Parallel Play
A Novel
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کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
- دیدگاه کاربران
نقد و بررسی
October 16, 2006
Continuing the story of Eve (Colony Girl
; Eve in the City
), Rayfiel's fourth novel is a dark, hit-and-miss snapshot of young motherhood. Eve, now 27, is overwhelmed: her unexpected pregnancy resulted in marriage to older doctor Harvey Gabriel and ambivalence about caring for Ann, her seven-month-old daughter. Eve is a far cry from the supermoms she encounters at the park ("Ow! You little bitch!" she snaps when Ann bites her breast), and her relationship with Harvey has cooled. The reappearance of her ex-boyfriend Mark (a contractor who is her age exactly, and who is now married to a dancer named Iolanthe) forces her to confront her feelings and her past. Rayfiel has Eve's voice down: her turmoil and what may be postpartum depression come through loud and clear, and her rehashing of her childhood at a religious colony rings true. A side plot that has Eve's closest friend, Marjorie, fleeing town with kids in tow during a nasty divorce is less convincing, but the ending has a nice (if small) twist, and Eve remains a complex character with conflicting feelings whose voice sustains the novel.
November 15, 2006
Eve first appeared in the acclaimed " Colony Girl" (1999) as a young girl ambivalent about her place in the world. In this third novel of the trilogy, Eve accidentally gets both pregnant and married. Her trademark ambivalence is in full swing here as she simultaneously deals with postpartum depression and her own long-delayed emotional adolescence. Her journey includes a flirtation with an ex-boyfriend and an almost mystical experience with a filmmaker. Rayfiel's skill is in somehow creating a protagonist you dislike but still want to help. Eve is selfish and annoying but also endearing. Those who have not read the first two novels may be a little confused by some of Eve's background (she grew up in a strict religious colony), but fans of " Colony Girl "will be relieved to see that things turn out OK for its heroine. A conversation with the author and book-club questions are appended.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)
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