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Garden of Shadows

Garden of Shadows

List Price: $7.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The "happily ever after" dream turned sour
Review: "Garden of Shadows", the prequel to "Flowers in the Attic", stands head and shoulders above "Flowers" as far as storytelling and plot. For one thing, our tragic heroine is NOT a beautiful young maiden in distress, which has gotten downright tiresome, especially since a new series of a new "tortured beauty" are relentlessly cranked out by Andrew Neiderman on a twice-yearly basis (for heaven's sake, PLEASE give V. C. Andrews a rest. We KNOW the difference between HER work and NEIDERMAN's. Give us some CREDIT.).

Getting back to the story, Olivia Foxworth (who will soon grow up to be the steely-eyed Evil Grandmother) is a tall, gawky adolescent with no social skills (the ability to flirt is a very important thing in the early 1900's). Clearly, Olivia is ahead of her time, being a smart, shrewd businesswoman who's a whiz with numbers, but her father despairs of her being the perpetual "old maid" and wants her married off immediately. Therefore, this poor "Hedda Gabler" woman, who is too strong and masculine for most men, meets her match in the young, dapper Malcolm Foxworth. It's fascinating to read about Olivia's "blushing" and "shyness" in the presence of the handsome Malcolm, and being reminded that this is the same Evil Grandmother who whipped her daughter and starved her grandchildren. In any case, poor Olivia is delirious with joy when Malcolm proposes, and dreams of being the Queen of the Castle to Malcolm's King, living in a heavenly state of matrimony forever. As the wedding approaches, and Olivia gradually learns that their union is far from a "love" partnership, her pain is so devastating that one can easily see how Olivia became so bitter. To make matters worse, her father-in-law and his beautiful new bride are the exact picture of the happy couple in love, and the sight of their affection torments Olivia at an even deeper level.

The real problem for Olivia is that, also like Hedda Gabler, she is far too conventional to do the unthinkable (a divorce, for instance), and therefore resigns herself to a lifetime of loneliness and humiliation at the hands of her philandering husband, who shows no sexual desire whatsoever for his wife. The usual V. C. Andrews plot elements surface here: death, betrayal, and scandal, and these tragedies afford Olivia the chance to show her masculine power and give Malcolm a run for his money (literally). If she cannot be the woman he desires, Olivia thinks, she will be a business partner with intelligence and the ability to command respect from her husband.

One drawback of this story (and this is true of most of the series) is that we don't get to see enough of the children's point of view. Little Mal is obviously a stubborn "live wire", but he is never seen arguing with his father, nor do we learn much about him as a person. That also applies to Joel, the "sensitive artist and musician" who is constantly berated by his father for being a sissy. Most of all, Corinne, the "daddy's golden girl", is shown to be silly, shallow, and overly concerned with her effects on men, but it would be interesting to see more of her personality, especially in light of the later revelations, particularly John Amos Jackson's stalking of her. There are numerous inconsistencies here, too, although that might be because of the "narrator", but not once in this story do we see the "religious fanaticism" that Momma complained about in "Flowers". Nor do we see Olivia as a "selfish cruel woman" who never gave Corinne "an ounce of love", and this is rather puzzling. Even a small incident, such as Corinne's first period, is told in a dramatically different way by Olivia, than the story Corinne relates to her children in "Flowers". The result, needless to say, is confusing. Are we to believe that Olivia is a liar, or Corinne, or both? Then again, maybe that's the whole point: the eye of the beholder, and so forth. Another drawback: Christopher Garland, who will become Papa Dollanganger, is merely another version of his son: perpetually cheerful, optimistic and bordering on god-like (excepting his predilection for his dazzling blonde half-niece). It would be nice if he (and his son) could be more developed as characters; instead, he's a mere symbol of Prince Charming and eternal love. The drawbacks notwithstanding, Olivia is still a fascinating character, and so is Malcolm (it's too bad we don't get to learn a little more about his twisted past than his "little black book" in "Thorns").

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Fifth & Final Book in the Dollanganger Series
Review: Although "Garden of Shadows" is the last book in the Dollanganger series (preceded by Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, and Seeds of Yesterday), it begins the sequence of events that will haunt the Foxworth-Dollanganger family for over three generations. While the majority of the books in this series are written from Cathy Dollanganger's perspective, it is now the Grandmother's turn to relate her own life history. Even though I didn't feel a lot of sympathy for Olivia Winfield (the Grandmother), at least it was easier to understand where she was coming from.

The book begins sometime in the early 1900s in New London, Connecticut, where a plain 24-year-old Olivia Winfield meets a
handsome, rich gentleman named Malcolm Neal Foxworth. Olivia is bewildered yet excited when he proposes to her and, after the wedding, brings her to Foxworth Hall in Virginia. Here the story begins to unfold. We soon learn Olivia's real purpose as Malcolm's wife is to be a "breeder" and give him sons, which she does--two of them, Mal and Joel. And later on, the secret of Corrine and Christopher's birth parents is revealed. In previous books, they were considered half-uncle and niece, but they're really half-siblings. (Long story.) So, when they begin to fall in love, it's no wonder Olivia and Malcolm panic. Corrine and Christopher, however, ignore their warnings and later elope. The rest is history.

Obviously, there's some incest in this book. If this bothers you, you might not enjoy "Garden of Shadows" (or any other V. C. Andrews book, for that matter). But for the rest of you, I'd certainly recommend this one, especially to Dollanganger fans. It finally completes the series and answers all those dark questions that have been building since "Flowers in the Attic".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The beginning of it all
Review: Like most, after reading 'Flowers' I hated the grandmother. But after reading Garden of Shadows the hate doesn't burn as much. She had her own miserable existance once she came to Foxworth. Faking a pregnancy, living without love, the death of her children. The symbolic dollhouse and it's porcelin tenants open a profound door into the woman's soul.

Who would have believed she wanted to take Cathy and Cris into her arms the day they arrived at that cursed attic?

A fascinating read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Where the Flowers Began
Review: This story is told from Olivia's point of view. It pretty much explains her deep hatred of the children. I often wondered why she hated the children. I found out why in this book. Her hatred is not excusable in the least but it is logical. Olivia had a terrible life and you have to wonder if she would have been the same hateful person she became if it hadn't been for the bad decision she made in marrying Malcom Foxwarth. I'm not sure if Andrews wanted us to believe that her treatment of the children was natural and that anyone in her shoes would do the same. Not everyone who is a victim becomes a victimizer. In fact, most don't. I did not identify or root for Olivia but I did enjoy her story. This story spans over about 20 years. It answers questions I had that I couldn't find reasons for in the other books. It is not as compelling as the stories told from Cathy's point of view, but it is definitley worthwhile. I would read a thousand of these books if they were all in the same saga. I have never reread a book but I am seriously considering reading 1-5 all over again. I enjoyed them immensely!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Now I Finally Understand!
Review: I had seen the movie version of "Flowers in the Attic" many times on TV and I wondered why in the world Olivia Foxworth was such an evil, hateful woman. I also wondered how Corrine Foxworth (Dollanganger) could leave her children and be so selfish. Well, all of those questions are answered in the book "Garden of Shadows", the prequel to "Flowers in the Attic".

Even though this book was written last, I chose to read it first because it gives so much background and explanations for the things that occured in "Flowers in the Attic". The book centers around Olivia Winfield Foxworth, a plain-jane who dreams of being whisked away by her knight in shining armor. One day the dashing and handsome Malcolm Foxworth steps into her life. She is immediately smitten with him and he seems to feel the same towards her. They get married rather quickly and Olivia cannot wait to begin her wonderful new life on the arm of her handsome husband. What Olivia dreamed of and what she received were two very different things. Olivia soon learns that her marriage is one of convenience and not love, no matter how much she prayed and wished for it. Malcolm mainly wanted Olivia because he thought she would be a good breeder. Malcolm is a very stern and scary man who could intimidate people with one look.

Soon Olivia adapts to her life and we begin to see the transformation from the carefree, whimsical girl she used to be into the cold, hardened woman that we all know from "Flowers in the Attic". Although Olivia is a woman you love to hate, you understand why she became what she became due to loss, pain, hate, and an immense longing for love from her husband.

I would highly recommend this book to people who are fans of "Flowers in the Attic", and I would suggest reading this book before reading the rest of the series. I know you will love this book! It truly is incredible!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Garden of Shadows
Review: Review of Garden of Shadows
Reviewer: Shannon Carey from WVHS Spokane, WA
The Answers to All the Dollanganger Secrets!!! April 12, 2004
Garden of Shadows is a thrilling novel written cleverly by V.C. Andrews.
When I first started this book I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Garden of Shadows was the last book of the Dollanger series although it was the pre-quell to the series. The book was twisted and unraveled a lot of secrets that were kept from the previous books. The other four books of this series were written from her granddaughter's point of view but in this story the grandmother portrayed her part of the story. It gave more of an understanding of why she seemed so evil.

Olivia Foxworth is plain, masculine woman who grows up without a mother, learning nothing of how to flirt or how to be attractive to men. To say the least she had absolutely no social skills so her father tried numerous times to hook her up with young suitors that he knew, but none were drawn to her gawky, tall, anti-socialism, until Malcolm Foxworth. Malcolm shows interest in her during their first encounter and returns for a second, even a third date. After a short week or two of courting he asks her to marry him. Olivia fantasizes of a romantic honeymoon and life thereafter but little does she know of the lonesome future of death, betrayal and scandal that she has coming her way.

From day one Olivia began to notice peculiar things about the handsome Malcolm. When Olivia started to see Malcolm on dates she anticipated a kiss and thought it weird when she never got one. That was the first warning sign she saw of how the relationship was going although she was in denial about it and made up excuses for his "shyness." The next sign she noticed was when she spied on Malcolm (followed by many occasions of her spying on people) asking her father for her hand in marriage when he never once mentioned his love for her. Not until the night of her wedding reception did she take the rose-colored glasses off and realize that Malcolm had not married her for love but for the facts that she would be faithful, she would be getting her father's inheritance and she was to be able to provide him with healthy children. This started Olivia onto her path of bitterness that would increase with every tragedy and scandal, thus turning her into the stern, hateful grandmother that she became in the rest of the series.

Garden of Shadows dished out the secrets of the mean grandmother of the Dollanger's giving a better, but unjust, reasoning to why she had been the way she had. Seeing how Olivia once dreamed of a perfect life with happiness and love is hard to believe from reading the previous books, but bitterness and hatred in her heart is almost understandable considering how Malcolm had crushed all hope of her ever being loved by a man. If Olivia had had a mother things may not of turned out the way they did. To me, it is hard to understand why she never considered getting a divorce. How could she bear to stand the heartbreak and loneliness? Although we did gain an understanding and history of Olivia, what had happened to Malcolm? How had he become so bitter and cold? I would also of liked to see more of the children's point of view through out the story. Overall, I really did enjoy this intriguing novel and hope to read more from V.C. Andrews!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Beautiful
Review: When I first watched "Flowers In The Attic" on T.V.and then read the book, I hated the Grandmother for how cruel and heartless she was; a woman with no feelings other than hate and jealousy. But then I started to read the prequel "Garden Of Shadows". I couldn't believe how different "Olivia Winfield" had been. I was saddend and felt extreme sympathy for her, as I read on about her marriage that she would soon find out had cheated her of the love she had dreamed about, and would never have, with a husband who did not love her. Her sons brought her the only joy in her life, and when they both died at a young age, everything had been taken from her, and she had nothing left to love or cherrish, slowly making her bitter and cold.
This book explains alot about why many things that happed in "Flowers In the Attic" happened, and I no longer hate her, because now I know why she became what she became. This is a beautifully sad and heartwrenching book, that made me cry sometimes times from the beginning to the end as I watched the poor woman, who trully had been a kind hearted person, turn into the witch that she is. A must read! In my opinion, this is the best book in the whole series, and should be read first to get a better understanding.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Now I Finally Understand!
Review: I had seen the movie version of "Flowers in the Attic" many times on TV and I wondered why in the world Olivia Foxworth was such an evil, hateful woman. I also wondered how Corrine Foxworth (Dollanganger) could leave her children and be so selfish. Well, all of those questions are answered in the book "Garden of Shadows", the prequel to "Flowers in the Attic".

Even though this book was written last, I chose to read it first because it gives so much background and explanations for the things that occured in "Flowers in the Attic". The book centers around Olivia Winfield Foxworth, a plain-jane who dreams of being whisked away by her knight in shining armor. One day the dashing and handsome Malcolm Foxworth steps into her life. She is immediately smitten with him and he seems to feel the same towards her. They get married rather quickly and Olivia cannot wait to begin her wonderful new life on the arm of her handsome husband. What Olivia dreamed of and what she received were two very different things. Olivia soon learns that her marriage is one of convenience and not love, no matter how much she prayed and wished for it. Malcolm mainly wanted Olivia because he thought she would be a good breeder. Malcolm is a very stern and scary man who could intimidate people with one look.

Soon Olivia adapts to her life and we begin to see the transformation from the carefree, whimsical girl she used to be into the cold, hardened woman that we all know from "Flowers in the Attic". Although Olivia is a woman you love to hate, you understand why she became what she became due to loss, pain, hate, and an immense longing for love from her husband.

I would highly recommend this book to people who are fans of "Flowers in the Attic", and I would suggest reading this book before reading the rest of the series. I know you will love this book! It truly is incredible!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Garden of Shadows
Review: Being the last book in the 'Flowers in the Attic' series, Garden of Shadows ties a lot of loose ends.

This is the Grandmother's story (Olivia Winfield Foxworth), and it tells the story of her marriage to Malcolm Foxworth, and ends when Flowers in the Attic more or less begun - when Chris, Cathy and the twins arrive in Foxworth Hall and are left in the attic.

We get to learn how the grandmother became what she was - tough, cold and extremely religious. While this understanding doesn't necessarily give us understanding or justification's to Olivia's future behavior, it is hard not to feel for what she has to go through, especially in the beginning.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: V.C. Andrews was a MASTER storyteller...
Review: Truly, the only Andrews novels worthy of a read were the ones written by the lady herself. To my knowledge, the only books that were completely written by her, from start to finish, were the Dollanganger series, MY SWEET AUDRINA, and the beginning of the next series about the Casteels. V.C. Andrews left us too early but she left us some extraordinary gifts with the tales of the Foxworths. All 5 books are enigmatic and addictive. They are all highly absorbing but the coup de gras was writing GARDEN OF SHADOWS last. Here, Andrews takes a truly villainous villainESS (Olivia Winfield Foxworth) and transforms her, quite poetically, into the victim. We read about Olivia's experiences and discover WHY she ended up the way that she did. We end up understanding and sympathizing with her. Andrews uses this literary device with skill and precision. If you have an opportunity to experience the phenomenon of V.C. Andrews, do not waste your time with the novels following MY SWEET AUDRINA. Instead, curl up with the series about the Foxworths on cold winter's night and enjoy. I would also recommend that you read the series in the order that it was published; starting with FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC and finishing with GARDEN OF SHADOWS.


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