Customer Reviews

Psyche in a Dress

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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

This is my first time reading anything by Francesca Lia Block. I bought it because I have a thing for Cupid and Psyche, and have even considered writing my own version of the story. So, I was interested to hear a different version from Block. She definitely delivered on the "different" aspect.

It is written beautifully, like poetry- with descriptive imagery laced with modern and dark themes.

(I would not recommend this book for children interested in a short read of Cupid and Psyche. )

Block drew me in with her writing "voice" and I am apt to pick of more of her work just to revisit her style. I read the short book in about an hour and a half, and didn't put it down once.

If you like Cupid and Psyche and standard mythology, I recommend this for an interesting, beautifully written and non-standard read.

i'd heard a lot of great things about this book before i read it, so when i started reading and didn't immediately see the draw i was kind of disappointed. it wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't fantastic. as i got closer to the end, however, and the different aspects of the story started coming together for the final conclusion i really thought to myself, this is a really good book.

the writing style is some kind of poetic, stream of consciousness, almost dreamlike approach that allows the reader to take in the information a different way than if it were presented normally. you almost want to pause over the information to make sure you're taking it in correctly. the author doesn't knock her self out with punctuation for most of the book. if there's supposed to be a period or a comma she just skips down to the next line and continues on, but it wasn't hard to read because of this, it just adds to the mood she's trying to create.

the basic premise of the story is that there is this girl who lives out greek myths in the modern day. she is psyche predominately, but after she looses eros she goes through different phases and meets different people and becomes other mythological figures, which the author uses to describe different stages of life.

from the book, kind of near the end, but don't worry you won't know how it's relevant until you read it

I have been young too
I have been psyche, I have been Echo
I have been eurydice
i have been persephone, like you
i thought i was not a goddess
my mother was a goddess
now i am demeter, like my mother
because of you

reading that kind of sums up the book, and when you tie in what the author creates around these myths, its kind of touching. a lot of time is spent on the details which makes the story more than just a plot, and in every part of the book we are told what dress psyche is wearing. i'm not much into fashion so i can't tell you if the dresses she wore at certain times were significant to the plot, but in the beginning the dresses are her mother's and by the end i think she gets one of her own.

anyway, psyche learns to stand on her own, exist by herself, which is a nice ending. and if you know your myths there won't be any real surprises in plot, maybe in execution, but that why it's interesting right? great read.

It's essentially a long poem.

You're not going to get more than that. If you're in an inquisitive reader, who takes joy in slight and constant mystery, this is a book I'd reccomend.

I personally loved it. I loved the flow, I loved the prose, I loved how one could almost relate, but never fully taste the protagonist as one would like to. (She's always just a step away, and to follow her is bliss)

It's not easily read, you should not read it in and hour because you can; you should savour each phrase and hope to understand, not just for the plot, but because there are small moralities embeded within each chapter.

I reccomend it, because it's something different (and lovely).

Francesca, over the years, has changed the way she writes her work tremendously. "Psyche in A Dress" is a lot like "Echo" in the way that it is like poetry and leaves you wondering after every chapter.

Please disregard what the below person said...they obviously don't know anything about writing. Francesca is famously known for her way with words. You should know, after the very first page of someone's work, that the rest of the book will be written the same way. It's your own fault if you don't put the book down after the first two or three pages. Because her work is done so well, she will be helping in the way of the written work for a film version of Weetzie Bat AND creating a show for MTV.

I would rate "Psyche in A Dress" just as high as I would "Neclace of Kisses" or "Weetzie Bat". Although it is a short read, that does not mean it is a terrible book. Francesca writes much differently than most writers, and that is why her work is treasured world wide. She puts her words out there, she is blunt, but beautiful about it. She is short and to the point, but uses words in a way that makes it seem like you are right there in the scene.

Don't even bother picking up this book if you don't understand the use of descriptive words. This book breaks the barrier for other authors to begin looking at writing as an art form. This book leaves you wanting more, and will lead you to picking it up more than once for a quick read. It is an inspiration and joy to own this book. The world needs more positive energy and this lightens the way for it.

Psyche in a Dress is a sexy, emotionally raw novella written in verse form using classical mythology against the backdrop of hollywood. Our heroine is a young actress, used by her father in films, missing her mother who left when she was younger, and connecting to her through the dresses she left behind. When her first lover, Eros, leaves her upon seeing his face, Psyche embarks on a journey to achieve the same happiness she felt with him, always hoping she might win him back. She takes on the roles of other mythological heroines - Eurydice, Echo, Persephone - as she meets each new lover, who, inevitably, cannot replace Eros. While the verse form doesn't seem to lend itself to this story any better or worse than straight prose, it doesn't detract from it either, and the book is gripping from the first page, enticing you to peek into the life of the young girl as she struggles with her identity and relationships. The book does suffer slightly from the confusing nature of renaming the character periodically, Block does a decent job of disambiguating through recollection of past experiences as the story moves on. And while maybe a bit too erotic for some, Psyche in a Dress is a more than refreshing read for anyone willing to explore teenage sexuality.

This was a book I bought for the fun of it. It was writen unlike any other book I read. It was weird and different. I absolutely loved it. The events that happened were rather sexual but not offensive. It would be good if you had a good knowledge of the Greek Gods before you read it. It's ok if you dont. I found I was not able to put it down once I started reading. I loved how once there was a new character there was a short chapter about their life before they met Psyche. It was sad at some parts, but thats life. I would read this book again. Definite reccommend.

I know very little about mythology, but I love poetry, prose and am a theatre girl at heart. I picked up the book without knowing every page was written in poem form. After a couple pages I flipped through to see when the story was going to start and realized the book was completely written like this. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I ended up devouring this book in an hour and wanting to immediately read it again. If you love lyrics and poetry and want something different than your usual ya fiction, read this.