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White Oleander : A Novel
by: Janet Fitch |
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Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54 EAN: 9780316569323 Edition: 1st ISBN: 0316285269 Label: Little, Brown and Company Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 390 Publication Date: 1999-05 Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Release Date: May 06, 1999 Studio: Little, Brown and Company
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| Customer Reviews | ||
  - Excellent novelThis book is a real thought-provoker and if you've ever seen the movie this is about ten times better Rating: - _White Oleander_ steals the heartI loved the emotion of this book, the portrayal of the government childcare system and how the story unfolded. Rating: - EXTREMELY Compelling and Well-Crafted... This book held me utterly spellbound from the very beginning. The story, of course, was fascinating, but what was the most captivating to me was Janet Fitch's use of prose. The way the words come together on each page to paint pictures so real, so clear, so vivid....it is rare that I come across a writer with a style that is so engaging and so utterly enrapturing that you don't just feel like you are reading a story, you feel that you are IN the story. What an amazing talent...totally mind-blowing. Janet Fitch is truly a literary Renoit. Sadly, like many movies made in the likeness of books, the screen version is extremely dilute, hollow and one-dimensional, not even beginning to hold a candle to the book. I am so glad that I read the book long before the movie came out since the book is just so much richer than the movie on so many levels. In no way am I disparaging the actors in the movie, it's just that this book is a tough act to follow...there is NO WAY that any movie would EVER be able to live up to this book - it really is THAT well-written. Rating: - love love love love it! Rare and amazing book. Fitch has a way with words that makes you completely lose yourself in the story. Her character development is amazing, and her storytelling is perfect. Seriously recommended! Rating: - Should be required reading for sociology, child development, and women's studies classes- a lovely, dark novelWhite Oleander is what the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series wants to be. This book presents a true coming of age story in the midst of the worst circumstances- child abuse. Ingrid Magnussen, sociopathic poet, warps her daughter, Astrid, to the point of isolation. Astrid's only friends are Ingrid, Ingrid's boyfriend Barry, and neighbor Michael. The catalyst for Astrid's life changes comes when she witnesses her mother's attempts at murdering Barry. Astrid knows Ingrid is a sick woman suffering from some sort of illness, yet Astrid can't quite break her attachment to her mother. Astrid wants to warn Barry about attempts on her life, but her fildelity to Ingrid wins out. Thus begings Astrid's descent into abusive foster homes, an excellent satire of the American social service system. We start with born-again stripper Starr, druggie Carolee, and perv-o Ray. It is in this trailer that Astrid goes through a series of firsts: chess games, bras, Jesus, molestation. Astrid desparately clings for love... whether it's from Starr, Davey, Ray, or Jesus. (FYI: Jesus is viewed as a fictional character in this book, rather than the Christ. Thus, I will describe her relationship with Jesus the man.) After narrowly escaping with her life, Astrid goes through a series of other foster homes, each with its own set of abuse. From running flea markets to being starved for profit... to working as a domestic servant to being a suicidal woman's "babysitter"... Astrid experiences so many heartbreaking, disturbing things: drugs, neglect, prostitution. Who will liberate Astrid from her dysfunctional life? Will she ever break free from her mother's twisted hands? When will Astrid gain the courage to tell off her mother? Will Astrid ever understand true love? This is a beautifully written book narrated by the ever-profound Astrid Magnussen. Fitch does a superb job of satirizing social services, abusive deluded mothers, and modern feminism. I love the contrast between Astrid's true self and Ingrid's. Astrid is seeking to be part of this world- romantically, spiritually, intellectually. Ingrid will have nothing of the sort, especially when it comes to spirituality. Ingrid cannot fathom Jesus, but she also seems to misinterpret polytheism. (She says that her people, the Vikings, hung their "gods from trees".) She cannot even connect with her tarot cards because she no longer wants to know the future. Although she sticks up for Eve, she cannot connect with a goddess figure. (Astrid can; she interprets the screams of "mother" in a maternity ward as cries for the Great Mother Goddess.) Finally, RECOMMENDATION: Watch the movie first. It is a great summary of this deep tome. BUYER BEWARE: Although the protagnonist is a teenager, please do not buy this book for a teen girl UNTIL YOU READ IT FOR YOURSELF. Some parts are not appropriate; make sure she is mature. I'd say it's best for sixteen and up. |
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