Ava_adore123
11-16-2007, 09:18 AM
Hello! This is a bit of a review on a GREAT novel I read, I'm bothering to write this for 2 reasons: 1. You may enjoy it and 2. It's less brain-work than what I should be doing...
Candy
Candy is an Australian novel by Luke Davies that has recently been turned into a major film.
It follows romantic relationship between the narrator (whose name is never learned) and a charasmatic woman named Candy. The two seem perfect for each other, but there is one problem: herion. The narrator introduces Candy to herion and the two embark on a journey from casual use and fun times to chronic addiction and chaos.
It uses two main themes: addiction and love. There is this strong struggle between the two; on the one hand, Candy and the narrator really want to quit and live a good life together, but on the other they want to keep using and need each other to do it successfully. This struggle often becomes frustrating for the reader, as just like addicts they always SAY they'll quit but don't actually DO it. Nevertheless, I found it kept me reading on and holding onto a hope that they will quit SOON!, but also guiltily wondering how low they could sink. :blush:
The characters of Candy and the narrator are not represented as only junkies, you see much more to them. You see the sweet and poetic side to the narrator and you see the child-like love of life in Candy, so you end up really caring about what happens to them. Which is critical in a novel about herion-addicts, people don't tend to like them ;)
The language is both simple and beautiful. It is somewhere between everyday language and heartfelt poetic language, often expressing the thoughts and feelings of the narrator through metaphors, similies and symbolism. I found it both beautiful and easy to read.
It is a very raw and uncensored novel with extensive drug use and sex scenes. It really shows the reader what life looks like from a chronic addict's eyes. Some of the scenes are rich with symbolism and are quite thought provoking, moving it away from just a "shock value" novel. Although, I felt some scenes were a bit over the top and ended up skipping through them.
All in all, I found myself reading it as often as I had time, which I rarely do with a novel. It made me cry and laugh and towards the end I didn't want it to finish :p I would rate it 4 out of 5.
Candy
Candy is an Australian novel by Luke Davies that has recently been turned into a major film.
It follows romantic relationship between the narrator (whose name is never learned) and a charasmatic woman named Candy. The two seem perfect for each other, but there is one problem: herion. The narrator introduces Candy to herion and the two embark on a journey from casual use and fun times to chronic addiction and chaos.
It uses two main themes: addiction and love. There is this strong struggle between the two; on the one hand, Candy and the narrator really want to quit and live a good life together, but on the other they want to keep using and need each other to do it successfully. This struggle often becomes frustrating for the reader, as just like addicts they always SAY they'll quit but don't actually DO it. Nevertheless, I found it kept me reading on and holding onto a hope that they will quit SOON!, but also guiltily wondering how low they could sink. :blush:
The characters of Candy and the narrator are not represented as only junkies, you see much more to them. You see the sweet and poetic side to the narrator and you see the child-like love of life in Candy, so you end up really caring about what happens to them. Which is critical in a novel about herion-addicts, people don't tend to like them ;)
The language is both simple and beautiful. It is somewhere between everyday language and heartfelt poetic language, often expressing the thoughts and feelings of the narrator through metaphors, similies and symbolism. I found it both beautiful and easy to read.
It is a very raw and uncensored novel with extensive drug use and sex scenes. It really shows the reader what life looks like from a chronic addict's eyes. Some of the scenes are rich with symbolism and are quite thought provoking, moving it away from just a "shock value" novel. Although, I felt some scenes were a bit over the top and ended up skipping through them.
All in all, I found myself reading it as often as I had time, which I rarely do with a novel. It made me cry and laugh and towards the end I didn't want it to finish :p I would rate it 4 out of 5.