Customer Reviews

The Passion of Alice

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This book is terrific. The sex scenes were appropriate and well-written. If you want to learn about anorexia, I would hope that you would not choose to do so from a novel (in response to the reviews below). And if you are afraid of encountering lesbianism without warning, perhaps reading literature is too dangerous for you (perhaps you shouldn't even leave your house...).

Stephanie Grant, I eagerly await your second novel. I read this book....at the public library more than a year ago. I admit that when I picked the book...I picked it because of its title and that I was looking for as much erotica as one can find at the public library. I was suprised then...by the heavy topic of anorexia...it really hit home with me...because I have borderline personality disorder...and at times have been anorexic myself...though I tend to act out my disease in different ways. I loved Alice's dark humor...her intelligence and her journey of self-discovery. I was not at all disturbed by her journey leading her to discover that she is a lesbian. I felt that the tie between suffering and desire was superb. A well-written novel. I bought it a couple of months ago from amazon...and I have read it many times since then. Each time I discover something new...in Alice and in myself. Excellent literature---it makes you laugh, cry, and think. Again, I eagerly await Ms. Grant's next novel.

What a book! I have never been exposed to a book like this. The author's brillance is seen at the turn of every page. She offers a detailed insight into each character which allows the reader to become really involved. Alice's perception and cynical character makes the book great. The more you get to know Alice the easier it is to see and fully understand her constant battle. The two extremes Grant uses, Maeve and Syd, to show what Alice idealizes in each is phenomenal. I completely understand Grant's purpose in having lesbianism part of the story. Yes the sex scenes were shocking, but deal with it! They were necessary. The ending is very intriguing. I feel it leaves the reader with many answers, and the promise of a bright future.

25 year-old Alice, is anorexic and dealing with not only her illness, but many other aspects of her life which she has seemingly lost control of. After experiencing heart failure, caused by her low weight, Alice is admitted to a mental hospital. While in the hospital Alice finds her social group, consisting of women with varried disorders. A particular member of this group, Maeve, becomes an essential part in Alice's life. The two embark on 'adventures', making both of their stays at the hospital more bearable. More than a book about surviving eating disorders, I viewed this exceptional novel as an account of one woman's struggle with self discovery. Not every woman struggles with anorexia or lesbianism, but I belive every woman can relate to Alice. This book has made an impact on my life, and I belive everyone can finish this book with some new knowledge about themselves.

wOW! I LOVED this book, I couldn't put it down. I tend to read lots of books that are about or partly about eating disorders, mainly because I have an ED and also because it interests me. I don't appreciate or agree with most of the customer comments above. Some of these comments make me very angry. They say they all thought it was 'going to be about anorexia', oh what? were you guys hoping to get some more tips on how to further your condition? I'm sorry, but if you want to help yourselves then you shouldn't be reading fictional books on anorexia, they only ignite the passion for the eating disorder. I guess I must have a different edition of the book (I'm in South AFrica) where it states specifically on the back 'NOT AN ANOREXIC'S STORY'. And to all the people who said 'revolting scenes of homosexual acts' then I think you are very narrow-minded and don't deserve to read real literature. And for what it's worth I'm not a lesbian myself and perhaps neither was Alice really, that issue was not resolved. Anorexia was just a part of the story it wasn't the main thing. Alice told her story in a very dispassionate way which leaves the reader almost in constant suspense or wonder as to why she is doing this to herself, there is no insight into her real thoughts. The book is all at once disturbing, morbid and depressing, it leaves you sort of empty. The dialogue intrigued me so much, I have never read anything like it - sparkling, brilliant. There is so much truth and thought in this book for anyone - you don't have to have an ED or be a lesbian to read it. I specifically liked Chapter 21, it was very poetical, beautiful. These were my favourite parts: "...She taught me about stained galss. She said that no one made the real thing anymore, just painted glass...She explained how to tell the difference: real stained glass was drab on the outside; it rewarded only those who came in." (Pg 33) and - "...mothers...envious, infants propped on their hips-made-shelves, as Syd and I swam in tandem along the floor of the shallow end. Their veiny thighs must have looked like underwater trees to us, rooted in the tile. Each week we followed the long spear of Neptune across the bottom of the pool, our cheeks ballooned with air, my fist around Syd's giant thumb." (Pg. 53) STEPHANIE GRANT! PLEASE HURRY WITH YOUR NEXT BOOK! THIS ONE WAS EXCELLENT!!

This has been one of the most startling novels I've read in recent months. Its intelligent quirkiness is coupled with painful realism--and the protagonist, a young anorexic troubled by both philosophical and romantic concerns, will become one of the most involving ficitonal characters you've ever read. I can guarantee that.

This is a very intense, *subjective* novel--and you'll find yourself cringing when the protagonist cringes, laughing when she laughs, etc. I highly recommend it to anyone who is continuously looking for new ways to perceive the concepts of beauty, love, lust and anger. Just brilliant.

This was a great book! I couldn't put it down. It defiantly provided new insight into the development of anorexia nervosa. Although this was fiction, I found it believable. It avoided the oversimplification of a very complex disorder. I look forward to reading more work by Stephanie Grant.

The Passion of Alice is one of my favourite books. I read it when it was released in Australia, and have re-read it since. Alice is such a likeable character that you cannot stop turning the pages to see what happens to her. Her story is complex on many levels, as are her reasons for denying all her needs, not just that for food. I agree with the other reviewers who are eagerly awaiting Stephanie Grant's next book - I hope that Alice was not her first and last, because it is also her beautiful writing style and empathy for her characters which makes this book so successful.

Alice has a terrible eating disorder but the book was about much more than her eating disorder. The eating disorder seems to be one of the symptoms of her very empty,lonely existence that was so sad. I felt terribly sorry for Alice that her life was so devoid of excitement or passion until Maeve was introduced into the book. Before Maeve, Alice said her living "was without desire. Without longing of any kind." Maeve provided an excitement, a spark that Alice had never felt before. The issues of sexual identity that Alice works through are part of the complexity of this book and of life. Alice's life was not simple but very complicated and she obviously had trouble sorting through all the complexities which involve her feelings toward her mother, her religion, Ronald, her friends at Seaview, and of course, Maeve. Some people have more trouble than others sorting through life and finding their passion and the goal they set for their life. Alice's passion was not to live and survive this eating disorder but was somehow related to her relationship to Maeve. The ending of the book left me wondering what would happen to poor Alice, but I also felt very happy for Alice that she had finally felt the "passion" or desire that she had sought for many years. I enjoyed this book because it points out very poignantly the fact that life is very complex and all of us must deal with many issues sometimes at once. Alice's eating disorder did not just result from a controlling mother but was a result of many influences in Alice's life. The book flowed very easily and I would enjoy reading another book by Stephanie Grant.

I couldn't put this book down. I loved the way Grant made us feel as if we were in the book ourselves. I was reading a few sections of the book to my roommate and now she is intrigued and will probably read it herself. The characters were brilliantly expressed and each one had their own style. I would recommend this to anyone. It took hold of myself and I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter to see what predicament Alice was going to get herself into next. GO READ IT TODAY!