- Hardcover: 354 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur (Sep 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 031227484X
- ISBN-13: 978-0312274849
- Product Dimensions: 24.3 x 16.4 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,001,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This novel has so much to offer the reader. It is both an intruiging mystery and a study of the dynamics of relationships, and in particular, obsession.
Norrie, a painter, is having a highly intense affair with Michael, a married man. Her neighbour, Clara, is excessively protective of Norrie to the point of obsession. Norrie befriends Devi, a beautiful Indian poet and Clara's jealousy reaches new heights. The cycles of obsession and jealouy eventually have enormous consequences for all parties.
I found it hard to put down 'Blood' once I'd started. The writing is beautifully descriptive, but this does not slow down or detract from the plot in any way. There are quite a few explicit sex scenes, but they are written so well that it never comes across as corny or excessive.
The characters are all very well depicted and I found myself identifying people I know with the characters (although not to quite the same extremes!). The theme of the book is essentially obsession and how destructive it can be, but it is the style of writing and the fine balance of the erotic and mysterious which make this novel so compelling.
My only gripe would be that the resolution of the 'whodunnit' storyline was a bit rushed and, in my opinion, never satisfactorily explained.
All in all though, this is a great read and I can highly recommend it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
9 reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
A n unusual but fascinating mystery
26 Aug 2001
Format:Hardcover
From the very first page there is a foreshadowing of blood and tragedy, but thirty-five years old Norrie is the happiest shes been in her life. She is thrilled to have been awarded the Larkin Fellowship at Radcliff where they pay her for one year to paint in a studio of her own and relocate her to an apartment in Harvard Housing where she intends to do the brunt of her painting.
Her lover, Michael, an accomplished writer, is married but he seems ready to leave his wife and children for her. Having her own apartment, (her last one she shared with a roommate) allows Norrie and Michael to spend a lot of quality time together there. The only fly in the ointment is Clara, Norries next door neighbor, whose possessiveness turns Norrie against her. When one of the Larkies who happens to be Norries best friend is murdered, everyone on campus thinks Clara did it even though there is no evidence linking her to the crime.
BLOOD is an erotic, dark and foreboding work that is more about different relationships than a typical murder mystery. The first person narrative makes the action up close and personal while allowing the audience an insightful view into Norries thought processes. The action, though theres not a lot of it, is pivotal to the story line. Patricia Traxler is a very talented writer who exposes the dark side of the human psyche to the audience.
Harriet Klausner
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Beautifully descriptive & poetic from the first sentence.
23 Jan 2012
Format:Hardcover
I've always said that with good food, the best part was the taste in your mouth between bites & the same was true with this. That is as least until I got to the final quarter, which was finished today in one go. Entertaining & thought provoking throughout. I may not have always agreed with Norrie's beliefs on how life should be lived but I relished taking my time to reflect on what she had to say. Beautifully descriptive & poetic from the first sentence. *****
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Surprisingly good!
8 July 2007
Format:Paperback
I bought this book on a whim, something I rarely do. I picked it up and flipped through the pages, and something about the dialogue and tone of the author's voice caught me, so I figured what the heck?
I am so glad I did - this book was one I found I could hardly put down. There were several times when the cleverness of the dialogue made me laugh out loud, and other times the descriptions of emotions made me want to weep. Being an artist myself (music and photography), I could thoroughly appreciate Norrie's struggle to be creative, how panicked she felt at the thought of that creativity deserting her and how obsessed she was once it got hold of her again.
There may have been some loose ends here and there, but I'm not a book critic - I just know this particular story spoke to my heart in a way that hasn't been done in a long time, and I hope Ms. Traxler graces us with more books before too long.
I am so glad I did - this book was one I found I could hardly put down. There were several times when the cleverness of the dialogue made me laugh out loud, and other times the descriptions of emotions made me want to weep. Being an artist myself (music and photography), I could thoroughly appreciate Norrie's struggle to be creative, how panicked she felt at the thought of that creativity deserting her and how obsessed she was once it got hold of her again.
There may have been some loose ends here and there, but I'm not a book critic - I just know this particular story spoke to my heart in a way that hasn't been done in a long time, and I hope Ms. Traxler graces us with more books before too long.
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