Post by Charlynn on Oct 31, 2010 18:27:40 GMT -5
Psyche in a Dress
Fransesca Lia Block's book Psyche in a Dress is a very original, unique work. It's written as free-verse poetry, though the entire novel is one complete tale. There is a decided lack of proper grammar - no periods, confused capitalization, and absolutely nothing to designate conversation, but, at the same time, it flows so smoothly. I was never in doubt as to what was occurring, and the language itself was so evocative. There were certain portions of the story which I felt fairly screamed for music to be set to it and for the words to be used as lyrics. The imagery was that gorgeous, and the rhythm was so melodious. Even when something was sad or hurtful, the tale was still beautiful, sometimes tragically so.
As for the plot itself, Psyche in a Dress is a re-imagining of some of the classic Greek characters, set in modern day Hollywood. The narrator starts as Psyche but then becomes Echo, Eurydice, Persephone, and then Demeter as her life evolves. She encounters Hades, Narcissus, Orpheus, Eros, and Aphrodite. She's an actress, a student, a girlfriend, a lover, a mother. She's used and abandoned, hurt and healed. She's loved. She runs away from the thing she wants the most in life, because she fears she's not good enough for it. She becomes her mother, and watches as her daughter becomes her. There's sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Though there are supernatural elements to this story, for example, there is a maenad involved in the tale, I feel as though it's more about life. It's the story of a girl becoming a woman and all the highs and lows, joys and sorrows she experiences on the journey. To tie everything together, this woman embodies the personalities of several Greek goddesses, making the mythology more accessible, more relatable to readers of today.
Psyche in a Dress is unlike anything I've ever read before... and I've read quite a bit, and I don't think I'll ever encounter anything else quite like it.
Fransesca Lia Block's book Psyche in a Dress is a very original, unique work. It's written as free-verse poetry, though the entire novel is one complete tale. There is a decided lack of proper grammar - no periods, confused capitalization, and absolutely nothing to designate conversation, but, at the same time, it flows so smoothly. I was never in doubt as to what was occurring, and the language itself was so evocative. There were certain portions of the story which I felt fairly screamed for music to be set to it and for the words to be used as lyrics. The imagery was that gorgeous, and the rhythm was so melodious. Even when something was sad or hurtful, the tale was still beautiful, sometimes tragically so.
As for the plot itself, Psyche in a Dress is a re-imagining of some of the classic Greek characters, set in modern day Hollywood. The narrator starts as Psyche but then becomes Echo, Eurydice, Persephone, and then Demeter as her life evolves. She encounters Hades, Narcissus, Orpheus, Eros, and Aphrodite. She's an actress, a student, a girlfriend, a lover, a mother. She's used and abandoned, hurt and healed. She's loved. She runs away from the thing she wants the most in life, because she fears she's not good enough for it. She becomes her mother, and watches as her daughter becomes her. There's sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Though there are supernatural elements to this story, for example, there is a maenad involved in the tale, I feel as though it's more about life. It's the story of a girl becoming a woman and all the highs and lows, joys and sorrows she experiences on the journey. To tie everything together, this woman embodies the personalities of several Greek goddesses, making the mythology more accessible, more relatable to readers of today.
Psyche in a Dress is unlike anything I've ever read before... and I've read quite a bit, and I don't think I'll ever encounter anything else quite like it.