Blood (Paperback)

Review
Praise for Blood: 'Stylishly, modishly erotic thrilling first novel' Publishers Weekly 'Patricia Traxler plunges the reader into a world both familiar and eerie. Seldom have the twin obsessions of love and art been more vividly or intelligently portrayed. What an elegant and suspenseful debut' Margot Livesey

This debut novel by award-winning poet Patricia Traxler focuses on the dark side of love; the jealousy, desire and possessiveness that can poison a relationship. Norrie Blume is an artist who has been awarded a prestigious fellowship at Radcliffe College. She relishes the chance to immerse herself fully in her painting without any distractions, but while she's at Radcliffe she comes into contact with two women who will leave a lasting impression on her life - Clara, an intense Chilean journalist, and Devi, a beautiful poet. Clara becomes obsessed with Norrie, who meanwhile is concealing her own obsession with Michael, a married man. Then there's a murder and the emotional complexities of the characters' lives become even deeper and more disturbing. Traxler masterfully combines the murder plot with a searching examination of the dynamics of relationships, particularly those between women, and the ways in which people seek to own and control others. Blood red is Norrie's favourite colour and its hue hangs over the narrative, permeating dreams and fantasies as well as painful reality. There are erotic and violent scenes aplenty, but all are designed to drive the plot forwards and expose the feelings of those involved; no cheap thrills here, but a penetrating and compulsively readable story of love and hatred. (Kirkus UK)

Product Description
'Though It's true there's a killing in my story, its principle violence is, I think I'd have to say, the violence of love' Blood red is the favourite hue of painter Norrie Blume, who at 36 wins a prestigious Larkin Fellowship at Radcliffe College. She's excited to leave her job as a commercial graphic designer and take up the artist's life. But she's also in the middle of an obsessive love affair with Michael, a married man, an affair that is threatening to consume both their lives. With her fellowship comes accommodation, an apartment in a college building, and it is here that she meets her neighbours - the far too intense Chilean journalist Clara and the beautiful, serene Indian poet Devi. Norrie finds Clara intrusive but is entranced by Devi, who she instinctively feels she has more in common with. But Clara is jealous of any other demands on Norrie's time. Having almost got used to deceiving people to cover her affair with Michael, Norrie is distressed that she's now having to tell more lies - to Clara about Devi and Devi about Michael. She's also beginning to find Clara's definition of friendship a little unnerving...

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious, Erotic and Compelling, 4 Aug 2003 By A Customer 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. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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