Reviews

Portrait of the Walrus by a Young Artist by Laurie Foos

sharonfalduto's review

1.0

According to a critical quote on the back, "a landmark in latter-day post-Communist female fiction," whatever THAT means. Frances is the daughter of a now-deceased tortured genius artist father, who now finds herself and chased and haunted by walruses. It is unclear, even after reading the whole damn book, if the walruses are methaphoric or actual. I'm gonna go with both.

dumbidiotenergy's review

4.0

i think most people expect more out of this book than it's intended for-- people have qualms about the "lack of plot" or the confusion surrounding the lines between metaphor and reality, but these are actually the book's strongest, not weakest, points. it deals more with the effects of navigating a confusing and art-filled world, following Frances as a proxy through which we can understand the strain of keeping a clear mind when surrounded by the pushing and pulling of reality. people want you to be one thing, you are another thing, you wish you were yet another thing, et cetera. it was an enjoyable and fun read if you simply let it do its thing. it's bizarre yet painfully mundane, contrived yet shallow, zig-zagging yet linear, and completely and utterly unique.