The Diva Review:
Like so many, I waited and waited for Janet Fitch to write a follow up to White Oleander. Paint it Black is, predictably, dark. It's dark, but not as intense as White Oleander. Or maybe it is, but in a different way. Fitch is so good at elegantly telling stories of intense emotion. But the truth is, I didn't like it nearly as much as I liked White Oleander.
The story is set against the punk scene in LA in the 1980's. I have a very deep fondness for that scene, having been a part of it, so I was very excited to read this. I'm not sure that Fitch captured the scene or the feeling of the time terribly well, which was a personal disappointment. The main charater, Josie, has a tendency to continually refer to Vodka as her "voddy," which gets irritating pretty quickly. And so does her complete self-indulgence.
Fitch gives us another variation on the theme of distant, controlling, narcissistic mothers. We have a weak and broken son who commits suicide. Or course he's beautiful and troubled. Really, he's the kind of guy who is like catnip to young girls. Naturally, his girlfriend is devastated. The story is really about Josie and Meredith, his mother, as they deal with their grief, betrayal and loss. They alternatively blame and hate each other and find solace in each other.
It's beautifully written, but the characters are so irritating and unlikeable, it makes it tough to love the book. Worse, it's so repetitve that it gets boring - quickly. I think that Fitch could have used a good editor on this one.
|
|
|
Diva Interviews