A Gay/campy chronicling of daily life in NYC,with individual kernels of human truth. copyright 2011 by The Raving Queen
Monday, April 17, 2017
A Journey Into The Gothic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I swear, I don't plan things this way, girls!!!!!!!!!!! Imagine, reading "Carmilla" and "Lincoln In The Bardo" during Holy Week. While Zadie Smith might have called Saunders' book a satire--and I can see the validity of her argument--I thought of it more as Gothic. Maybe it was the timing, and my Catholic upbringing.
One thing is clear--this is the first truly great book of the year! If it doesn't make any Ten Best lists, I will be surprised. Some of you on here may recall I was not that impressed with Saunders' short story collection, "Tenth Of December." So, I began this novel, with some trepidation.
It is clear Saunders paints better on a larger canvass. Though his unconventional approach may put off some. I found it stimulating, but let me also say, I was glad I had recently read Gore Vidal's "Lincoln," before doing so. It enabled me to fill in gaps Saunders leaves, clarifying his book in a way impossible otherwise.
If that sounds like a criticism of Saunders, it is not meant to be. If the reader simply goes with what is on the printed page, they will be taken on a disturbing, Gothic journey. And I must warn you, for those like myself, with a healthy fear of Hell, Saunders offers a prose depiction of it, at the half-way point, that is not for the squeamish. Probably close to what Jacinta saw, at Fatima.
This is Saunders' first novel, and it is a brave, audacious debut that pays off well. I will be interested to see what he follows this up, with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And, darlings, that Mary Todd was some piece of work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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