Comments on: GUEST REVIEW: The Madness of a Seduced Woman by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer

By: K. Z. Snow

K. Z. Snow — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:50:32 +0000

Reviews like this - the ones with a drumbeat saying “read this book; read this book; read this book” - always lead me on. The library had one copy in the system; it is making its way to my local branch.

And my kickback check is making its way from the author *grin*. (Hey, hey, just kidding!)

By: LinM

LinM — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:39:33 +0000

Reviews like this - the ones with a drumbeat saying “read this book; read this book; read this book” - always lead me on. The library had one copy in the system; it is making its way to my local branch. If the angst is too much, I will try “The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat” (by the same author).

By: K. Z. Snow

K. Z. Snow — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:02:14 +0000

Thank you, Elise. I’m glad Dear Author gave me the opportunity to share this book with readers. And yes, reading it is a journey. It will engage you for days, at the very least.

By: Elise

Elise — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:55:09 +0000

This book sounds amazing. It sounds like one of those books where you take a long, meaningful journey with the characters, and those are the best books of all. I must add this to my TBR pile; great review, as well. :)

By: Janine

Janine — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:18:25 +0000

Thanks. Books generate very powerful emotions in me, especially when they are well-written. There are some disturbing books that I adore and others that you couldn’t pay me to reread. There isn’t always away to know which of these categories a book will fall into, but I’m glad to hear that the ending is uplifting in a way. I may just read this, if I can make some inroads into Mount TBR.

By: K. Z. Snow

K. Z. Snow — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:13:12 +0000

Actually, Janine, the angst isn’t heavily applied by the author; she has too deft a touch to do anything so obvious. Moreover, once the reader gets past the pre- and post-”collision” events, the emotional impact of the story gradually eases and things often take pleasant turns. The ending is actually uplifting in a way.

Still, any sensitive reader is bound to come away from this experience–and it is an experience, not just a pleasant read–feeling a little squirmy. That’s a good thing, though. As a New York Times reviewer said, this book is “an absorbing, wonderfully inventive psychological tale of a woman imagined as we would never dare, or want, to be.” And Alice Walker (no less!) called it “a riveting and intricate and altogether astonishing novel.” Given its artistry, I think Madness is worth the squirm!

By: Janine

Janine — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:01:13 +0000

This book sounds fascinating. The multiplicity of voices and POV styles are especially intriguing. But I’m not sure I can take the angst.