exlibrisbitsy's review
4.0
Elysia is a city that is a carnival of light, sparkle, shimmer and joy. Sweet candy, hot house flowers, music, bars, clubs, circuses and carousels all make up this fun house city of youth and excitement. But, to stay in it you must pay the price. Only the young may stay above, when you grow old you go Under, to a labyrinth of dark tunnels and shadowy places of quiet, dark desperation, wrapped up in linen awaiting your death. In this beautiful city Calliope is a girl that has visions of the future and plays the piano. Rafe is her brother, an impulsive boy that plays the drums. They join a band called Ecstasia with a boy named Paul that writes poetic songs and sings while another boy named Dionisio, Calliope’s lover, plays guitar when he’s not drinking himself into a stupor.
They all want beauty and youth and gardens. They want what Elysia has to offer, but they want it real. They want real flowers that grow out of the earth, natural rain that isn’t poisoned, beauty that isn’t painted on. Will they ever find their garden of eternity? And, just what does that mean exactly?
Ecstasia is a beautiful poetic novel that tells it's story through the vehicles of poem and song, visions and dreams, third person and first person narratives, flowing from one story telling device to another as the tale unfolds. The book is full of metaphor, allusion and interpretation and to really help you get it you need to know quite a bit about Greek mythology to understand all of the references and to really help you follow everything that is going on. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something else hits you and you have to sit back and re-evaluate the message that is being given. Everything is a metaphor for something else, resulting in a novel which illuminates a social commentary on our modern day society.
I love Francesca Lia Block's writing and always have. Her words are just so poetic, so lyrical, and her descriptions so apt, interesting and thought provoking that you just savor every word and every sentence. Her metaphors and allegories weave the story together and the characters, the scenery, the dialog, everything just seems to sparkle.
Because it so open to interpretation, different people will probably get different things out of this book. But, some of the main themes are love and acceptance, the illusions of eternal youth and eternal life, the folly of merely chasing dreams and the hard truth of working to realize them. Don't go someplace to have magical things happen to you, make your own magic happen yourself.
As for the rest, you'll have to read to find out!
And, yes, this is the first half of a two book story. The sequel is Primavera.
Favorite Quote:
The circus tent was flowing pale in the rain like a fleshy flower lit from within. It seemed to bloom in the downpour. Drops of rain caught on Rafe's eyelashes, blinding him as the circus light struck them. He groped for the flap, that slit in the fabric that would reveal her to him.
She was on the rope again, her skirt flashing with tiny mirrors, hair braided with petals. He looked up at her, dizzy with it, seeing her face framed in the parasol. There were bluish shadows around her eyes.
They all want beauty and youth and gardens. They want what Elysia has to offer, but they want it real. They want real flowers that grow out of the earth, natural rain that isn’t poisoned, beauty that isn’t painted on. Will they ever find their garden of eternity? And, just what does that mean exactly?
Ecstasia is a beautiful poetic novel that tells it's story through the vehicles of poem and song, visions and dreams, third person and first person narratives, flowing from one story telling device to another as the tale unfolds. The book is full of metaphor, allusion and interpretation and to really help you get it you need to know quite a bit about Greek mythology to understand all of the references and to really help you follow everything that is going on. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something else hits you and you have to sit back and re-evaluate the message that is being given. Everything is a metaphor for something else, resulting in a novel which illuminates a social commentary on our modern day society.
I love Francesca Lia Block's writing and always have. Her words are just so poetic, so lyrical, and her descriptions so apt, interesting and thought provoking that you just savor every word and every sentence. Her metaphors and allegories weave the story together and the characters, the scenery, the dialog, everything just seems to sparkle.
Because it so open to interpretation, different people will probably get different things out of this book. But, some of the main themes are love and acceptance, the illusions of eternal youth and eternal life, the folly of merely chasing dreams and the hard truth of working to realize them. Don't go someplace to have magical things happen to you, make your own magic happen yourself.
As for the rest, you'll have to read to find out!
And, yes, this is the first half of a two book story. The sequel is Primavera.
Favorite Quote:
The circus tent was flowing pale in the rain like a fleshy flower lit from within. It seemed to bloom in the downpour. Drops of rain caught on Rafe's eyelashes, blinding him as the circus light struck them. He groped for the flap, that slit in the fabric that would reveal her to him.
She was on the rope again, her skirt flashing with tiny mirrors, hair braided with petals. He looked up at her, dizzy with it, seeing her face framed in the parasol. There were bluish shadows around her eyes.
tweedledelirium's review
3.0
I absolutely adore Francesca Lia Block - seriously, she is like a complete goddess in my eyes - that being said, this is my least favorite of her books. I'm not sure why, but something was different about it - the writing style is still beautifully poetic and her ability to make even the most ugly things in life seem dazzling is still there, but I didn't connect so much with the characters, I couldn't feel the magic. Still, for me at least, a so-so FLB book still beats many other writers at their best, so it's still worth giving a shot, especially if you want a modern interpretation of Greek myths.
dandelionfluff's review
5.0
Lush language, that seductive grandeur of an artificial lifestyle… I just couldn't get enough. It was perfection and utter terror.
But, the most important part of this read was, for me, the question of whether or not you would sink yourself into hell just to see a deceased loved one again. Would you? I just lost a friend, and goodness, I wouldn't. Putting that into perspective, I knew how deep Rafe's love had to run and how delicate a certain part of him had to be in order to make that decision.
The ending confuses me a bit, but gosh, this is definitely something I'm hanging onto.
But, the most important part of this read was, for me, the question of whether or not you would sink yourself into hell just to see a deceased loved one again. Would you? I just lost a friend, and goodness, I wouldn't. Putting that into perspective, I knew how deep Rafe's love had to run and how delicate a certain part of him had to be in order to make that decision.
The ending confuses me a bit, but gosh, this is definitely something I'm hanging onto.
greenidmnstr's review
5.0
I think that Francesca Lia Block is an amazing writer. And although I enjoyed reading her books before, this is the one that made me fall in love. There is something about this story that is beyond magic and whimsy. I feel like every time I read something by Block I feel the electricity in the air shift and everything come alive. The magic that is in these books really pours out while you're reading and becomes part of your life. It's a wonderful feeling, like a drug almost.
bookittome's review
2.0
I love FLB but this book was too hard for me to read, I couldn't get into it, no matter how I tried.
kkaste's review
4.0
I’ve tried to read this book several times. It wasn’t until I realized it was written as a Greek mythology, that I finally got into the story. I love Blocks’s writing style. Her use of magical realism and mythology was interesting. The characters are a brother and sister who are dealing with the loss of a parent. It has a lot of Orpheus moments. Overall I really enjoyed this book.
mommachristy2's review
4.0
Another crazy, wild, exotic read from Block! I greatly enjoyed it, even as she described the horrors of the world she created. I look forward to reading the next book, Primavera.
monasterymonochrome's review
5.0
Yep, this book still slaps! I was afraid I would read it now and struggle to find what once made it so magical for me the way I have with some of Francesca Lia Block's other books, but I'm pleased to report that didn't happen. It's difficult to put into words why I adore this book so much and what makes it hit consistently when it's arguably an example of Block still finding her feet as an author and certainly has plenty of flaws if one looks closely enough. But I love the characters and setting and general vibe so much that I just don't really care about those flaws and even find them charming in some weird way. This book contains many of the hallmarks of Block's writing, descriptive tendencies and character traits and underlying themes that she would later refine into a repeatable signature, and I kind of like how nascent and rough around the edges they are. Her distinctive voice is still emerging, which means that aspects of her writing that later feel stereotypical or expected feel fresher and more immediate and potent here.
As usual, Block plays fast and loose with plot and pacing: there are long stretches where it feels like nothing really happens at all until all of a sudden everything is happening at once and then the conflict is over just as quickly. It didn't really bother me, though. (The only actual annoyance for me was the lyrics that opened each chapter. I feel like made-up lyrics are never very good, and these aren't an exception to that rule, but also they were often integrated into the chapters themselves in a much more organic way, rendering this repetitive emphasis unnecessary). I enjoy the patchwork nature of the narrative, the way it slowly pieces together the characters and their motivations so that we're more invested in their fates. Rafe and Calliope are lovely protagonists, but the real triumph for me is Paul, who is so deeply and complexly rendered despite his side character status. My heart hurt for him every time he was on the page.
I'm surprised Block hasn't written more straight fantasy stuff because her naturally dream-like writing style lends itself well to that genre. I wouldn't say this book's world is terribly unique when it comes to dystopias disguised as utopias (for one, the obsession with youth and shaming of those who dare show their age is certainly a trope I've seen before), but it just pops so vibrantly in Block's unique voice. As a reader, I can see Elysia rolled out before my eyes, and the avoidance of detailed exposition and back story is actually a positive, allowing me to fill in the blanks with my own imagination, making the book a more interactive and immersive experience. While I've noticed that some of her other books feel incomplete for being so short, it's remarkable how rich and substantive this one feels for being just shy of 200 pages. It's just such a delight to read, which leaves me continually baffled that this book and its sequel have taken on this bizarre redheaded stepchild status within Block's bibliography, continually out of print and rarely mentioned in the context of her career as a whole. They deserve to be true cult classics, in my opinion!
As usual, Block plays fast and loose with plot and pacing: there are long stretches where it feels like nothing really happens at all until all of a sudden everything is happening at once and then the conflict is over just as quickly.
Spoiler
(I remembered Calliope's abduction being a much bigger deal, but it really only lasts for a couple chapters near the very end.)I'm surprised Block hasn't written more straight fantasy stuff because her naturally dream-like writing style lends itself well to that genre. I wouldn't say this book's world is terribly unique when it comes to dystopias disguised as utopias (for one, the obsession with youth and shaming of those who dare show their age is certainly a trope I've seen before), but it just pops so vibrantly in Block's unique voice. As a reader, I can see Elysia rolled out before my eyes, and the avoidance of detailed exposition and back story is actually a positive, allowing me to fill in the blanks with my own imagination, making the book a more interactive and immersive experience. While I've noticed that some of her other books feel incomplete for being so short, it's remarkable how rich and substantive this one feels for being just shy of 200 pages. It's just such a delight to read, which leaves me continually baffled that this book and its sequel have taken on this bizarre redheaded stepchild status within Block's bibliography, continually out of print and rarely mentioned in the context of her career as a whole. They deserve to be true cult classics, in my opinion!
morgoagogo's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0