really wanted to like this... but didn't
|
I'd consider myself a fan of Ms Brite, and although she's got a knack for great horror I didn't mind reading about something else (even the restaurant business) for a change - I've always enjoyed her style, her great descriptive powers, and her lively and often surprising imagination.
So, disregarding all the "love it"/"hate it" reviews (incl. on this page) I went ahead and bought "Liquor," and could hardly wait to get stuck in. Unfortunately I found my disappointment growing with every turn of the page...
The writing is still fine, but the whole book is built on a pretty flimsy idea (they're broke, they want to open a restaurant, things aren't easy, but then they open the restaurant), and it features a cast of pretty (cough) boring characters - likeable-but-slightly-flawed protagonist 1, sweet-and-submissive protagonist 2, the great friend, the idiot "baddie," and a bunch of more or less flat supporting characters with slightly ludicrous names like Mouton (French for "sheep") or Schwanz (German for "dick" as in penis).
The flimsy idea is then drawn out forever, featuring long descriptive passages about foodstuffs and kitchen equipment, repetitive in-depth examinations of how the characters feel about themselves, how they feel about the restaurant business as a whole and about being in the restaurant business in New Orleans in particular. And a lot of self-congratulary small talk about how great it is to be a born-and-bred New Orleanian living in New Orleans, which is fine but gets a bit tedious after a while.
I guess what I love about Poppy's other writing (especially her short stories) is that she likes to lure you down a mysterious and tantalising path, brings it all to life in luminous (or gloomy) technicolour, and while you're still drinking it all in she's already got a knife to your throat, ready to cut. Sadly, none of this happens in "Liquor" - you just trudge along the same predictable road, with only mildly interesting occurrences here and there, for so long that you eventually wonder if it's worth getting to the end at all. Which to a PZB fan is frustrating, unpleasant, and not recommended!
|
|
Give it a chance, it's worth it
|
I was (and still am) a huge fan of Poppy's earlier works, particularly Exquisite Corpse. I was extremely disappointed when she moved away from the gothic/horror/whatever-it-was genre, even more so as I had no interest whatsoever in reading books about cooking, restaurants or chefs - I don't even get to dine out more than once a year and cookery programmes/books bore the pants off me.
Then one day I found a copy of Liquor in the 'horror' section of my local bookshop and, for old times sake, decided to give it a chance.
Boy is my face red.
It's wonderful, interesting, touching, moving, evocative. I've realised that it doesn't matter what Poppy writes about, what matters most is that she writes it *well*. I can't believe I wasted so much time avoiding this series for such petty reasons and denying myself the pleasure of reading this sooner. Don't make the same mistake yourself.
|
|
|
Better and better
|
|
I must respectfully disagree with the previous reviewer who prefers The Value of X to Liquor. The Value of X is a charming tale of small scope, as I believe the author intended. One may read it as a beginning to these characters' saga or an enriching background for the characters they may have already met in Liquor. However, Liquor is a much richer novel which presents a wider variety of characters, an insider's look at the life of a chef, and a colourful tapestry of New Orleans life in a way that The Value of X does not seek to do. Your reading pleasure will best be served by reading both books, then preordering the next in the series, Prime; however, if you are only going to read one, Liquor will be the better book for the general reader.
|
|
Fun and entertaining
|
|
If you are a fan of Poppy's work, you will either love this or hate it. Though it is written in her very special style, it is a poor follow-up to The Value of X, which seems to have almost been almost buried in comparison. However, Liquor moves along at a fairly good pace and is certainly a break away from her roots in horror.
|
|
|
Why do you read?
|
Why do you read a particular author? Is it because of the subject matter they write about? If so that begs the question would you read any old rubbish they wrote as long as it was about Vampires?
I read Poppys books because I love her writing, the words flow and the story draws you in...no matter what the story is about.Just read it and make your own mind up.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada