Rating: 
Summary: Demeaning to the Legend of Marie Laveau
Review: Although Jewell Parker Rhodes considers herself a feminist, she has taken the story of one of the most powerful women in American history and turned her into a frightened, insecure child. The Marie Laveau of "Voodoo Dreams" is a weak woman, incapable of standing on her own two feet and is constantly relying on other men to help her. Rhodes chooses to have her Marie seduced and imprisoned by Papa John (although there are no hard facts indicating a relationship between the two contemporaries). As the plot unfolds, her Marie is either constantly wishing to return to the lap of her grandmother or fantasizing about the bed of Papa John, despite his constant abuse and rape. Marie is portrayed as a puppet, forced to perform before a screaming crowd, as Papa John counts the money on the sidelines. Readers who are familiar with the legend of Marie Laveau will no doubt be disturbed by this Marie's cries of "I am only a woman . . . I am not in control." The difference between Rhodes' Marie, and the Marie of Robert Tallant's "Voodoo Queen" is stunning. Although Tallant writes in drier prose, his Marie is a vibrant, powerful, charismatic and inventive woman. Whereas Rhodes' Marie is a sheltered and emotional, crippled by the intensity of her spiritual experiences. If I had read "Voodoo Dreams" first, perhaps I would have been seduced by Rhodes' admittedly beautiful prose. But I read Robert Tallant's "Voodoo Queen" first, and I absolutely cannot stomach the hideous distortion of a great woman into this sniveling little girl. I do NOT recommend this book for those who admire Marie Laveau or enjoy a strong female character. It is well and poetically written . . . but demeaning to the legend of the great voodoo queen, and to the sophistication of the religion that birthed her.
Rating: 
Summary: Very intersting look at voodoo and it's power
Review: Every time that I visit New Orleans I am facinated at the stories of Marie Laveau, as well as the dolls that are displayed. This book gave me a true look at Marie. Starting from her innocent early years through the time that she became known as the Voodoo Queen. The pain and suffering she indured as well as her power re presented well. Also, the religion itself is described well and very informative
Rating: 
Summary: A captivating novel with great insight of the Voodoo world
Review: I found this novel to be a wonderful read. The piece was well written with totally realistic and whole characters. The novel somehow makes you feel as if you were present in many of the scenes, due to the vivid details and realistic setting. I enjoyed this new and interesting perspective into the life of the great Voodoo Queen.
Rating:
Summary: Stays in my memory
Review: I read this book many years ago and it is still alive in me.I disagree with other reviewers who criticize the fact that the book is not the "true" Marie Laveau. The subtitle itself says it is a NOVEL about M.Laveau (not a biography). It is its own novelistic, spell-weaving, story-telling atmospheric quality that offers the book's gifts, not its historiograpic accuracy. Ms.Parker Rhodes displays a high craft of language and narrative that still haunts me.
Rating:
Summary: Voodoo Dreams a novel of Marie Laveau
Review: I thought it was a great book. I couldn't put it down. I know it is fiction but it really put Marie into a new light as well as Voodoo.
Rating:
Summary: Voodoo through generations of black woman named Marie
Review: I thought that this book was quite powerful. It gave me a new insight into the Voudon religion and it's practices. I think the characters were very well described and developed and this made relate with Marie. My only complaints were the descriptive sexual of violent scenes. Voodoo Dreams was an all around powerful reading experience and I would recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: A FICTIONAL novel of Marie Laveau
Review: I wish that had been included in the title...I would have been much less disappointed when I got all the way through this book thinking this was based on real events until I got to the author's afterward where she basically said "Oh well I really just took my grandmother and made her Marie Laveau". Now, I'll admit, I don't know a whole lot about Laveau so I was willing to believe the storyline. But finding out that none of it NONE of it was based on what was known about Laveau left a pall on this book in my mind. Three stars because I enjoyed it before I was disillusioned.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting history, sorry story
Review: It's hard for me to think of a book that I so badly wanted to end in my history of reading. This story, although captivating at first, turns into a cesspool melodramatic monologues and arguments. I sympathized with Marie in the beginning of the book, when she was a naive little girl who couldn't help but be drawn to voodoo through curiosity and instinct. As the book progressed, Marie's personality went through so many ups and downs inconsistent with her character that I began to not care at all what happened to her--the story progression and character development was just plain sloppy and tiresome to read. In addition, the eroticism that Rhodes so freely expounds on added color and dimension to the story at first, but when Marie starts desiring virutally every male character in the book, I couldn't help but wonder if there was any rhyme or reason to her sensuality, or if it was there just for entertainment's sake. This book did however spark in me an interest in the history of voodoo in Haiti and New Orleans, but I think I would prefer to read something a little less fictional and sensationlized next time.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting history, sorry story
Review: It's hard for me to think of a book that I so badly wanted to end in my history of reading. This story, although captivating at first, turns into a cesspool melodramatic monologues and arguments. I sympathized with Marie in the beginning of the book, when she was a naive little girl who couldn't help but be drawn to voodoo through curiosity and instinct. As the book progressed, Marie's personality went through so many ups and downs inconsistent with her character that I began to not care at all what happened to her--the story progression and character development was just plain sloppy and tiresome to read. In addition, the eroticism that Rhodes so freely expounds on added color and dimension to the story at first, but when Marie starts desiring virutally every male character in the book, I couldn't help but wonder if there was any rhyme or reason to her sensuality, or if it was there just for entertainment's sake. This book did however spark in me an interest in the history of voodoo in Haiti and New Orleans, but I think I would prefer to read something a little less fictional and sensationlized next time.
Rating:
Summary: A TALE WELL TOLD, A WORK WELL DONE
Review: Jewell Parker Rhodes has written a spell-binding book, after years of research. This one is highly recommended, as is her MAGIC CITY!
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