Tuesday, December 25, 2007

*THE ALMOST MOON* by Alice Sebold


When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily."
So begins The Almost Moon, Alice Sebold's astonishing, brilliant, and daring new novel. A woman steps over the line into the unthinkable in this unforgettable work by the author of The Lovely Bones and Lucky.
For years Helen Knightly has given her life to others: to her haunted mother, to her enigmatic father, to her husband and now grown children. When she finally crosses a terrible boundary, her life comes rushing in at her in a way she never could have imagined.
Unfolding over the next twenty-four hours, this searing, fast-paced novel explores the complex ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers; the meaning of devotion; and the line between love and hate. It is a challenging, moving, gripping story, written with the fluidity and strength of voice that only Alice Sebold can bring to the page.
There was so much criticism of this book because of the dark subject, a daughter killing her mother that I could not wait to read it. I like to form my own opinions about a book. I have read many books that others praised and I could not finish 100 pages! I rate this book a 4.5/5 because the author aptly described a woman's decline into madness and she did it very well. Helen, the main character, was doomed from birth by both of her highly dysfunctional parents. She attempted to form a more intact, healthy family, but in the end, she became what her dysfuntional parents created. A great book.

No comments: