Monday, July 07, 2008

Alice Sebold - In Her Own Words

Despite having written only three books, two novels and an autobiography describing the brutal rape she suffered as a college student, Alice Sebold has already become well known for her dark view of life and her refusal to flinch from the truth, however harsh that truth may be. Her prose can be so brutal at times that some readers are unable to finish her work. A look at the reader-reviews posted on her books at Amazon.com reveals a wide variance of opinion, with some readers hating her books to the same degree that others love them.

I've read the two novels and enjoyed both of them, if one can be said to enjoy an Alice Sebold novel. Her books may be controversial and they may be upsetting to some, but they have much to offer and they are unforgettable.

- Here Alice Sebold is interviewed on the U.K.'s "The Book Show." -

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for the link, it's an interesting interview.

    I've only read The Lovely Bones but I really enjoyed it, (again if that's the word).

    ReplyDelete
  2. I too have only read The Lovely Bones, and I did 'enjoy' it. It is very well-written and stayed with me for quite a while after reading it. I don't usually shy away from books with disturbing subject matter, but I do understand why some people would. For me, it's easier to read about something like that than to watch a movie about it because I control the visual images when I'm reading. I can also put it down for a while and take a break if it becomes too intense. Thanks for the link to the interview!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I read Lovely Bones and Lucky and loved them both. I thought they were great. Almost Moon was a complete disaster though. Awful!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I couldn't finish Lovely Bones. The subject matter was dark, true, but I felt no real attachment to the story.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You're welcome, Sarah. It was the first time that I heard Sebold speak for herself and I found it interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree with you, Lisa. Bluntly written books sometimes require a bit of a break to clear the head. Sebold's certainly qualify in that category, don't they?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Natasha, I almost gave up on "Almost Moon" at one point, but decided to stay with it and, in the end, was happy that I did. It was quite a detailed look into the head of a person who appeared normal on the surface but had some really strange things going on inside her.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Carrie, I was surprised to hear that "Lovely Bones" is so popular with the YA and high school sets.

    ReplyDelete

I always love hearing from you guys...that's what keeps me book-blogging. Thanks for stopping by.