Saturday, January 17, 2009

Review: Psyche In A Dress - Francesca Lia Block

Psyche In A Dress by Francesca Lia Block

Written in verse, Psyche In A Dress told the story of Psyche, from when she went to school and was forced to act in her unloving father's films, to growing up and making some bad decisions, trying to find herself along the way. (Read a full synopsis here at the publisher's website)
When the sun rose we ate waffles with whipped cream in an all-night coffee shop
Sunshine burned through the glass
Searing the night off our skins
Psyche In A Dress is a modern retelling of Greek mythology... Eros, Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades, Persephone... I know little to nothing about Greek mythology so a lot of this book went over my head but if you know anything about it I'm sure you will greatly enjoy this book.

It's a very meaningful and symbolic book, with many layers to delve into. I'm going to read up on my Greek mythology and read it again some time in the future and I'm sure I'll get a lot more out of it.
There were tears in my mother's eyes
But she knew I was right
She left that afternoon
And I went back to hell that night
Beautiful cover art, my copy is a little hardcover book, it's very nice to look at. As far as Francesca Lia Block's books go, it's not my among my favourites but I did still enjoy it. Like all of Block's books, the language used is beautiful and lyrical, the character's are damaged and real, and the book is short but worthwhile.

I'm personally rating it 3/5 stars :)

See also:
Verse Novels: Where Poetry And Novels Combine
Quotes from The Rose And The Beast (Francesca Lia Block)

Anyone able to shed some light on any Greek mythology for me?
What are you currently reading?







7 comments:

  1. I haven't read many books in verse, but the last one I read, Sharp Tooth, was quite good. I am not familiar with Francesca Lia Block at all, but the book sounds interesting. I love the cover!

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  2. That one section near the end where she's living in a tiny cottage and eating from seashell cups is one of my favorites, ever

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  3. Greek mythology has always interested me, but I can't say I have ever got round to it. I was always interested in the nine muses with the name Terpsichore (the muse of song and dance) sticking in my mind. Sounds like a good area to look up.

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  4. In mythology, the character orpheus has power through song, orpheus looses his bride to the bite of a snake, he goes down to the underworld and sings an irrisistable song, to have his bride back from hades. Hades, god of the underworld, is touched to tears and agrees as long as when orpheus goes back to earth he shall not look behind him to see her following. He turned to soon and she was pushed back down. now read pages 11, 29, and 37 of Psyche in a Dress again. it is simply amazing how she relates it to modern day.

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