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A review by bianca89279
A Saint from Texas by Edmund White
3.0
It doesn't look like any of my GR friends read this book, so I have no idea why I placed a hold on this novel. I must have read a favourable review somewhere to make me want to read a book about a saint and about Texas, generally speaking, topics of little interest to me.
This was an unusual novel, even though I had no expectations. The writing was charming and it kept things interesting. To a degree. Yvette and Yvonne Crawford are identical twin sisters who grew up in Dallas, Texas. Their mother died when they were young. Their gruff, uneducated father struck it lucky with oil on his property in the 1950s. The two sisters couldn't be more different in temperament. Yvette was studious, pious, obsessive, introverted, anxious and anorexic. Yvonne was the superficial social butterfly, the debutante and sorority joiner type. Both girls were lookers.
Yvette moves to South America and becomes a nun, whereas Yvonne moves to Paris where she marries a poor baron. She gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl.
The title of the novel is deceptive, as most of the novel is written from Yvonne's point of view, with a few letters from Yvette to update us on her goings-on over the years. Yvette's letters didn't feel authentic, as I didn't believe that she would be so forthcoming with certain aspects of her life. I recognised the letters' purpose to give us her perspective. Most of the novel though is about Yvonne.
Initially, her sexual exploits and explorations were intriguing, but then they became, I don't know, kind of tedious.
I kept reading to see where this unpredictable novel was going. The fresh and playful writing style kept the momentum going. Unfortunately, I never cared much for any of the characters.
So in conclusion, A Saint from Texas was fresh and different, although, ultimately, not that rivetting.
This was an unusual novel, even though I had no expectations. The writing was charming and it kept things interesting. To a degree. Yvette and Yvonne Crawford are identical twin sisters who grew up in Dallas, Texas. Their mother died when they were young. Their gruff, uneducated father struck it lucky with oil on his property in the 1950s. The two sisters couldn't be more different in temperament. Yvette was studious, pious, obsessive, introverted, anxious and anorexic. Yvonne was the superficial social butterfly, the debutante and sorority joiner type. Both girls were lookers.
Yvette moves to South America and becomes a nun, whereas Yvonne moves to Paris where she marries a poor baron. She gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl.
The title of the novel is deceptive, as most of the novel is written from Yvonne's point of view, with a few letters from Yvette to update us on her goings-on over the years. Yvette's letters didn't feel authentic, as I didn't believe that she would be so forthcoming with certain aspects of her life. I recognised the letters' purpose to give us her perspective. Most of the novel though is about Yvonne.
Initially, her sexual exploits and explorations were intriguing, but then they became, I don't know, kind of tedious.
I kept reading to see where this unpredictable novel was going. The fresh and playful writing style kept the momentum going. Unfortunately, I never cared much for any of the characters.
So in conclusion, A Saint from Texas was fresh and different, although, ultimately, not that rivetting.