Flowers in the Attic and Petals in the Wind
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Re: Flowers in the Attic and Petals in the Wind
I read both at the age of twelve. I "borrowed" them from my grandmother, and when I confessed she said I may as well have just asked. They provided such an atmosphere in my mind, so vivid and disturbing. I always felt like I was right there, in the attic, and in their hotel-style bedroom below the attic. I actually would recommend these books to twelve-year-olds, as weird as that sounds. (Albeit there are no twelve-year-olds in my family to recommend these books to...) I think they're fine because kids that age need to learn about deep emotions, and these books even provide an outlet for said emotions, somehow. I have reread both of them many times, although not recently. The author is amazingly good at capturing emotion and creating a scene and creating an environment. In my mind, I always hear Pavane by Gabriel Faure when Catherine dances in the attic. VC Andrews has been one of my major influences as a writer.
The movies are horrible. They don't capture that emotional content. They just make it factual. (I don't recall the original movie very well, so I'm mainly referring to the recent Lifetime one.) It's the emotional content that needs to be captured--how loyal they were to each other, the passion behind Catherine's dancing, etc. I know the book goes kind of taboo with Catherine and Christopher, but in the circumstances it makes sense. What other author could even come close to pulling that off?
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Is the reality of the world different from how we perceive and experience it in our minds? Does physical reality exist apart from the human mind?
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I don't know if you should... I really think you have to be twelve or so to enjoy them. Because, indeed, by the time you're an adult, you know how wrong it all is. To me it's one of those books that has to line up with the age of the reader. I could read it and enjoy it, but I've read it before--I know what happens.LivreAmour217 wrote:I want to read these books, but I'm afraid that I might be too freaked out by them. That kind of stuff (child abuse) really upsets me, but I've heard so much about these novels that I'm intensely curious to read them. Maybe I'll give Flowers in the Attic a chance, but if it upsets me too much, I won't read any of the sequels.
Hey, your son's almost old enough to read it! (Just kidding. It's more of a girl story anyway!!)
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Perhaps you are right--there were a few books and movies that I read/watched at that age that were pretty graphic, but because I was so naïve I didn't understand how creepy they were! They didn't upset me back then, but I cringe thinking about them now!zeldas_lullaby wrote:I don't know if you should... I really think you have to be twelve or so to enjoy them. Because, indeed, by the time you're an adult, you know how wrong it all is. To me it's one of those books that has to line up with the age of the reader. I could read it and enjoy it, but I've read it before--I know what happens.LivreAmour217 wrote:I want to read these books, but I'm afraid that I might be too freaked out by them. That kind of stuff (child abuse) really upsets me, but I've heard so much about these novels that I'm intensely curious to read them. Maybe I'll give Flowers in the Attic a chance, but if it upsets me too much, I won't read any of the sequels.
Hey, your son's almost old enough to read it! (Just kidding. It's more of a girl story anyway!!)
Not sure that my son would go for Flowers in the Attic. He tends to gravitate toward books that he thinks will make him laugh, and I don't think that this one meets his standards!
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-- July 13th, 2015, 3:08 pm --
Oh, hey! Livre, if you want a book that kinda has those qualities I mentioned, but without the horror factor, you should try Boy's Life by Robert R McCammon.
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zeldas_lullaby wrote:HA HA HA HA HA HA!! Yeah, one thing that Flowers in the Attic is NOT is humorous. Never a funny moment!!
-- July 13th, 2015, 3:08 pm --
Oh, hey! Livre, if you want a book that kinda has those qualities I mentioned, but without the horror factor, you should try Boy's Life by Robert R McCammon.
Yes, I read Boy's Life years ago and absolutely loved it! I was recently considering buying a copy for my son to read. I just have to find a way to make him think that it's his idea to get it
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