Everyday Psychokillers : A History for Girls, A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Not a classic, but an forebearer of classics
Review: Look, some novels are instant classics, and then the writer never achieves the same success. Salinger, Heller, etc. This isn't one, BUT: Did I like this book? Yes I did. Should you buy it? Yes you should. Am I being Rumsfeldian via my answering my own questions? Yes, I am. But this is an author who won't be limited by a novel that shows off her prowess immediately. She will continue to delve into her subject matter, psychologically and aesthetically. This is a feminist novel in its currently most developed state, and will lead to a further exploration of truly groundbreaking themes. There is much in this book that forces the reader to recognize a literary talent, and then obligates the reader to wait for more. I didn't like this book as much as I've liked some others by "canon" authors, but if you don't read it now, you'll regret it later. Tolstoy and Nabokov are better, but this is gold and deserves to be read. I was happily amazed by the constant reinvention of everyday scenarios and the gravity of the intricate plotline(s). It was a pleasure. You might as well save yourself the effort of catching up with Lucy Corin later and read this now; so just buy the book, read it, and wait, as opposed to breathlessly catching a bandwagon later. It's rare to be able to follow the development of a talented writer with the current economic conditions, so you might as well pick a really good one such as Lucy Corin, right? You'll enjoy "Everyday Psychokillers...," and you'll enjoy her later releases as well, I'm sure. Perhaps not a classic, but a "must buy" for fans of literate literature.

Rating:
Summary: Should be a classic
Review: This has to be the most compelling novel I've read since *Heart of Darkness.* Asked "what's it about?", I find myself groping for words and coming up with hopelessly scopey responses like "the ethical dilemma of being human," "the meaning of "civilization" and what it does to ourselves and our planet," or "the ambivalent character of love, heroism and madness in our culture and history." Definitely not light reading, this book is unflaggingly intense, often as hilariously funny as it is horrific or tender, and poetry throughout.