11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
my new favorite book, September 10, 2006
I don't know how to begin describing this book other than simply and undeniably beautiful. Greek mythology FLB style. (and since i'm obsessed with both greek mythology and FLB it was extra wonderful for me) She uses the myths of Psyche, Echo, Eurydice and Persephone and intertwines them to create one story about love and the human soul. I flew through it in a coupe of hours and cried when I finished it because I didn't want it to be over. i espessially loved all the classical mythology that it was satuarted with, it was everywhere, all these little allusions interwoven within the more obvious stories (the ones i mentioned before) and since i'm familiar with greek mythology i was able to spot and appreciate these allusions, but even if you don't know a lot about mythology you will still be able to appreciate and moved by this lovely story.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
lovely, but very short, May 12, 2007
it's got all of her usual beatuiful imagery, and this book does some interesting things with the myths of persephone and psyche. i'm still thinking about the concepts in the book long after i've read it.
all of that's lovely, but...
the book is written in poetry form for some reason, even thought the language is the same as her other books, so there aren't many words on the page, and there aren't many pages. so you'll probably finish this book in a few hours.
the other drawback is the ending, which has a piece that feels a little bit tacked on to me... there's a place where you think that the story is over, but it just keeps going.
all in all this is a lovely little book, but if you want to read something by ms. block and you don't already own say, dangerous angels or ecstasia, i'd get those first. it's more for the real collectors i guess.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant, lyrical, and complex novel, January 4, 2007
Near the end of Francesca Lia Block's brilliant new novel, PSYCHE IN A DRESS, the title character reflects on her life, thinking, "When your mothers tell you to love and appreciate your body it isn't just to get you to shut up. They know that when you are old you are going to feel exactly the same way inside that you do now. We try on different dresses, different selves, but our souls are always the same --- ongoing, full of light."
In this lyrical, complex novel, trying on different selves, different dresses, different names is exactly what happens to Psyche (Soul). Born to a largely absent mother and a tyrannical, sadistic film director father, Psyche feels at odds with her surroundings. She only feels complete when she unites with her mysterious lover, Eros (Love), who comes to her in darkness, with the smell of "night-blooming flowers" and the scent of the ocean. Eros holds her and tells her stories of the myths. Their relationship seems idyllic until Psyche, goaded by her sisters, betrays Eros's trust by using a candle to see his face.
Eros, crushed by her doubting, flees from Psyche, who is destined to spend the rest of her life trying to recapture the love she once knew. As she does so, she is transformed, in body and name, into various heroines of the Greek myths Eros once told her: Echo, Eurydice (whose Orpheus sounds a lot like Kurt Cobain) and Persephone (whose Hades also bears a passing resemblance to Marilyn Manson). During her odyssey, Psyche travels to hell and back, and through a variety of landscapes, from lush gardens to wealthy boutiques, that firmly place her story in a thoroughly modern California setting.
Finally, when Soul and Love unite, a daughter, Joy, is born, and the true nature of the mythic patterns that have shaped Psyche's life is revealed. Fans of Block's earlier books, including the vastly popular Weetzie Bat series, know that Block often infuses her lyrical writing with mythical and fantastic elements. Here, though, she goes a step further, using the classic myths as the basis for an undeniably modern story. Drug use, rape, abuse and a variety of other evils reveal the true brutality of the myths, while Block's flowing free verse reveals their beauty.
--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl
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