The Passion of Alice

Rating:
Summary: Reviewer: A reader from ECU
Review: What a book! I have never been exposed to a book like this. The author's brillance is seen at the turn of every page. She offers a detailed insight into each character which allows the reader to become really involved. Alice's perception and cynical character makes the book great. The more you get to know Alice the easier it is to see and fully understand her constant battle. The two extremes Grant uses, Maeve and Syd, to show what Alice idealizes in each is phenomenal. I completely understand Grant's purpose in having lesbianism part of the story. Yes the sex scenes were shocking, but deal with it! They were necessary. The ending is very intriguing. I feel it leaves the reader with many answers, and the promise of a bright future.

Rating:
Summary: Do not read the inside cover....very misleading...
Review: When I first bought this book, I thought it would help me to tap into my own anorexic mindset and give me more insight into the disease. However, after the first few chapters, it was no longer about anorexia but filled with raunchy sexual scenes. It just seemed as if this book was geared toward the anorexia issue when in fact it was geared WAY MORE towards the lesbianism issue.

Rating:
Summary: I was disturbed at the content of this book!
Review: When I purchased this book , I wanted to further my knowledge of anorexia nervosa. What I DID NOT know that this was a revolting novel of two lesbian lovers and in which one part of the book the author goes into specific details of homosexual intercourse. I was thoroughly disgusted with what I read. The novel itself was well-written , but I was not impressed with the content.

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT, INTRIGUING, FASCINATING!!!!!!!!!
Review: wOW! I LOVED this book, I couldn't put it down. I tend to read lots of books that are about or partly about eating disorders, mainly because I have an ED and also because it interests me. I don't appreciate or agree with most of the customer comments above. Some of these comments make me very angry. They say they all thought it was 'going to be about anorexia', oh what? were you guys hoping to get some more tips on how to further your condition? I'm sorry, but if you want to help yourselves then you shouldn't be reading fictional books on anorexia, they only ignite the passion for the eating disorder. I guess I must have a different edition of the book (I'm in South AFrica) where it states specifically on the back 'NOT AN ANOREXIC'S STORY'. And to all the people who said 'revolting scenes of homosexual acts' then I think you are very narrow-minded and don't deserve to read real literature. And for what it's worth I'm not a lesbian myself and perhaps neither was Alice really, that issue was not resolved. Anorexia was just a part of the story it wasn't the main thing. Alice told her story in a very dispassionate way which leaves the reader almost in constant suspense or wonder as to why she is doing this to herself, there is no insight into her real thoughts. The book is all at once disturbing, morbid and depressing, it leaves you sort of empty. The dialogue intrigued me so much, I have never read anything like it - sparkling, brilliant. There is so much truth and thought in this book for anyone - you don't have to have an ED or be a lesbian to read it. I specifically liked Chapter 21, it was very poetical, beautiful. These were my favourite parts: "...She taught me about stained galss. She said that no one made the real thing anymore, just painted glass...She explained how to tell the difference: real stained glass was drab on the outside; it rewarded only those who came in." (Pg 33) and - "...mothers...envious, infants propped on their hips-made-shelves, as Syd and I swam in tandem along the floor of the shallow end. Their veiny thighs must have looked like underwater trees to us, rooted in the tile. Each week we followed the long spear of Neptune across the bottom of the pool, our cheeks ballooned with air, my fist around Syd's giant thumb." (Pg. 53) STEPHANIE GRANT! PLEASE HURRY WITH YOUR NEXT BOOK! THIS ONE WAS EXCELLENT!!