It's my duty as a reader to sample as much peril as I can
Written: Oct 31 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: fast-paced
Cons: times, dates, and cousin names are muddled
The Bottom Line: a fast, odd book with little emotional resonance
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| jsgoddess's Full Review: |
Once again, my mostly random book browsing has led me to a weird little read that is only in the Epinions database if I go spelunking through little-traversed nooks and crannies. I can never decide if I'm happy or disturbed that so much of my reading is off the beaten path. Am I doomed to sit in this corner talking to myself?
The Perils of Marie Louise, by DeLoris Stanton Forbes, begins with a bang. Marie Louise is only eight when she encounters murder for the first, but definitely not the last, time as her uncle falls down a well. Was her Uncle Royal murdered? Yes. Did her Uncle Rex push him? Yes. Did Marie Louise actually murder Uncle Royal and allow her Uncle Rex to take the blame? Why yes, she did. And thus endeth the first chapter.
Most of the chapters from then on focus on specific incidents in the tumultuous life of Marie Louise, as she wears a chastity belt, becomes a Hollywood star, and is embroiled in so many other murders and mysterious deaths that you have trouble determining whether she's a mass murderer or just a storm crow. I'm sure Stanton is happy with that uncertainty, and deliberately plays it up to keep us unbalanced.
Marie Louise is surrounded by relatives in her weird and wealthy family. I had huge difficulty keeping anyone straight, always questioning whether this one was the uncle who died, or that one was the cousin who disappeared. The relatives are flat sketches, with little to distinguish them from one another. There's Henry, and Richard, and... without cheating I can't even name the other cousins, but they are all boys, all rich, and all pretty insignificant.
That anonymity of the supporting cast makes Marie Louise the only real character. She becomes a rocky island in the middle of the ocean, with her perils dashing against her like waves. Having such an uncertain character as the focal point makes the novel risky and, for me, the risk didn't pay off.
The events of Marie Louise's life aren't well-anchored in time, so it's difficult to figure out when things are happening. The children of her cousins provide a small bit of chronology, but since I couldn't keep her cousins straight, I couldn't really tell how much time was passing by their children. The book's beginning seems pre-WWII. The end might be in the 80s. Beyond that, huge chunks of time appear to appear and disappear. Just when I think that Marie Louise would be in her 50s or 60s, she'll get called young.
Still, the writing is brisk and professional, the pacing is speedy, and the plot interesting enough to hold you in. Marie Louise's world is exotic, but still deals with plain things like family and friends.
There's little emotional depth here, but for a fast read that has its moments, you could do much worse.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jsgoddess
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Member: Julie Carter
Location: Ohio USA
Reviews written: 140
Trusted by: 199 members
About Me:
Come, gaze upon the newbies and ply them with ratings!
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