Reviews

Down Below by Leonora Carrington, Debra Taub

alectastic's review against another edition

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3.0

"I don't accept your force, the power of any of you, against me; I want my freedom to act and think; I hate and reject your hypnotic forces."

In the hurried but vivid work, there is both an element of dizziness and control. The scenes blur, yet are conveyed in such a manner that brings strange clarity. It takes courage to understand her. Carrington writes detached but writes of some of the most electrified experiences and feelings. Her mind is chaotic with symbols and color, fully explosive, but she describes her own madness like it were a science.

emsemsems's review against another edition

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3.0

“The room was papered with painted, silvery pine trees on a red background; a prey to the most complete panic, I saw pine trees in the snow. In the midst of convulsions, I relived my first injection, and felt again the atrocious experience of the original dose of Cardiazol: absence of motion, fixation, horrible reality. I did not want to close my eyes, thinking that the sacrificial moment had come and determined to oppose it with all my strength.”


Like a bad psychedelic trip; I'm not sure if I enjoyed the whole experience enough to say that I like it. But the writing is quite glorious, so I'm left quite confused. Perhaps I prefer her painting/art over her writing. Will write a better review later.

emilytracy's review against another edition

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4.0

Ok I've marinated on this one a little bit. Carrington writes her mental illness as a memory, a logic that makes both perfect and negative sense. I want a biography of her nownownow. There are phrases from this that will not leave me alone. Memoir's haunted and self-scrutinizing cousin.

egyptiaca's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

4.0

weavedreamer's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.75

katlouisee's review against another edition

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5.0

Harrowing in places but an incredibly interesting and insightful read

menacebibliotheque's review against another edition

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fast-paced

5.0

violetviva's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced

4.25

pithandprattle's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

3.0

alexinnit's review against another edition

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4.0

"I went up and found myself in a tower, a circular room lighted by five bull’s-eye windows: one red, one green (the Earth and its plants), one translucent (the Earth and its men), one yellow (the Sun), and one mauve (the Moon, night, the future)."