The Passion of Alice

Rating:
Summary: The Passion of an Average Woman
Review: "The Passion of Alice" by Stephanie Grant portrays seemingly perfect twentysomething who has problems on the inside. This novel goes through Alice's experiences at Seaview Hospital where she is being treated for Anorexia Nervosa. Along the way Alice meets many new people, who all touch her life in different ways.

"The Passion of Alice" is an intriguing view into an Anorexic's mind. Similar books that I have read on this similar subject haven't been as detailed as this novel. Grant seems to hit the nail on the head on this growing epidemic.

Reading this book has helped me grow as a writer. Grant used excellent imagery and a language that was real- easy to understand. "Gwen brought a soggy pile to her mouth and slid the spoon between her lips. I watched her delicate, Mayflower jaw. She did not chew. Strands of her flat white hair loosened themselves."-P.102. This quote is a good example of the language used- Alice simply observes and comments a lot in the novel. I will use this edgy texture in my future writing- I think that it provides realness. Another concept Grant used in her novel was setting. "I had hoped she would wheel me all the way to the handicapped stall, the fourth in a row after three narrower stalls. It stood big and as roomy as a house, the boltless door slapped open. Even from where we waited, I could see the fat chrome rails inside."-P.7. This is a good example of imagery and setting used to paint a picture in the readers' minds.

Overall, this book provided me with a greater knowledge of the disease and the effects it has upon people. The literary techniques used in Grant's writing will also help me improve my writing style. As far as plot goes, it did get a bit slow at times- one of the few downfalls to this novel. I believe that this book is not for everyone. Just those who want to read about a woman's struggle with appearance- who has a slanted view on not only her body but everyone else's.

Rating:
Summary: The Passion of an Average Woman
Review: "The Passion of Alice" by Stephanie Grant portrays seemingly perfect twentysomething who has problems on the inside. This novel goes through Alice's experiences at Seaview Hospital where she is being treated for Anorexia Nervosa. Along the way Alice meets many new people, who all touch her life in different ways.

"The Passion of Alice" is an intriguing view into an Anorexic's mind. Similar books that I have read on this similar subject haven't been as detailed as this novel. Grant seems to hit the nail on the head on this growing epidemic.

Reading this book has helped me grow as a writer. Grant used excellent imagery and a language that was real- easy to understand. "Gwen brought a soggy pile to her mouth and slid the spoon between her lips. I watched her delicate, Mayflower jaw. She did not chew. Strands of her flat white hair loosened themselves."-P.102. This quote is a good example of the language used- Alice simply observes and comments a lot in the novel. I will use this edgy texture in my future writing- I think that it provides realness. Another concept Grant used in her novel was setting. "I had hoped she would wheel me all the way to the handicapped stall, the fourth in a row after three narrower stalls. It stood big and as roomy as a house, the boltless door slapped open. Even from where we waited, I could see the fat chrome rails inside."-P.7. This is a good example of imagery and setting used to paint a picture in the readers' minds.

Overall, this book provided me with a greater knowledge of the disease and the effects it has upon people. The literary techniques used in Grant's writing will also help me improve my writing style. As far as plot goes, it did get a bit slow at times- one of the few downfalls to this novel. I believe that this book is not for everyone. Just those who want to read about a woman's struggle with appearance- who has a slanted view on not only her body but everyone else's.

Rating:
Summary: Identity but not Anorexia
Review: 'The Passion of Alice' is the story of 25 year-old Alice Forrester, an anorexic who is admitted to the eating disorders unit of a psychiatric hospital after suffering a heart attack with a weight of 87 pounds on a 5'11'' frame. The set-up for this eating disorders recovery unit is based on a 12-step program keenly involved in group therapy and emotional expression; all of the counselors are former patients recovering from their own eating disorders. Alice finds herself surrounded by many colorful characters: there is the shy anorexic Gwen, the self-conscious, compulsive overeater, Louise, little Amy, who claims to be an actress, and above all, Maeve, the voluptuous,tough, trash-talking, yet affectionate bulimic, who takes a liking to Alice even in the midst of using her as an ally in her own escapades, and opens Alice's eyes to who she really is.

This book was fair. I liked its realistic portrayal and explanation of medical complications e.g. dental, cardiac, and hormonal/bone-density--in that sense it pulls no punches. However, you don't really get much of an understanding of anorexia from it. It is never clear how Alice began starving herself, and although we know what triggered it, there is little exploration into her feelings about herself. There was also a lack of insight into family complications, given that the author hinted at them with the way Alice always talked about her mother and called her by her first-name. I felt the ending was kind of a let-down in the psychiatric respect. While I can understand not giving a volume on Alice's recovery, I was left puzzled as to whether or not she even wanted to get well. Essentially, the details on anorexia nervosa are brief and inconclusive.

However, this book is an excellent source of information about lesbianism and homosexuality. The transformation is subtle and gradual and you don't realize the truth until the characters do. There is a stark contrast of religious influences and personal passions. I think the author was attempting to show lesbianism in the light of a disorder where most of its sufferers (female, anyway) are heterosexual; this, exaggerating the feature of how most homosexuals feel isolated and alone in any environment. Anyone confused about their sexual identity, gay or straight, ought to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: This book was very different than anything I've ever read
Review: 25 year old Alice,an anorexic at Seaview hospital, is a very different person than I had imagined.This book was a very "unique" book that has it's better parts.Concerning anorexia,this book had truth,but others parts of this book,the parts about Alice and Mauve, were VERY disturbing.I don't think that that part was necseeary at all!When I spent my money on this book I thought it would be about an anorexic who met a new friend who helped her with her anorexia,that was the impression I got from the jacket of the book.If I had known that it was more so about lesbians, consistantly doing very unapprioate things,then I would have never purchased this book. Futhermore,I found it very revolting and very unapprioate.

Rating:
Summary: a refreshing change for lesbian fiction
Review: 25 year-old Alice, is anorexic and dealing with not only her illness, but many other aspects of her life which she has seemingly lost control of. After experiencing heart failure, caused by her low weight, Alice is admitted to a mental hospital. While in the hospital Alice finds her social group, consisting of women with varried disorders. A particular member of this group, Maeve, becomes an essential part in Alice's life. The two embark on 'adventures', making both of their stays at the hospital more bearable. More than a book about surviving eating disorders, I viewed this exceptional novel as an account of one woman's struggle with self discovery. Not every woman struggles with anorexia or lesbianism, but I belive every woman can relate to Alice. This book has made an impact on my life, and I belive everyone can finish this book with some new knowledge about themselves.

Rating:
Summary: a reader from ecu
Review: Alice has a terrible eating disorder but the book was about much more than her eating disorder. The eating disorder seems to be one of the symptoms of her very empty,lonely existence that was so sad. I felt terribly sorry for Alice that her life was so devoid of excitement or passion until Maeve was introduced into the book. Before Maeve, Alice said her living "was without desire. Without longing of any kind." Maeve provided an excitement, a spark that Alice had never felt before. The issues of sexual identity that Alice works through are part of the complexity of this book and of life. Alice's life was not simple but very complicated and she obviously had trouble sorting through all the complexities which involve her feelings toward her mother, her religion, Ronald, her friends at Seaview, and of course, Maeve. Some people have more trouble than others sorting through life and finding their passion and the goal they set for their life. Alice's passion was not to live and survive this eating disorder but was somehow related to her relationship to Maeve. The ending of the book left me wondering what would happen to poor Alice, but I also felt very happy for Alice that she had finally felt the "passion" or desire that she had sought for many years. I enjoyed this book because it points out very poignantly the fact that life is very complex and all of us must deal with many issues sometimes at once. Alice's eating disorder did not just result from a controlling mother but was a result of many influences in Alice's life. The book flowed very easily and I would enjoy reading another book by Stephanie Grant.

Rating:
Summary: Some parts of this book were very accurate...
Review: but at times, I found the book to be sadly unnerving. There were things in the book that I did not agree with...and I think they should have been written on the book jacket. I think that this book DOES display a lot of truth about eating disorders..but sometimes it makes anorexia and bulimia seem FUNNY. It is NOT funny. It is Torment.... I did not like the ending. Just my opinion..... The best book I read about eating disorders that is fiction, is HUNGER POINT by Jillian Medoff. And of course...The Secret Language of Eating Disorders, by Peggy Claude-Pierre should be read by everyone who has struggled with an eating disorder or has a loved one with one.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it.
Review: I am disgusted and offended but some of the reviewer's comments stated here, and furthurmore I don't think that such homophobic comments should even be *allowed* to be posted on amazon.com but that's beside the point. To all of you narrow-minded people out there--grow up.

Anyway, this book was extremely well-written. I became engrossed while reading it on a 4 hour flight back from LA. The author's humor is amusing and witty, and the book flows nicely. As a person who's dealt first hand with an eating disorder, I can say that this book does successfully show the horrors of an ED. I also loved how the author let us learn about many of the characters in the hospital - it created quite the interesting plot. And furthurmore the relationship between Alice and Maeve just spiced up the plot even more. Maeve is an interesting character, to say the least.

The ending was sad, no doubt. But I won't give that away.

I agree in saying that this isn't the best book to read if you want to learn about eating disorders, but it does give some good insight on the topic. I recommend "Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia" by Marya Hornbacher if you want a book based soley on EDs.

I think open-minded individuals will love this book, read it.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully written and captivating.
Review: I couldn't put this book down. I loved the way Grant made us feel as if we were in the book ourselves. I was reading a few sections of the book to my roommate and now she is intrigued and will probably read it herself. The characters were brilliantly expressed and each one had their own style. I would recommend this to anyone. It took hold of myself and I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter to see what predicament Alice was going to get herself into next. GO READ IT TODAY!

Rating:
Summary: It was okay..
Review: I gave this book 3 stars. I was dissapointed. It was okay, I liked it, but I sure didn't love it. It was a nice read overall but it most definitally isn't a book I'd read over and over again. Once is enough. I COULD put it down for awhile and forget about it. (Granted I didn't do that because I hate not reading books all at once or within a few days~)I don't know what it was exactly about the book I didn't like. It was so different than I was expecting. I bought it thinking it would be a book about a young woman and her stuggle overcomming anorexia but I was wrong. It was purely a piece of the story, not the story. As a person stuggling with an eating disorder, I found many situations in the book hard to believe. That may be because the storyline wasn't focused on the disorder.

So many unanswered questions were there and never even slightly touched. Did Alice even WANT to overcome her eating disorder? Did she want to die all along? ect. ect. I didn't like her character at all really. Something about it. I found the ending rather stupid and unbelievable too. I mean the ending was sad/touching but to me it seemed too unrealistic. Why would she starve herself to death over a lost love? It seems way to drastic. Almost like a 14/15 year old child who broke up with their first boyfriend/girlfriend and will never ever love again so they kill themselves *rolls eyes*

One last part of the book I'm not to sure I liked was all those random like- sex scenes. I found them pretty unnessicary and just book filler *shrug* My opinion.

Pretty much if you want to read this book I'd recommend you DON'T buy this book. Borrow it from a friend or check it out from your local library. It was good/likeable/okay but not great/amazing/breathtaking/lovable. I'd skip reading this book all together if your a homophobe and can't take same gender relationships. Just a bit of warning for you.

My opinion.