Lauren Kelly

[Virginia Bucci]

Reporting in, having read 3 Lauren Kelly books.  All were short-ish novels by today's standards, but longer than novellas. All 3 were rewardingly consistent form-wise: classical tragedies with a 'modern' ending. Two  were tightly wrapped around a single metaphor ("Blood Mask" and "Stolen Heart").  The third, "Take Me, Take Me With You" was like a slice of an endless loop, illustrating the endless spiral, the incomplete circles life seems to make when emotional development is truncated in childhood by deeply flawed parents. You could say that all 3 explore that theme. But "Take Me" seems on its way to something more. As I mentioned in an earlier post, "Take Me" explores a very similar theme to the brand new one, "Little Bird of Heaven." 

 

All three highly recommended.

 

ginny b

[Gordon Pryce]

Hello,
 
I am not trying to be funny; the below concise missive was extremely well written.  My compliments to you Ginny and thank you for that feedback.  I think I will be sure to read at least 1 of the aforementioned novels thanks to your response. 
 
 
Sincerely,
Gordon
 

---

From: ginn...@comcast.net
To: tonecl...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [JCO:577] Lauren Kelly
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:24:16 -0400

[Virginia Bucci]

Thank you gordon! 

 

I just found this 2004 interview with "Lauren Kelly":  http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/au-kelly-lauren.asp

In it, JCO reveals that her use of the pseudonym (both this one and R Smith) is to signal a "genre" (mystery/suspense) novel-- just as we suspected...  tho I have to opine, as a constant reader of genre mystery/suspense novels, that these novels read as JCO gems and nothing like any of the genre series I enjoy.  Are any of you posters also genre mystery fans?   I have been, all  my life.  But I read them nostalgically.  To  me they are a panacea, a pacifier calming me with their well-known [and required] rules of decorum. Of course, the genre has to expand to accommodate eccentrics-- shall we say, PD James? and James Patterson?  But I HAVE TO DISAGREE that any dyed-in-the-wool genre mystery/suspense reader would EVER put up with the Kelly novels' conclusions!  Way too realistic/  modern, by which I mean just as unsatisfyingly dismal as real life, folks...

 

Any other opinions on this?

 

ginny b