Somebody" is a novel about mother-daughter relationships. It is about the daughter of a distant father and an ambitious, egocentric mother. It is an unusual novel in several ways. There is the author's command of the language. As James Welch notes, her images and metaphors are amazing, so lush and lyrical that, paragraph by paragraph, the reader wants to go back and reread them. Then there are the people who populate the book. None are less than completely drawn. The most minor character is presented with such knowledge and compassion that his sorrow and humor are entirely understandable. It is a remarkable book. As Welch says: "'Somebody' is special in the way all very good novels are-simple elements in the hands of a very good writer create a complex brew. In this case, those elements involve mother-daughter relationships, mostly absent fathers, deceitful or indifferent lovers. Laurie Blauner, a fine poet with a masterly command of language and imagery, has written a wonderfully poignant novel of growing up, of getting out to seek a life of fulfillment and, possibly, happiness. I was absolutely taken with the language and the amazing images and metaphors.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Laurie Blauner's first novel, "Somebody," won the King County Arts Commission Special Projects Award. She has also received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, several Seattle Arts Commission grants, and an Artist Trust grant for her fiction. She is the author of five books of poetry and another novel, "Infinite Kindness." She received her MFA from the University of Montana. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in "The New Republic," "The Nation," "The Georgia Review," "American Poetry Review," "New Orleans Review," "Poetry," and other journals and magazines.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poetic novel,
By "jobrien113" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Somebody (Hardcover)
I've followed Laurie Blauner's career for years. Her acute sense of language comes from growing from the poetry of novel-writiing. Language is the key to her work. Her words clearly recreate the experience of being her characters - you read from inside their heads. This can create some discomfort among readers, but I think she moves beyond the constraints of traditional story structure to recreate an accurate emotional portrayal of a dysfunctional family - and manages to transform it into something beautiful. The reader who goes with her is rewarded with a rich experience.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poetic novel,
By "jobrien113" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Somebody (Hardcover)
I've followed Laurie Blauner's career for years. Her acute sense of language comes from growing from the poetry of novel-writiing. Language is the key to her work. Her words clearly recreate the experience of being her characters - you read from inside their heads. This can create some discomfort among readers, but I think she moves beyond the constraints of traditional story structure to recreate an accurate emotional portrayal of a dysfunctional family - and manages to transform it into something beautiful. The reader who goes with her is rewarded with a rich experience.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Poet's Novel,
By Patricia Clark (Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Somebody (Hardcover)
This is a fine book, and I recommend it highly. Laurie Blauner is an accomplished poet and her fiction debut provides a poet's insight to family and personal relationships. This is a painful look at family, but an honest one....
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