The Hanged Man

Rating:
Summary: Teenage Angst
Review: I think I'm too old to read anything Francesca Lia Block writes. Having said that, I'm sure I'm too old.

Block's writing appeals to the most base sense of suffering, and therefore I can see why it appeals to teenagers. Since my taste in literature has expanded beyond a diet of angst, feeling misunderstood, and that there is nobility in suffering, it was a chore to make it through this book. Teenagers will love it for the mere fact that it's somehow validates their own overblown sense of angst.

I'm sure there is a message within the pages of this book, a triump of the human spirit, but I was left with the impression that the main character would rather continue to suffer valiantly than take the high road.

I also worry when reviews contain the words "magical" and "poetic."

Rating:
Summary: Imagery Soars Like Glitter On Skin
Review: I've read all of Francesca Lia Block's books sans two, and I must say: this probably has the best imagery out of all of them. Though the sentences are redundant at times, her dreamlike words twist and tear into an elaborate piece that's absolutely magnificent and really distracts any sort of poking and prodding. Block intertwines various cultures into all her works and I think that's what makes her such a brilliant writer, to name a few used in The Hanged Man: Africa; Tarot Cards; California; Morrocan achitecture; symbols; and probably more that I'm forgetting. There's a lot of symbolization and small things you may not catch the first time through, it's one of those books that rereading it brings more details forth that you may not have noticed. This may not be for the younger reader, dealing with anorexia, masturbation, sex, and other difficult situations; however, if you're willing to trudge through that (or are intrigued by it) I highly recommend this and everything else by her.

Rating:
Summary: "The Hanged Man" : A Delightful Modern Fairy Tale
Review: Mrs. Block delivers a spectacular show with this half poem half story calibration in this deranged Fairy Tale. A story of a girl who lives half of her life in the dream world. While morning the death of her father, she comes face to face with reality.
The author uses many creative writing utensils in this book. The most predominate however is descriptive language. Mrs. Block is constantly side tracking the story to explain some fantastic detail. In the end all the details come together to make a intricate plot. Take this quote "Perdita looks like she is floating because her dress is so long and white her legs are so delicate and seem almost boneless the way she drifts back and forth to the music."
In this novel Block explores what love really is. She transports the reader to magical settings, such as Houdini's old house. While the book whispers of Grim Brothers' themes, it tells the story in Tarot Cards. While it entertains it teaches. While it makes you sad it makes you smile. The story whispers of strong characters, who by the end of the book you are in love with.
Loral, (named after the cannon) a girl caught in the web we call life. In her house built by a toy maker, and filled with treasure, she lives under the Hollywood letters. She dreams of Jamaica and Jack, the man who looks like a skeleton, but is too real to be mearly flesh.
However, this book is not all fun and games. It deals head on with real issues that really do affect everyday life. Anorexia is a recurring theme in this novel. Here is an example; " I will be thin and pure like spun glass . . ." Laurel tells herself this as she stops eating, and her mother does nothing but cook.
Overall, the book is a dream, a spectrum of the real and the unreal, and a little girl spinning in a antique lace wedding dress.

Rating:
Summary: The Darker Side
Review: The Hanged Man is deffinently one of Block's best. It describes her darker side and point of view on life, as aposed to the other light mooded and dreamy fairy tale like books she has past written.It is a magor description of what life is really like when you are seventeen.I would give tis book a very loud "yes!read this book!" Again Block has let out another enchanting story about teenage life, but this time with a darker, more troubled side to it... read it! i know youll love it!

*For more reviews, and advice on books by Franceska Lia Block, mail me at: [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: First Block Book
Review: the hanged man is my first experience reading a block book, and i would have to say that it was a unique one! i would not recommend the book for younger readers. block addresses mature content. laurel, the main character, has many issues in her life. sex, abuse, drugs, and anexoria are some of the problems that she must deal with throughout the book. at times, the writing was very unclear and i was not sure what the author was talking about or where she was going with her words. i do have to agree with others in that the book is dark and very deep. overall, i would have to recommend it to others, just because it is a short read and i feel that it will leave you thinking about life and decisions.

Rating:
Summary: This book is touching, and magical-- yet amazingly real.
Review: The Hanged Man is the best book I have ever read. Block's style of writing brings you, the reader, straight into the lives of her characters. She shows us the reality in which Laurel (the main character) lives. We feel truly sorry for this creative and complex girl. She lives in a world of sex, drugs, cigarette smoke, and lonliness. If you have ever felt vulnerable or lost, this book will seem to understand you. I have read it over and over, noticing new parts of the book every time. I fell in love with The Hanged Man, and I highly reccommend it to anyone with imagination.

Rating:
Summary: The Hanged Man
Review: The Hanged Man, by Francesca Lia Block, was an overall great book. They, she and her mother, led wild lifestyles and partied a lot. In my opinion, the novel started off slowly. However, it turned otu to be a teriffic book. I recommend this book to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: The Hanged Man:Imegination
Review: The trauma of a seventeen-year old girl's childhood forces her to use her imagination to the fullest. By creating false events with real people, Laurel is able to hide from the truth about her late father in a world all her own using tarot cards to show her the way. The Hanged Man by Francesca Lia Block shows the outcome of an abused child when the abuse stops. The use of fact and fiction, dream and reality keeps you on your feet for the whole book.

As a fourteen-year-old student I thought this book was a way for me to better understand myself because I too put myself in my own world to hide from stressful events in my life. I recommend this book to all people who feel that they are alone and have no one in their lives, especially people who have been abused in their lives. The crude language and adult content, however, may make this book inappropriate for young children.

Rating:
Summary: beautiful words
Review: the words flowed like poetry and were very intriguing. yet it is a very complex book... and i still have to figure out what block is REALLY trying to say. but the the writing alone is enough to enjoy this very mysterious story.

Rating:
Summary: Confusing yet beautiful
Review: This book is a must read for and FLB fan. This book is a bit more on the real side as compared to The Weetzie Bat Books or I Was A Teenage Fairy, but it still has some magic of its own. I couldn't put this one down. If you are not familiar with Block's writing style, I would suggest reading another book first (i.e. Dangerous Angels or I was a Teenage Fairy)because it can get a bit confusing. Overall, this is a great quick read.