- Paperback: 244 pages
- Publisher: Exile (April 20 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1550961209
- ISBN-13: 978-1550961201
- Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15 x 1.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 227 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,385,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Quill & Quire
The evil stepmother is an iconic villain in fairy tales, folklore, and literature. Beautiful but cruel, she is barnacled by her two daughters – the evil stepsisters – a gruesome duo as greedy as they are ugly. It’s an evil trio we never tire of hearing about, perhaps because of the good daughter who always features in the tale – Cinderella being the most famous example. This is the model that Toronto writer Gale Zoë Garnett follows in her fourth book, Savage Adoration, a modern fairy tale with a Sicilian twist about a dutiful daughter coming to terms with – and avenging – her father’s death. Told through a series of interconnected vignettes, Garnett’s novel takes place in a number of jet-set locations, including London, Sicily, New York, and Montreal. There’s a worn, Old World glamour to how these places are described, befitting the charming tone and temperament of Ellissina Giovanna Major, the fortyish heroine of the story. Ellissina is accompanied by a cast of eccentric characters, including Mareike Delyn Major (a.k.a. The Dutch Bitch), the plasticized ex-wife and ex-Dutch film star who plays the role of the evil stepmother; her anorexic and obsessive-compulsive daughters Floris and Petra (Florid and Petrified, respectively); and Davy, the flamboyantly homosexual and inherently loveable half-brother. This is not to mention the dogs. Or the birds. Or the Sicilians. There are a number of amusing stereotypes at work in this novel. And they are funny. Unfortunately, they overwhelm the narrative integrity of the other story Garnett is trying to tell, about the very real complexities of grief, loss, and death. And as the novel moves inevitably toward its farcical conclusion, critical moments of character and plot development are hurriedly passed over, leaving many questions unresolved and unanswered.
Product Description
In a fun but wise way, this novel examines the advantages and pitfalls of fame, wealth, celebrity, female independence, the myth of safety, and the surreal nature of heritage pushing through upbringing. Johnny Major, a Sicilian-born magnate and creator of a network of restaurant-club-casinos across Europe and North America, dies and his will goes missing. Johnny’s death then forces his beloved daughter Elissa—a small-animal veterinarian in East Anglia—to confront various ex-wives, her own fierce mother, twin half-siblings, duplicitous lawyers, and a village full of Sicilians, including her father’s ghost and old women paid to scream at funerals. Her journey explores the sometimes funny, sometimes deadly serious qualities of life.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
great multi-character craziness!!,
By
This review is from: Savage Adoration: A Novel (Paperback)
This is a delightful read! Zoe Garnett writes great multi-character craziness. Laugh out loud moments, touching moments, and a whirlwind of multi-member family antics. I didn't want it to end.
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