Review of Playing House

Playing House

First thank you to FSB Associates for providing me with a review copy. I’ve read The Lie by the same author and although I couldn’t get used to it, it didn’t necessarily mean I didn’t like it. It was interesting but the writing style wasn’t something I was familiar with. I was a little hestitant about reviewing Playing House as I thought the writing style would be the same and perhaps a hard read as well.

Playing House is about a woman who’s had an incestious relationship with her brother when she was younger. At first, you’d think, she would struggle against this sort of thing. It’s obviously not normal and it’s certainly psychologically devestating. However, things starts to take a darker twist as she starts to accept this, and actually like it. As she grows older, and has different relationships with other men, she still has her mind on her brother and compares these men to her brother. As you read through the pages you see what goes through her mind and how her life just always revolves around her brother.

I knew it was going to be a hard topic to swallow. I read the synopsis before agreeing to review this book. Even though I was a little hesitant because Wagman’s writing style is very different. I was wrong. You won’t have that many problems reading this book it’s almost lyrical and poetic if not for the haphazard thoughts the narrator goes through. As for the topic, I knew what I was getting myself into, but I didn’t think it would be as bad as I thought it would be. There’s just parts that now stand out in my head and I can’t get it out and it just feels dirty. Don’t get me wrong it’s not as if I don’t like the book, in fact I thought it was interesting because of what goes through her mind and what the narrator does to go through her life always comparing everything to things she’s done with her brother. It’s just because of the topics you just feel almost dirty reading it. Perhaps Wagman had that in mind for her readers. I’m not sure.

I found it hard to sympathize with the narrator. She actually liked having sex with her brother and she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. She starts taking a turn for the worse after her brother leaves and it’s just hard to like her. Her brother is just as bad, he’s cruel he’s horrible and everything about him is just wrong. You’d almost have to wonder if they’re both really meant for each other (even though they’re related) since he’s corrupted her and made her this way (at least, I think so).

The things I didn’t like about the book? the narrator’s thoughts are a little haphazard and all over the place. Also they blend in from the past, into present time so it’s a bit hard to follow. Otherwise, those that are a little sensitive to this kind of taboo content, it’s really not for you. There’s also some beastiality content so if you’re really not into any kind of sexual explicit material this is probably not the book for you.

Overall a very shocking book. One of the most psychologically draining books I have ever read up to this point. I really liked the narration though, despite its’ content, Wagman made it sound lyrical and poetic at times and I thought it was a job well done. It’s a short read (less than 200 pages) and although I don’t really recommend it, I wouldn’t say ignore it either as it’s something that should be read. It’s not everyday where you come across a book with taboo content but written well enough that it’s not trashy.

I give it a 6 out of 10.

Review of The Lie

The Lie

To start, thank you Julie at FSBassociates for giving me the opportunity to read this book. This is normally not my type of fiction. I decided to give it a try because there was just something about the plot and plus I have a fascination with old movie stars like Rita Hayworth. (I’m into old movies and such..)

The book is a short one. About 200 pages long. It covers the life of Ramona Smollens. She didn’t have much of a life to begin with. Her father treated her horribly. Her mother didn’t care and was more concerned about herself. She lives with her mother, as her father had recently passed away. Yet her mother still treats her like dirt. So, in order to get away from this she married an older man; Solomon Columbus. Thinking married life is as glamorous as they make it out to be in Hollywood, Ramona emulates starlet Rita Hayworth. It isn’t until later when she realizes that married life and everything else with it, and that it isn’t how the movies say it is. She then sees that everything she’s tried to imitate is all part of “the lie”.

It’s hard to describe how I felt while reading The Lie by Fredrica Wagman. It was strange. It’s in first person narrative yet you’re reading through her stream of thoughts. They’re all jarbled and they fleet from one thing to another. It’s hard to make out the dialogue and then you suddenly realize she’s talking to herself (not out loud, but talking to herself mentally). It’s difficult to get used to at first. I think it’s because there’s so much use of the hyphens and everything is just all a mess. I think what’s trying to be done is to show how much of a mess Ramona is inside, whereas on the outside she’s different.

As you go further into the novel where she really starts acting irrational, you start to wonder what’s real and what’s not. At this point, I try to make out what’s really going on through this story, and even now I’m still not sure but I got the general idea. As you look into Ramona’s relationship with her mother (which isn’t that great but Ramona puts up with it). Now, her mother is a selfish uncaring person, she’s also one of those evil old vipers you sometimes see on television, who are so narcissistic you just want to leave them locked in a room filled with mirrors and they’d probably be happy for the rest of their lives. However, as you get to know her mother through the eyes of Ramona, and towards the end of the story, you start to see that Ramona inevitably starts becoming more like her mother. It’s actually rather horrible to see.

The ending is shocking, and sad. I wasn’t really expecting it and it totally blindsided me when I finished reading the book. I did a little background research though and I noticed the book does have similarities in regards to the life of Rita Hayworth. I’ll leave that to you readers. I didn’t realize it until I finished reading the wikipedia entry about her. 😀

Overall an interesting read, albeit rather difficult to get into and I had a rather hard time following. Although the ending is sad and unexpected, you’re left feeling rather sober and serious.

I give it a 5 out of 10. (It was a hard read, I admit)