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5.0 out of 5 stars
great, May 26 2008
i'd heard a lot of great things about this book before i read it, so when i started reading and didn't immediately see the draw i was kind of disappointed. it wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't fantastic. as i got closer to the end, however, and the different aspects of the story started coming together for the final conclusion i really thought to myself, this is a really good book.
the writing style is some kind of poetic, stream of consciousness, almost dreamlike approach that allows the reader to take in the information a different way than if it were presented normally. you almost want to pause over the information to make sure you're taking it in correctly. the author doesn't knock her self out with punctuation for most of the book. if there's supposed to be a period or a comma she just skips down to the next line and continues on, but it wasn't hard to read because of this, it just adds to the mood she's trying to create.
the basic premise of the story is that there is this girl who lives out greek myths in the modern day. she is psyche predominately, but after she looses eros she goes through different phases and meets different people and becomes other mythological figures, which the author uses to describe different stages of life.
from the book, kind of near the end, but don't worry you won't know how it's relevant until you read it
I have been young too
I have been psyche, I have been Echo
I have been eurydice
i have been persephone, like you
i thought i was not a goddess
my mother was a goddess
now i am demeter, like my mother
because of you
reading that kind of sums up the book, and when you tie in what the author creates around these myths, its kind of touching. a lot of time is spent on the details which makes the story more than just a plot, and in every part of the book we are told what dress psyche is wearing. i'm not much into fashion so i can't tell you if the dresses she wore at certain times were significant to the plot, but in the beginning the dresses are her mother's and by the end i think she gets one of her own.
anyway, psyche learns to stand on her own, exist by herself, which is a nice ending. and if you know your myths there won't be any real surprises in plot, maybe in execution, but that why it's interesting right? great read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 14 2008
Francesca Lia Block puts her powerful prose to work in this stunningly simple, yet amazingly complex book. We follow a teenaged girl, known as Psyche, throughout her life, which mirrors the stories in several Greek myths.
An actress in her father's odd, violent movies, Psyche considers herself her father's muse, who took over when her mother left. At night, she is visited by Love himself, who tells her that she is Soul. Her lover brings the sound of the ocean with him, the taste of citrus spray on her lips, and tales of long ago to her ears. She loves this man, but has no idea what he looks like, for he has forbid her to turn on the light when he is with her. Cajoled by her sisters, Psyche's doubts begin to grow, and she breaks the rules by lighting a candle. Only then does she discover that she is in love with a god, and she does not deserve him.
After he leaves, Psyche's life spirals into the pits of hell as she tries to win Love back. Throughout random affairs, abusive relationships, and a reunion with her mother, Psyche realizes how she is playing out the tales that Love told her long ago. She probably will never find Love again, but perhaps she can be worthy of him, someday.
A quick read with mature themes, this book will leave the reader begging for more, tempted by the satisfying banquet of words this story presents.
Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose
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by Francesca L Block
by Francesca L Block
by Block
by Block
by Francesca L Block
