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Thursday, March 25, 2021

"If I Were You, I'd Save Myself The Trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


                                           So, at a crucial point, does Ann Blyth, as Veda, say this to Joan Crawford in "Mildred Pierce."  It is equally applicable to this overlong, badly written  pan sexual redo of the  Leopold and  Loeb murder  case.


                                             Wait till you see the author's photograph.  I do not mean to cast asperions, but is this  a man or a woman?  Someone born a  woman, who now identifies as a man?  Or vice  versa?


                                                  It really doesn't matter.  If the novel were any good, things could be overlooked. As soon  as  the book  sets up Julian and  Paul as  intimates, I knew where this was headed.


                                                    In the Leopold and Loeb case both are wealthy, but Loeb moreso.  He is  also the more dangerous of the  pair.  The current novel inverts it; Julian, the wealthier, is closeted, more conforming,  and  afraid.  Paul,  the poorer, more dominant one, embraces his homosexuality to the point of  B and D,  S and M, and blood.  The book turned me off there.


                                                     They are more calculating than impulsive.  They systemtically select a  victim who clashes with their  socio-political idealogy, even though they never met  him.  They go so far as  to kill his dog, which gets them on my convicted list.


                                                        Ho-hum.  The rest  of the tale  is an on-the-run "Bonnie and Clyde" type saga,where one gets away, while the other is imprisoned either in a correctional facillty or mental  institution.  Who cares???????????????????????????


                                                         And yet I wanted to.  I have to credit the author; until I  read his acknowledgement, I never thought he had any knowledge of the Leopold and Loeb case, or  the  Parker-Hulme case, superbly and imaginatively dramtized in Peter Jackson's 1994 masterwork,  "Heavenly Creatures."  But he references both here.


                                                         Micah, dear, why didn't you learn anything from this trope???????? Specifically, why couldn't you do something  more imaginative and original, that would give the  reader a desire to go on?  Knowing this  trope, I was curious where it  might  lead.  The answer is nowhere.


                                                           This debut falls flat.  It does not endear me to read any further works of this  author.  Save your trouble,  girls,  as I said earlier.


                                                              And Micah, for career's sake, please develop some orginiality!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                                                "These Violent Delights" is anything but delightful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6 comments:

Victoria said...

It said “Author is tgnc” after a review of this book.
So that means trans/gender-nonconforming right?

The Raving Queen said...

Victoria,
Thanks for the info. I
did not see that review.
Yes, I guess that is whatit means.
But the book is still disappointing!

Victoria said...

I agree; couldn’t get through it.
It seems to be one of those Love it or Loathe it

The Raving Queen said...


Victoria,

I started out, wanting to like it.
But, a thid in, this turned to hate.
Not strong enough for me to stop
reading, though.

But not one I would recommend, or
an author I plan on following.

MartyO49 said...

I just finished it and it had its moments. I like the relationship of Paul with his family which was well done. The Paul character is better written than the Julian which threw the book off. It was a nice try for a first time author.

The Raving Queen said...


MaryO49,

I also liked Paul's character,
and family better than Julian.
What fascinated me was Julian started
out, for me, being the more dangerous
of the two, but Paul eventually evolved
into that.