Robin Anderson Author Reviews

Et Tutu, Brute?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"A novel that restores one's faith in the art of storytelling..."

Another highly humorous ungirded romp Anderson is once again on top form with great writing, colourful
characters, and a tight story in ET TUTU, BRUTE?

With lusty lewdness, Anderson’s trade mark double entendres and grippingly orchestrated multiple plot
strands it’s the kind of smart, witty, polished novel that restores one’s faith in the art of storytelling.

As with other Anderson novels like The Omnipotent, Pillow Squawk and La Di Da Di Bloody Da! we meet a
gallery of great characters all penned in a laconic key with an inspired and hilarious match between narrative
theme and personalities. There are gangster and creative types from the world of ballet but to call “ET TUTU,
BRUTE?” camp wouldn’t do Anderson’s novel justice because he first and foremost allows us to believe in
his characters.

Of course, being an Anderson novel there is always a ringmaster (gender-bending allowances aside) and this
time it’s the devilish Stuart Grainger lookalike Rupert Anstruther whose underworld empire has gone from
strength to strength with the recruitment of ‘butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth’ Rafe Ramone and the dashing
Dickie Turpin! The former with a penchant for wearing tutus and the latter being Mount Street’s answer to
Brad Pitt!

As side plots converge and weave together Anderson’s ability to swing effortlessly between the dark and quirkily comic fits right into his repertoire whilst the principal tactile pleasure of “ET TUTU, BRUTE?” is the dialogue.

Needless to say, the gags come quick, with clever jibes alternated with double-crosses and the occasional murder, and all driven by Anderson’s unique brand of melodrama as a first-class plot races towards a superb denouement.

Sometimes a novel just clicks and “ET TUTU, BRUTE?” is one of them. A Five Star read that finds Anderson at his very best it is unreservedly recommended!

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★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Ballet as it has never been choreographed before!"
Grady Harp - October 2020

For those who may think they have read the epitome book by the potent scribe Robin Anderson, open the first page of ET TUTU, BRUTE? and discover that there is no limit to this man’s gifts! Anderson has polished his recipe for entertainment to a fare-thee-well. He creates impossibly ludicrous characters who happen to bounce off each other in the most unexpected way, fills his stories with incidents that can only fall into the 'naughty range', and yet his manner of writing is so sophisticated and solid that about one third of the way through his books the reader realizes the farce is meant as good-humored fun and should not be taken too seriously or dissected or analyzed because the author is always just around the corner (or on the next page) with another guffaw to top all previous ones.

Further demonstrating his depth of knowledge of all the arts – dance, especially, in this instance, Robin surveys the lights and darks of theatrical flavors as well as some fun capers in the out-of-law realm. His entre tempts the imagination (hint: give in to it…): ‘Greatly admired and equally feared, hitman Rafe Ramone (Rough Rafe to his friends and more so to his enemies) was famous for repeatedly saying “As a kid I was in awe of Carlos Acosta the Cuban ballet dancer and was determined to outdance him but contrary to my ambition, I ended up a highly-paid and much feared hitman instead.” What Rafe would never confess to…was his doubly-dark secret; namely his donning of a tutu (extra large) and ballet pumps before twirling and prancing to the music form Swan Lake in front of a wall of mirrors in what he called his dance studio-cum-stage occupying part of the underground cinema and games room of their elaborate Kingston-upon-Thames mansion…’

How does this blend (or rather whip) into a story? The back cover of the book defines as follows – ‘Who is considered the greatest male ballet dancer since Vaslav Nijinsky? Korean dancer Myung Pak or Ukrainian dancer Ivan Gischenko? Who is considered to be the new Pavlova? British ballerina Bettina Bellité or the uber-mysterious Swanhilde? Who is considered the most cunning of men since Machiavelli? Russian oligarch Abagor Yeltsin, Korean Kwan Nam or Yong-Sun Mok, leader of Seoul’s notorious Rat Snake Gang? But the question to end all questions: what outrageous events occur when all cross paths or - more accurately - swords with each other? Expect endless grand jetés, devious doings, murder, mayhem and more in this rollicking rollercoaster ride of tears, tantrums and wicked laughs as dashing hero Dick Turpin and the ravishing Rupert Anstruther endeavour to turn the ensuing mountains back into molehills. Even the endlessly toiling sulky Sisyphus and his tiresome boulder couldn’t help but be impressed.’

Make sense? Of course not, because that is one of the zillions of gifts Robin Anderson brings to his novels: merry and fabulous confusion that he generously and eloquently sorts out for us. Robin is one of a kind, and thank goodness he keeps us so beautifully entertained. Highly recommended.