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Title: Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen, Kimberly Schraf ISBN: 0-7366-4759-7 Publisher: Books on Tape Pub. Date: 01 April, 2000 Format: Audio CD Volumes: 8 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.92 (404 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A tragic account of abuse
Comment: Anna Quindlen's "Black and Blue effectively portrays a woman's experience dealing with the devastating effects of an abusive marriage. What is marvelous about Ms. Quindlen's perspective in telling this story is that she allows us to go inside the mind of her main character rather than tell a chronological account of what has happened. No other novel has really explored the mind of a woman's experience with abuse as seen here in "Black and Blue." Fran Benedetto escapes her physically abusive husband with her son, Robert. Relocated from New York to Florida, Fran Benedetto now becomes Beth Crenshaw. What we deal with now is not only the fear Beth feels that her husband will find her but her fear in finding her identity as well. A different name, a different look, a different state or residence - these are all the different things Beth must come to terms with. But can we learn to accept our reality when we feel our identity is lost? Brillantly, Ms.. Quindlen shows us through the mind of Beth the process one must go through in dealing with such a tragic situation. I never wanted to refer to a book as an "Oprah book" but I feel it is necessary here. This is Oprah's April book selection and Oprah consistently chooses well-written, thought-provoking novels. However, Oprah is fixated on choosing novels dealing with abuse. Yes, I do think she has a moral obligation to teach the public about abuse and how to get out of it; however, my fear is that she is desenitizing us with this devastating issue. We are reading so much about this situation that I find myself not reacting to what abuse does. Reading "Black and Blue" I found myself not caring what happened to Beth and that was a sad state of affairs. To be fair, Ms. Quindlen wrote an excellent story which should be told - she is a good writer with the correct sense of moral obligation. I only hope Oprah realizes that there are other issues our society must deal with and pick books with different issues so that! we, the public, can look at and learn.
Rating: 5
Summary: heartbreaking
Comment: I'm glad the reader from Baltimore pointed out the fact that victims of abuse habitually hold themselves at a distance from others. I thought this was a real strength of Quindlen's characterization of Fran, and it does account for the distance some readers may feel from her. I can't imagine not sympathizing with Fran's plight, myself, though, as I often felt I was actually inside her head. I was especially stunned by the reader who complained that the book is "depressing" (clearly meaning this as a weakness). A person who would make this complaint when women and children live this horror every day should be ashamed. Quindlen's novel is one of the most moving I've read in years; in fact, I cried through most of the last audiotape. I found Mrs. Leavitt's story about meeting her husband particularly astonishing; it made me gasp, and little fiction is that powerful. I also feel that Quindlen's understand of young Robert's situation is dead on. Like many other readers, I got through the novel quickly, in less than 24 hours. Lili Taylor's voice is exactly right for Beth; I've seldom heard a narrator so right. I look forward to teaching this novel in my women's literature class.
Rating: 5
Summary: Not the usual suspects . . .
Comment: My first thought on reading the description of this book was, "Oh, no. Here we go again. Another 'Look at me, I hurt'" type of book. "Abused woman barely escapes." That type of thing. Boy was I wrong! Anna Quindlen has given us a rare look into the life of a victim with "Black and Blue." What might have turned into a made-for-TV-movie type of book in any other author's hands turns to gold in this riveting tale or abuse, dysfunction, and psychological horror. I also initially thought that making the main character's husband a cop was, well, a bit of a cop-out (sorry). But Quindlen manages to bring even this to a new level. This is just a great book and I highly recommend it. Would also recommend another wonderful (though disturbing) book that I recently came across. "The Bark of the Dogwood" by Jackson McCrae. Equally well written and on the same level as this one.
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Title: A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons ISBN: 0375703063 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 05 November, 1997 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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Title: One True Thing by Anna Quindlen ISBN: 044022103X Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 01 August, 1995 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage ISBN: 038079487X Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb ISBN: 0671021001 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: While I Was Gone by Sue Miller, Sue Miller ISBN: 0345443284 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 12 May, 2000 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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