Folks, I finished reading The Turnout by Megan Abbott at the end of July, and there is not a day that goes by that I do not think about it in some way. It is one of the most haunting novels I have read. On the one hand, I could say that it haunts me because of my familiarity with the dance world, and yet, the dance world she depicts is not really like the one I know. Anyone who is familiar with dance, especially ballet, knows that there is most definitely a dark side to the art form. The blood, sweat, and tears that go into dance are no joke. Yet, what Ms. Abbott depicts in almost lyrical fashion is almost disturbing in its intensity. And this is only the dance aspect of the novel. The Durant family is all sorts of messed up, which you sort of know at the start but don’t realize the extent of it until the end. By then, Ms. Abbott has you almost hypnotized with her writing style that is one step shy of being unintelligible. The overall effect is a story that is disturbing but ethereal, painful but somehow beautiful. When I finished the novel, I didn’t think I liked it at all. After a month of reflection, I realize that it is a masterpiece.