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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Really interesting read. Not uplifting but somewhat realistic. She paints interesting portraits of a variety of women and scenarios. Ingrid is toxic and I know a few women that STRONGLY resemble her-an accurate description for sure.
i dont know what took me so long to read this book
i absolutely LOVED it
very interesting exploration of what it means to be a woman, daughter, outcast
would recommend to anyone
i absolutely LOVED it
very interesting exploration of what it means to be a woman, daughter, outcast
would recommend to anyone
Don't let the 3 star rating turn you off - this was a good book (probably more like a 3.5). I'm tying to rate my books more honestly, and while I really liked this book there was enough that bothered me that I can't give it 4 or 5 stars.
White Oleander is CERTAINLY a story that will stick with me for a long, long time. There were parts of it I found haunting and profound. And I couldn't put it down, despite not much happening most of the time (with brief spurts of action).
But, while I know it's a favorite for so many, it is not going down as a favorite for me. I found the writing to be sometimes lovely and sometimes overwrought. It's very poetic, but the poetry of it didn't always work for me. I literally rolled my eyes at some of the many, many similes and metaphors (ex. when Astrid describes her dad as 'a shape filled with rain'...WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?). I didn't feel emotionally connected to Astrid or her situation despite the fact that every foster care home she was put in seemed to be as dysfunctional (at best) or abusive (at worst) as the last. It was all just so bleak, and yet I didn't really have an emotional reaction to it because Astrid was such a detached character; and yet, I still felt a little emotionally manipulated because nothing good ever happened. Now, having said that, I could totally see how someone who relates to Astrid's situation would be a lot more emotionally invested in her than how she's presented on the page and my experience of her.
Those are my big criticisms. BUT, I will also say that the ending of the book was stunning. It was hopeful without tying everything together in a neat bow. We got a beautiful scene of closure between Astrid and her mother. Her mother, Ingrid, was a TERRIBLE, pretentious, selfish person - to the point that she almost reads like she's a sociopath. But, this conversation Astrid has with her at the end of the book reveals another side (doesn't make her a good person, but at least she shows a little remorse). I loved that. And like I said, I couldn't put the book down. It made me think about so many things, and there were quotes that struck me deeply. Here are some of those...
'I hadn't understood at the time. If sinners were so unhappy, why would they prefer their suffering? But now I knew why. Without my wounds, who was I? My scars were my face, my past was my life.'
'Wild mustard flowered on the cracked banks, and I picked a bouquet for Yvonne. What was a weed, anyway. A plant nobody planted? A seed escaped from a traveler's coat, something that didn't belong? Was it something that grew better than what should have been there? Wasn't it just a word, weed, trailing its judgments. Useless, without value. Unwanted.'
(reflecting on her HS graduation) 'I was crying. I knew I could have done better, I could have made arrangements, I could have followed up, found someone to help me. At this moment my classmates were going up for their awards, National Merit, Junior State. How did I get so lost? Mother, why did you let my hand slip from yours on the bus, your arms so full of packages? I felt like time was a great sea, and I was floating on the back of a turtle, and no sails broke the horizon.'
White Oleander is CERTAINLY a story that will stick with me for a long, long time. There were parts of it I found haunting and profound. And I couldn't put it down, despite not much happening most of the time (with brief spurts of action).
But, while I know it's a favorite for so many, it is not going down as a favorite for me. I found the writing to be sometimes lovely and sometimes overwrought. It's very poetic, but the poetry of it didn't always work for me. I literally rolled my eyes at some of the many, many similes and metaphors (ex. when Astrid describes her dad as 'a shape filled with rain'...WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?). I didn't feel emotionally connected to Astrid or her situation despite the fact that every foster care home she was put in seemed to be as dysfunctional (at best) or abusive (at worst) as the last. It was all just so bleak, and yet I didn't really have an emotional reaction to it because Astrid was such a detached character; and yet, I still felt a little emotionally manipulated because nothing good ever happened. Now, having said that, I could totally see how someone who relates to Astrid's situation would be a lot more emotionally invested in her than how she's presented on the page and my experience of her.
Those are my big criticisms. BUT, I will also say that the ending of the book was stunning. It was hopeful without tying everything together in a neat bow. We got a beautiful scene of closure between Astrid and her mother. Her mother, Ingrid, was a TERRIBLE, pretentious, selfish person - to the point that she almost reads like she's a sociopath. But, this conversation Astrid has with her at the end of the book reveals another side (doesn't make her a good person, but at least she shows a little remorse). I loved that. And like I said, I couldn't put the book down. It made me think about so many things, and there were quotes that struck me deeply. Here are some of those...
'I hadn't understood at the time. If sinners were so unhappy, why would they prefer their suffering? But now I knew why. Without my wounds, who was I? My scars were my face, my past was my life.'
'Wild mustard flowered on the cracked banks, and I picked a bouquet for Yvonne. What was a weed, anyway. A plant nobody planted? A seed escaped from a traveler's coat, something that didn't belong? Was it something that grew better than what should have been there? Wasn't it just a word, weed, trailing its judgments. Useless, without value. Unwanted.'
(reflecting on her HS graduation) 'I was crying. I knew I could have done better, I could have made arrangements, I could have followed up, found someone to help me. At this moment my classmates were going up for their awards, National Merit, Junior State. How did I get so lost? Mother, why did you let my hand slip from yours on the bus, your arms so full of packages? I felt like time was a great sea, and I was floating on the back of a turtle, and no sails broke the horizon.'
So, I will review this, but first I want to talk a bit about the Oprah books thing. There are these people who won't read books with the Oprah label, to the point where they admit they will like a book less for earning the Oprah seal. I've never paid much attention to Oprah, but I hate to be that elitist about it. And she's legitimately picked some good books, like [b:The Poisonwood Bible|7244|The Poisonwood Bible|Barbara Kingsolver|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1412242487s/7244.jpg|810663], [b:East of Eden|4406|East of Eden|John Steinbeck|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441547516s/4406.jpg|2574991] (one of my favorite books by my favorite writer), [b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352422904s/15823480.jpg|2507928], and she did famously try to pick [b:The Corrections|3805|The Corrections|Jonathan Franzen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355011305s/3805.jpg|941200] until the author had a hissy fit. I have a few thoughts on the matter:
1.) I'm not ready to say a book is bad just because it bears the Mark of the Golden O. That's, what's the word, dumb.
2.) I am more inclined to research an Oprah book before I read it and let's face it, there are some bad ones.
3.) Oprah does tend to gravitate towards "women's fiction." I'm not saying everyone who shuns the Mark of O is sexist, but it bears considering that books about women and directed at women are ipso facto perceived to be of less literary value (yes, that means YOU Jonathan Franzen, although I still like you.)
4.) Reviewers who snark on an Oprah book on here often get trolled by a group of Oprah acolytes who are doing their mentor no favors with their behavior. Who gives a shit if someone doesn't like Oprah? Not Oprah.
Ok, reviewing times.
I probably would never have picked this up had I not caught the movie. I really liked this book. Teenaged Astrid lives with her beautiful, mercurial mother Ingrid. Ingrid had this boyfriend who she thought was beneath her, so it really burned when he unceremoniously broke up with her. So naturally she poisons him with white oleander sap. Ingrid's kind of like the flower, you see--beautiful, but she's poisonous when mixed with DMSO (I hate making obvious similes.)
As they have no other relatives, when Ingrid is arrested Astrid is thrown into the foster care system and it's kind of a nightmare. The book really got me thinking about the fate of children who don't have families. Astrid is a smart kid, but she makes some stupid choices which she pays heavily for (like getting shot, for example.) It's a good book, with an interesting topic that isn't often dealt with in fiction. I was also really invested in Astrid, despite her flaws. Ingrid was a much tougher sell.
1.) I'm not ready to say a book is bad just because it bears the Mark of the Golden O. That's, what's the word, dumb.
2.) I am more inclined to research an Oprah book before I read it and let's face it, there are some bad ones.
3.) Oprah does tend to gravitate towards "women's fiction." I'm not saying everyone who shuns the Mark of O is sexist, but it bears considering that books about women and directed at women are ipso facto perceived to be of less literary value (yes, that means YOU Jonathan Franzen, although I still like you.)
4.) Reviewers who snark on an Oprah book on here often get trolled by a group of Oprah acolytes who are doing their mentor no favors with their behavior. Who gives a shit if someone doesn't like Oprah? Not Oprah.
Ok, reviewing times.
I probably would never have picked this up had I not caught the movie. I really liked this book. Teenaged Astrid lives with her beautiful, mercurial mother Ingrid. Ingrid had this boyfriend who she thought was beneath her, so it really burned when he unceremoniously broke up with her. So naturally she poisons him with white oleander sap. Ingrid's kind of like the flower, you see--beautiful, but she's poisonous when mixed with DMSO (I hate making obvious similes.)
As they have no other relatives, when Ingrid is arrested Astrid is thrown into the foster care system and it's kind of a nightmare. The book really got me thinking about the fate of children who don't have families. Astrid is a smart kid, but she makes some stupid choices which she pays heavily for (like getting shot, for example.) It's a good book, with an interesting topic that isn't often dealt with in fiction. I was also really invested in Astrid, despite her flaws. Ingrid was a much tougher sell.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not many books have stuck with me through this years like this one. One of my favorites of all time.
Astrid’s whole world revolves around her mother, Ingrid.
When Ingrid is imprisoned for the murder of her lover, Astrid is placed into the foster care system, spends time with different families and learning difficult lessons along the way. No matter what home she finds herself in, something always goes wrong.
Along the way, she has to go on a self-discovery journey, unlearn everything her mother has poisoned her mind with and discover who she is.
Read the full review here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2022/03/08/white-oleander-by-janet-fitch-book-review/
When Ingrid is imprisoned for the murder of her lover, Astrid is placed into the foster care system, spends time with different families and learning difficult lessons along the way. No matter what home she finds herself in, something always goes wrong.
Along the way, she has to go on a self-discovery journey, unlearn everything her mother has poisoned her mind with and discover who she is.
Read the full review here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2022/03/08/white-oleander-by-janet-fitch-book-review/
a strong strong book, and with a strong strong character sketch of the mother who is shown only as part of a subtle plot.
'Attractive' is the most defining of Ingrid's character, and that is maintained in the book by a mix of mysticism and complexity in her description. She is a truly freespirit-ed character who loved her daughter but in an obvious manner, loves her less than herself.
I liked the book for how it touched the topic of motherly love - that in showing that maybe the love was not absolute. And the daughter's undying love which is almost a love with a fetish. It is mentioned towards the ending that it was like love for someone who doesn't love you back.
A novel which highlights the view-point that complexities should be left behind in relationships, except when you just can't.
Word-wise, the book is full of metaphors, to the point that you feel they have been deliberately added. The book does lose pace in the 2nd half as well and seemingly runs pointless for awhile.
'Attractive' is the most defining of Ingrid's character, and that is maintained in the book by a mix of mysticism and complexity in her description. She is a truly freespirit-ed character who loved her daughter but in an obvious manner, loves her less than herself.
I liked the book for how it touched the topic of motherly love - that in showing that maybe the love was not absolute. And the daughter's undying love which is almost a love with a fetish. It is mentioned towards the ending that it was like love for someone who doesn't love you back.
A novel which highlights the view-point that complexities should be left behind in relationships, except when you just can't.
Word-wise, the book is full of metaphors, to the point that you feel they have been deliberately added. The book does lose pace in the 2nd half as well and seemingly runs pointless for awhile.