A wealthy and notorious clan, the Bellefleurs live in a region not unlike the Adirondacks, in an enormous mansion on the shores of mythic Lake Noir. They own vast lands and profitable businesses, they employ their neighbors, and they influence the government. A prolific and eccentric group, they include several millionaires; a mass murderer; a spiritual seeker who climbs into the mountains looking for God; a wealthy noctambulist who dies of a chicken scratch; a baby, Germaine - the heroine of the novel - and her parents, Leah and Gideon. Written with a voluptuousness and immediacy unusual even for Oates, "Bellefleur" is widely regarded as one of her masterworks.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
It was many years ago in that dark, chaotic, unfathomable pool of time before Germaine's birth (nearly twelve months before her birth), on a night in late September stirred by innumerable frenzied winds, like spirits contending with one another-now plaintively, now angrily, now with a subtle cellolike delicacy capable of making the flesh rise on one's arms and neck-a night so sulfurous, so restless, so swollen with inarticulate longing that Leah and Gideon Bellefleur in their enormous bed quarreled once again, brought to tears because their love was too ravenous to be contained by their mere mortal bodies; and their groping, careless, anguished words were like strips of raw silk rubbed violently together (for each was convinced that the other did not, could not, be equal to his love-Leah doubted that any man was capable of a love so profound it could lie silent, like a forest pond; Gideon doubted that any woman was capable of Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
It was many years ago in that dark, chaotic, unfathomable pool of time before Germaine's birth (nearly twelve months before her birth), on a night in late September stirred by innumerable frenzied winds, like spirits contending with one another-now plaintively, now angrily, now with a subtle cellolike delicacy capable of making the flesh rise on one's arms and neck-a night so sulfurous, so restless, so swollen with inarticulate longing that Leah and Gideon Bellefleur in their enormous bed quarreled once again, brought to tears because their love was too ravenous to be contained by their mere mortal bodies; and their groping, careless, anguished words were like strips of raw silk rubbed violently together (for each was convinced that the other did not, could not, be equal to his love-Leah doubted that any man was capable of a love so profound it could lie silent, like a forest pond; Gideon doubted that any woman was capable of Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
For me this is simply the finest novel ever penned, by anyone. Oates manages to capture a sweeping family saga and combine it with a living, breathing landscape in the shape the Chautaugua Valley. Bellefleur is a massive mansion in which generations of an American family have lived, died and prospered. Oates manages to hold onto the many narrative threads, interweave them and then bring the whole pattern to a dramatic and devastating conclusion. Simply awesome.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Joyce Carol Oates weaves unforgettable characters and fantastic storylines into this 500+ page masterpiece. Of the thousands of pages of fiction I read each year her characters remain the longest and most prominent in my memory.
If you love a great story I highly recommend Bellefleur.
If you love a great story I highly recommend Bellefleur.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Aladhruin
Format:Paperback
I am surprised that no-one has reviewed this book yet. I am not the one to write an extensive professional review, but I can't leave it without comment. I have rarely come across such richness of the language, both of the Hungarian translation I first read it in 20 years ago, and the original. I would like to use the word 'delicious', but that's an understatement. an indulgence. The story is, for me, the ultimate 'haunted castle' story that never fails to entertain. I can't wait to read it again.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 16 reviews
3.9 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
