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Summary: poetry at its best
Review: ....I ran out of reading materials, having just finished Lord of the Flies for school. I found Lord of the Flies to be magnificent, and figured that whatever book I read following it would probably not exceed William Golding's skill, but I was easily proven WRONG. Though White Oleander is difficult to read at times, the ringing poetry of Fitch's language will capture you from the very first page. The way the story weaves itself like a blossoming flower reminds me of the White Oleander that is so often mentioned in the book. Fitch creates characters that will never be forgotten, which lends to the magic of the tortured reality of the book. Astrid Magnussen's journey through countless foster homes molds her into someone that her mother, relentless poet Ingrid, cannot stand. While Ingrid attempts to brainwash Atrid from the prison she resides in, she finds it impossible to cage a phoenix. Ingrid is written with such depth that it is quite difficult for me to imagine her as a real person, though she opened up my world with the possibility that such people exist in the world. Astrid's bravery and courage often reminded me that life is worth living, despite hardships that will present themselves to you along your way. I think of Astrid often, incorporating her into my everyday life. My mind struggles to stretch around her, to comfort her, though she is not physically present. A character that powerful from such a poignant novel just cannot be cast aside. Fitch's White Oleander is poetry at its best, in prose form. This book is one you should NOT miss.
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Summary: Poignant Novel About Lessons Learned
Review: This beautifully written novel is both sad and uplifting. It is well worth reading. The first one-hundred pages or so are steeped with richly atmospheric poetic language, reflecting the influence of Astrid's poet mother, Ingrid. The following sections deal with the different foster care home environments Astrid endures, and learns from. Because of these painful tests of her character, Astrid progresses from a survivalist mentality, and discovers her inner core of steel, adaptibility, and her own voice. Despite being abused and then abandoned by the families she had grown attached to, she is able to salvage at least one sliver of wisdom from each family to synthesize for self-knowledge. At the end of the book, instead of mourning the losses, Astrid emerges stronger, and wiser than her own mother, thus enabling her to confront her mother. Her mother finally admits regret for the murder. She seemed to realize that her selfish act of murder was also a simultaneous abandonment of Astrid to the fates of the foster care system. I had a hard time believing that the government allows foster care to be that horrible; yet truth is stranger than fiction, which means that foster care is probably worse than depicted in "White Oleander." A few other things in the book I was uncomfortable with was 13-year old Astrid's "laying down with the 'father'" (Betty Boop's boyfriend). In most areas this would be statutory rape, even if Astrid blatantly pursued the old guy. I know she was looking for love, but this scenario was treated too reverentially in the novel. I also got tired of all the descriptions of the different female characters breast sizes, and the lascivious looks they attracted from men. And, I thought Ingrid's regret of the murder was much too sudden a turnaround. It was as though this was the "happy" ending demanded by Janet Fitch's editor and publisher. This "regret" and attack of conscience seemed out of character for Ingrid. I did like the sense at the end that Astrid, at her young age, was already a more talented, stronger, and better person than her mother would ever be. Another excellent coming-of-age novel featuring a young girl is Margaret Atwood's, "Cat's Eye". Margaret Atwood is a far better poet than Janet Fitch's "Ingrid" (and she's for real, too). Margaret Atwood's novels are steeped with exquisitely, beautiful poetic prose. If you liked the "liquid poetry" of "White Oleander", you'll love Margaret Atwood's works.
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Summary: Not a feel good book but you JUST have to read it...
Review: This is yet another thrift shop book that cost less than a dollar but unlike my previous purchase of Philip Roth's "The Human Stain," White Orleander is a book of high literary merit that you want to read over and over again because it is so addictive, like the scent of the White Orleander, and it's vicious but beauteous scent. White Orleander is about Mothers and daughters and the complex relationships we sometimes have with those we love but don't always like. It's a book about life, death, survival and the redemption of the soul. Astrid is the teenage daughter of Ingrid now in prison after murdering an ex-lover and Astrid finds herself at the Mercy of the Los Angeles foster care system that is both brutal and tender. From her first teenage love affair with one of her foster mother's boyfriend's to her life in Berlin as a cynical but gifted young Artist we have driven through a life filled with tears, laughter, and the uncompromising brutality of the human experience. Astrid is above all a survivor and she takes from her foster life experience a new way of thinking, of understanding those around her, the good, the bad and the downright ugly. For me the best part of the book was Astrid's artistry of life, along with her acute understanding of mother's selfish whims and desire to be "beautiful and wanted" by the world for her talents as a poet, even though she is languishing in jail. But Astrid is everything her mother is not, and her ability to carry her life with her in "museums," customised suitcases representing all those people that have influenced her life is wonderful, and you can feel the presence of Star, the God loving, drug taking foster mother, who shoots Astrid for seducing her man, the cowardly and weak Ray and other characters such as the racist Marvel and Olivia a woman for who men are no mystery, the suicidal Claire most beloved to Astrid, the greedy voracious Amelia Ramos, Yvonne a teenage mother with more dreams than sense, the streetwise Rena and Paul, Astrid's young lover in Berlin, like her a former foster child and writer. And threading its way through the novel always is the power of Ingrid, struggling to keep control of her daughter who is surviving the world without her. This is not an easy book to read, there is brutality, tenderness, betrayal, and deception in every page but you are compelled to read on and though the ending is far from satisfying it is what you expect. Read White Orleander, and pray that no one ever makes a suitcase for you that represents your life because if they do you might not like what you see...
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Summary: Unforgettable- Janet Fitch is one to watch
Review: I don't wait with baited breath for Oprah to tell me what book to buy next. But, after hearing her proclaim "White Oleander" the best book she's ever read, you know I was mentally forced to get it. I'm so glad I did. Janet Fitch is a wonderful author-her use of similes and metaphors is amazing. We have Ingrid, a narcisstic, over-the-top mother whose daughter, Astrid, worships her and hangs on her every word. Unfortunately, Ingrid feels the defenition of being a mother stopped at actually pushing her baby out, because Astrid is pretty much cast to the four winds. The only wisdom this so-called "mom" is interested in imparting to her precious daughter is in the form of poetry and prose-like speech- "never let a man stay the night; dawn has a way of casting a pall on any night magic". Excuse me? After Ingrid is arrested and charged with poisoning her lover (using the poisonous white oleander flowers that grow everywhere around them); Astrid is shuttled from one bogus foster home to another. She is shot at, gets mauled by a pit bull, kept in a home where the refridgerator is padlocked and the girls practically starve, and is forced to sell clothes for the foster "mom" in one house. Where's the beauty of the novel?, you may ask. Unbelievably, Astrid manages to find at least one piece of beauty and/or wisdom in each home she stays at and that, eventually, will educate and shape the woman she is to become. Ingrid writes to her from prison, telling her not to complain about her foster homes. "If they're not beating you, consider yourself lucky", she writes. Hmmmph. I found myself wishing they'd have given this selfish woman the chair. If the storyline doesn't sell you, believe me, Janet Fitch's fabulous writing will. Defenitely a book you'll want on your shelf for years to come.
Rating:
Summary: White Oleander
Review: White Oleander is an amazing twist of love and devotion, sadness and brutality: the story of a young girl whose life is, in one moment, suddenly turned upside down, then twisted in all directions, when her mother is arrested for killing her boyfriend. The girl, Astrid, then sets off down her journey of numerous foster families, some horrible, some wonderful, but it seems as if nothing can ever go right for her, she never trusts her happiness to last. Her mother is so hypnotically cruel, you can almost feel the venom dripping off her words. She tries to manipulate Astrid in such a way, that it ruins her life, and Astrid grows to hate her. With a surprise ending, and so many twists, White Oleander takes you on a journey as Astrid grows up with the hardships of foster care. Janet Fitch has a way with words that catches you up, spins you around; she will amaze you with her creative language. I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: White Oleander reviewed by Niki CRAWFORD
Review: The novel White Oleander is like a more extended version of story that can be found in a Chicken Soup novel full of stories that warm the soul. The author, Jane Fitch, does a wonderful job making the novel touching to the soul. Her themes mainly revolve around the search for one's self and the relationship between mother and daughter. The main character in the novel is Astrid, who is very young and grows up having to overcome difficult times. Astrid loved her mother and admired her, but all that changed when her mother let a man break her heart. Ingrid, Astrid's mother, eventually killed her boyfriend. She was sentenced to prison for life, leaving Astrid to grow up in a series of homes. The relationship between Astrid and her mother changes many times through out the novel. Astrid only wants to know that her mom loves her. Astrid also wants to have the satisfaction of her mother admitting that she was wrong to commit murder and leave her daughter alone. Through out the novel Astrid and her mother send each other letters which only contain their arguments to each other. Jane Fitch created a mother daughter relationship that certainly left you wondering if they would ever come to good terms with one another. In the novel Astrid goes to a variety of different homes. Every home she experiences is different and she learns a lesson from each one. With each home, Astrid takes on the characteristics of different people. Her first placement home was with a woman named Starr who exposed Astrid to religion, which led Astrid to try and be religious, which her mother didn't approve of. Astrid seems to get herself into trouble though, which forces her to be moved to another home. Next she is thrown into a home where she meets a prostitute and then decides to try it out and see what it's like. Eventually, Astrid is moved to another home where she is forced to dig out of a trash can in order to keep herself fed. Astrid eventually gets herself moved into a nice foster family. Her new foster mother Claire shows love towards Astrid, which makes Astrid's mother jealous. At this home, Astrid does well in school and wears some of the top clothing brands, but the good times couldn't go on forever. Astrid is convinced that her mother manipulated Claire in some way, which led to Claire commit suicide. Astrid is eventually almost 18 and is sick of being moved around so much. She lets a careless women take her in. Here, Astrid turns into a gothic teen and gets involved with illegal drugs. Through out the story you question whether or not Astrid will ever find out who she is and what kind of person she wants to be. Janet Fitch writes very well written similes and metaphors through out the book. Many poems are used also. It all adds to the emotional effect that the book has on you. Reading about someone's quest to fine them selves and the struggles between a mother and daughter is really touching and Janet Fitch does an excellent job with bringing out all the emotions. This is defiantly a book I would read twice. The novel really puts you through one person's experience and it's very interesting and exciting. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good novel about a search for one's self and struggles between mothers and daughters.
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Summary: Incredible tale of dysfunction gone worse
Review: For the first time I'm having trouble writing a review of a book. The reason for this is simple: I'm still blown away by this "gift" of a novel that Janet Fitch has bestowed upon us. WHITE OLEANDER is by far, one of the most riveting reads I've ever come across, and what makes this great book so intriguing is not only the story, but the writing. Astrid is the main focus of this remarkable book, and her journey through myriad foster homes is just amazing. Fitch could easily have written a book on each one of Astrid's separate travels, but has chosen instead to give us a collection of them, interweaving them into this family (or sometimes lack thereof) tale of dysfunction and horror. Not since Jackson McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD has there been a portrait of so damaged a group of people, especially the mother in WHITE OLEANDER. Ingrid, the mother in this book, is at once over the top and yet believable. There have been several other books written about the lack of nurturing in motherhood, but this one draws the most disturbing portrait to date. Oprah almost lost me a while back with some of her questionable picks for books, but I have to say that she was right on the mark with this one.
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Summary: White Oleander
Review: White Oleander is a book that follows one young women's struggle to come of age in spite of the many hardships she encounters. The book starts when the main character, Astrid Magnussen, is twelve. She has been raised by her single mother, Ingrid Magnussen, a very self centered poet, who works at forming her daughter with the same care and detachment she used in forming her poetry. Astrid's life changes dramatically when her mother kills her ex-boyfriend earning herself a life in prison and sentencing her years of hopping from foster home to foster home. Astrid must learn how to survive in this new environment, according to the rules of each home. During this time, she gets attached to anyone who will show her the least bit of attention, but with each heartbreak and each physical trauma Astrid learns to become more and more independent. Throughout the book Astrid attempts to figure out who she is and where she came from. Astrid is a very likable girl. She grew up traveling around the world, fed on poetry and schooled by her mothers free willing example. The problem with White Oleander is that it asks readers to empathize with a character they don't really understand. Astrid's mother Ingrid is even more difficult to comprehend. She is the most selfish and uncaring maternal figure I've ever read about in literature. Astrid relates tragedy after tragedy to her mother, and receives in return poetic letters commanding her to savor her pain, as it will make her a stronger artist. Another reason White Oleander makes for a painful reading is that Astrid is subjected to a awful series of abuses at the foster homes she is placed in. She is shot by her foster mother in one home, starved in another, and attacked by dogs in the third. In the end the reader is forced to swallow the idea that this abuse did not permanently harm Astrid but only make her stronger.
I liked the novel a great deal. It taught a lot of lessons and morals.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the read
Review: Great "crazy mother" book. HIghly recommended. Also recommend "Liar's Club", "Sights Unseen", "An Egg on Three Sticks", "The Queen of Sheba."
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Summary: Mother-daughter relationship at its most complex
Review: The book explores the complexities of the mother daughter relationship as well as the downfall of the foster care system. Astrid (a 13 year old girl) is shown going through many foster care experiences after her mother is sent to jail for killing her lover. Throughout a span of years, Astrid grows and changes with the help of the various characters she meets in the system. She grows and changes but always hears the voice of her mother. No matter how much time has passed or how much has happened, Astrid says "my compass always points west" toward her mother. Wonderful novel showing how evern the most beautiful things can be the most poisonous and deadly. Highly recommend!!
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