sentence for the murder of Gloria Beatty. Here you have the bright eternal optimist, Robert, dancing with the ground-down pessimist, Gloria, both isolated in a ring of absurdity, the marathon dance ring (popular entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s).Robert and Gloria meet by accident at a movie studio, where both have failed to land jobs as extras. Gloria persuades Robert, who is as down and out as she, to partner with her in a dance marathon down on a pier in Los Angeles. As the two get to know each other over the course of the five weeks they dance and walk together, readers learn about their lives.
Robert’s a farm boy who came to L.A. to become a director, a wildly optimistic pursuit as he has no training or film experience. However, he is stubbornly hopeful, always trying to look on the bright side of life.
Robert could not have found a more polar opposite to himself than Gloria if he had tried. She sees only the darkness in the world and openly and often tells him she wishes she were dead, that she would die, that once she had tried killing herself. Her parents are dead; she fled her relatives in West Texas, where her uncle attempted sexually abusing her. In addition, she is argumentative and pugnacious, calling for a married pregnant contestant to get an abortion, while herself having sex with one of the promoters to advance her chances of winning.
For five weeks, they live and dance in the confines of the dance hall. The audiences build and cheer them on, attracted by the promise of drama on the floor. Couples, pushed to and beyond their limits in derbies (extended periods of racing to avoid elimination), collapse, arguments and fights breakout, and, in the end, a fatal shooting (not Robert and Gloria’s) take place, ending the competition abruptly.
In other words, the pair, and the other contestants, exist in a pressure cooker of frustration, false hope, and fear of elimination and a return to an ever rougher, more unforgiving world. It’s enough to wear even an optimist like Robert to the nub, to the point where even the absurd seems reasonable. And the ultimate of that, Robert becoming the agent helping Gloria exit her dismal world of pain. Then accounting for his action with a remembrance of how his grandfather dispatched an injured horse they both loved, saying, “They shoot horses, don’t they?” By extension, why should suffering humans be treated any differently and allowed to linger and suffer?
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LibraryThing member burritapal
A couple meet by accident and enter a dance marathon on the pier in Santa Monica. The woman is a confirmed pessimist and constantly talks about wanting to die. The marathon goes on for over a month and only 20 couples are left out of 80, and there's plenty of trouble going on amid the drama of
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collapsed dancers and disqualified couples. A quick read. Show Less
LibraryThing member SarahEBear
I must admit that despite this being a classic I had neither read the book or seen the movie before now. "They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?" by Horace McCoy is the deeply moving story of Robert and Gloria, and their brief shared life experience as a marathon dance couple. Desperate to break into the
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movies - Gloria as an actor, Robert as a director/produce - the couple team up and participate in a dance marathon to be seen, to access free food and accommodation, and hopefully attain corporate sponsorship. The book offers a look into the seedier side of 1930s Hollywood, sleep deprivation, exploitation and mental illness. A challenging read and an outstanding classic!. Show Less
LibraryThing member nagasravika.bodapati
Short and quick noir novella. Doesn't have all the drama with detectives and investigations blah blah. It has a smooth and neat flow to the narrative .. everything points towards answering a single question : why did he kill her? A man meets a girl .. both hard boiled for money .. they enroll into
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a dance marathon .. everything goes well for a few days until it all ends in a massive accident and murder. So why did he kill her? Isn't she someone he could have fallen in love with? Interesting Read! Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1935
Physical description
144 p.; 18.5 cm
Local notes
Omslag: Mogens Poulsen
Omslaget viser en kvinde, der danser
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra amerikansk "They shoot horses, don't they?" af Jørgen Budtz-Jørgensen
Gyldendals Tranebøger, bind 214
Der er mange ekstra sider med reklame for tranebøger og en liste over de allerede udgivne, så 160 er et mere reelt sidetal
Omslaget viser en kvinde, der danser
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra amerikansk "They shoot horses, don't they?" af Jørgen Budtz-Jørgensen
Gyldendals Tranebøger, bind 214
Der er mange ekstra sider med reklame for tranebøger og en liste over de allerede udgivne, så 160 er et mere reelt sidetal
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Pages
144
DDC/MDS
| 813.52 |