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5th out of 55 books
—
37 voters
The Hanged Man
by
Francesca Lia Block (Goodreads Author)
After the death of her father, Laurel is haunted by a legacy of family secrets, hidden shame, and shattered glass. Immersing herself in the heady rhythms of a city that is like something wild, caged, and pacing, Laurel tries to lose herself. But when she runs away from the past, she discovers a passion so powerful, it brings her roundabout and face-to-face with the demons...more
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
October 6th 1999
by HarperTeen
(first published 1994)
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did i mention that i have a tattoo because of this book? francesca lia block is the sophia coppola of young adult literature. she explores the inner workings of young women via dreamy, romantic, imaginative language that is potent and visceral. and while sometimes her tactics are heavy-handed --- ie, i find what her character emotes in this book is typical to most 14/15/16 year old girls, not sure that she necessarily needed to use incest as a means of achieving an emotional whollop of a point -...more
I've been an avid Block fan since a friend had me read Violet & Claire in 2001, after which I went out and bought all the books on the shelf at Barnes & Noble. Hanged Man has always been one of my favorites. It's always struck me as odd, as it's one of the touchier subjects, centering around molestation and repressed memories, but I suppose I felt I could identify, and her writing is just incredible.
As per usual with FLB books, her style is unique. Reality meats fantasy, poetry meets pro...more
As per usual with FLB books, her style is unique. Reality meats fantasy, poetry meets pro...more
It would probably be too romanticized for me now, and the race and culturally appropriative bits make me flinch, but it does capture something of what adolescence was like for me as a girl in the 80s, this mix of desire and fear and the sexuality looming dangerous (men, rapists, AIDs). This is only barely hopeful, ending with something like the decision to try to heal rather than healing itself; the book itself is full of indirections and asides that tell the story, so perhaps it's fitting that...more
"I will be strength with her lion."
A little bit dark, definitely intense and light as a feather! This was a beautiful read full of poetic prose. Francesca's writing is like a piece of art. You have to interpret what is before your eyes. I almost felt like I was walking through a gallery while reading this book. It was so vivid and colourful. The intense subject matter aside this story was told with such tenderness and passion. A magical journey of emotions that will lead you to triumph. This is...more
A little bit dark, definitely intense and light as a feather! This was a beautiful read full of poetic prose. Francesca's writing is like a piece of art. You have to interpret what is before your eyes. I almost felt like I was walking through a gallery while reading this book. It was so vivid and colourful. The intense subject matter aside this story was told with such tenderness and passion. A magical journey of emotions that will lead you to triumph. This is...more
This book stirred me...a whirlwind of imagery; I read it in one sitting, about two hours. Although my experience does not match that of the characters exactly, I felt a vicarious link with Laurel and her emotional plight...this book took me back to a time in my life that I felt this same roller coaster; out-of-control grief. Anorexia connected us; one way to deal with the pain is to stop living as much as possible for a time, hole up, develop a numbness. Your life is unrecognizable, changed irre...more
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Favorite book of all time. Dark and lucid with its imagery, it is one of Francesca's best. I first read it when I was 13 years old and then I have always found myself returning to it. With each read the soft language of her words are peeled back to reveal something deeper. Francesca's writing is like antique lace, you think that there is only beauty and that it is something soft and light but then you realize that underneath the lyrical nature of her words there is something hidden and sensual....more
This book was so similar to other books by Block that I was in a constant state of deja vu. Tragic girl, check. Sexual dysfunction, check. Characters that may or may not exist, check. Los Angeles, artists, drugs, faerie references, check check check check.
Although I did wish there was greater difference between The Hanged Man and others (Echo, I Was a Teenaged Fairy, etc.) I find it impossible not to appreciate Block's prose. The way she writes emotion is unmatched. Her use of symbolism and nev...more
Although I did wish there was greater difference between The Hanged Man and others (Echo, I Was a Teenaged Fairy, etc.) I find it impossible not to appreciate Block's prose. The way she writes emotion is unmatched. Her use of symbolism and nev...more
3.5 for this one.
It was dark. Very dark. It was more like reading a stream-of-consciousness epic poem than a novel because there were so many metaphors and beautiful, startling imagery. I would read it again just for the imagery because the plot and characterization definitely leave you wanting more. However, because it is told from the POV of a troubled young woman, it makes sense that her perceptions of the people around her are kind of muddled. You feel like you're looking at everyone throug...more
It was dark. Very dark. It was more like reading a stream-of-consciousness epic poem than a novel because there were so many metaphors and beautiful, startling imagery. I would read it again just for the imagery because the plot and characterization definitely leave you wanting more. However, because it is told from the POV of a troubled young woman, it makes sense that her perceptions of the people around her are kind of muddled. You feel like you're looking at everyone throug...more
This is one of Block's darker novels; while each of her novels deals with heavy subjects, this one does so with little joyful respite from the topic. Not only is this a darker novel, it is a challenging read. I read it three times before I believe I got a grip on the symbolism used; the book is wonderful for symbolism. I found that animals, water, and light were symbols... they were mentioned numerous times in complicated ways that made me stop and think. Now that I feel I have mastered the book...more
I think that this book will be hard for some readers, it deals with a lot of uneasy topics. Death of a parent, eating disorders, father/daughter incest and a distant mother who may or may not have known on some level what was happening to her daughter.
The story opens on the death of the protagonist's father and the start of her anorexia nervosa. It's unclear if this is her first bout with the disease or if it has been a coping mechanism of her's for years. There's evidence to support both in the...more
The story opens on the death of the protagonist's father and the start of her anorexia nervosa. It's unclear if this is her first bout with the disease or if it has been a coping mechanism of her's for years. There's evidence to support both in the...more
Jul 12, 2009
Stillplainjane
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who like evocative writing and don't mind waiting to be filled in on exactly what's going on
Recommended to Stillplainjane by:
no one
It's pretty standard Francesca Lia Block if you're familiar at all with the author. It's a lot darker than her earlier Dangerous Angels series but the fluidity of the writing and the vivid descriptions of LA are all still there. I think what I liked about this book was the way the story unfolded; you know there's something darker lying underneath the surface story but you're not entirely sure what it is until the very end. If you know something about reading a tarot you'll probably appreciate it...more
I first found Francesca Lia Block and her novels through goodreads, of course; the first book I read being How to (Un)cage a Girl, which is a beautiful collect of poetry that inspired me to find and read more of Block's work. Fortunately, all the books I've read so far have been absolutely wonderful and I was very happy when I found a copy of The Hanged Man.
Something I've noticed about Block's novels as I've read more of them is that they all seem to deal with similar topics, eating di...more
Something I've noticed about Block's novels as I've read more of them is that they all seem to deal with similar topics, eating di...more
Typical Block fare. If you are a fan you will love this book. Laurel lives in California with her mother. Her father has recently died of cancer. Laurel uses Tarot Cards and a relationship with a mysterious man named Jack to help her deal with a terrible family secret. You either love Block's confusing mix of magical realism and teen angst or you don't. This book contains the typical assortment of drugs, drinking, teenage partying, and sex one would expect for a book set in Laurel Canyon, Califo...more
Aug 06, 2009
Iris
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
novels,
space-and-place
Block's sensual evocation of Venice Beach denizens, West Coast punks, Laurel Canyon cafes and old-time Hollywood are familiar to her constant readers; but here these trademarks are shot through with a mournful undertone as the heroine, Laurel, subtly reveals the sources of her pain and confusion. "The Hanged Man" sticks to your bones through haunting sensory details: feel lust for a sharp blond greaser, know a face-painted little girl named Perdita, and take a swig of Champagne and a spoonful of...more
I think I thought I was expecting more in this novel...it felt kind of bland to me...I'm not sure why, many of my friends loved this book, but not me. I felt like the main character just went through motions. I could recommend this book to people...the only thing is would I actually recommend it...not im not saying I can write any better not by any means. Just not one of my favorites, but I do not regret reading it at all.
I want to be empty & pure like a glass cup...
I knew nothing would break anymore...
Rose white, rose red...
moths...
oleander...
canyon parties...
canyon fires...
lost children...
friends you can't save...
bronze women statues...
a trip to the islands...
dying from needles and love...
motorcycle emptiness...
....the hanged man.....
"I think you have that disease honey, you know that one where the girls stop eating."
I knew nothing would break anymore...
Rose white, rose red...
moths...
oleander...
canyon parties...
canyon fires...
lost children...
friends you can't save...
bronze women statues...
a trip to the islands...
dying from needles and love...
motorcycle emptiness...
....the hanged man.....
"I think you have that disease honey, you know that one where the girls stop eating."
picking a favorite FLB book is like picking your favorite child. that said, the hanged man really resonated with me when i read it as a teen, and it continues to do so each time i reread it. the author manages to capture the magic of the LA canyons in this book, and she mixes it with volatile teenage emotions, creating a potent and fascinating story that i will never forget
This is a hard book to come by by completely worth it. With some references to the hanged man card in the tarot, but the main character's main struggle to overcome an eating disorder and possibly find happiness. It is a much harder thing to let herself be happy then she realize, and that's the bigger struggle than the eating disorder.
Jan 16, 2010
megan
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
coming-of-age,
eating-disorders
this is a strange, unevenly paced book. i appreciate the understated approach to heavy topics: the text is heavy with pathos but represses that pathos at the same time. i couldn't get into the voice, i think was my main problem with it. or maybe it was the small surrealistic flourishes that seemed ill-conceived and kinda dumb, whereas in weetzie bat they make total sense and completely work within the world created.
While this is a short book, it presents some challenges to the YA reader. More than a decade after its publication, fictional incest isn't quite the narrative dynamite that it once was, so opinions of this book depend on the reader's taste for Block's style. This is a sensual book: much of the text is devoted to descriptions of smells and textures and flowers and so on. And there really isn't much plot. And the narrative moves about the cabin of time. None of this is bad if you appreciate Block'...more
Block is able to talk about a disturbing subject in such a poetic way. The story is more complex than it may seem, but it is utterly real and readable. Her language is, as always, lyrical and magical. She uses such vivid images to paint the pain of the story's young protagonist. Beautifully-written!
This was my favorite book while I was in reform school- I have read it probably 50-60 times, and have much of it memorized. I still love it in a way, because it symbolizes my adolescence. Beautifully written, and hard to put down the Hanged Man is a must read for teenage girls.
More of the same, but a little darker. Kind of reminded me of Wasteland, which was probably written after this. FLB is great, but I wish I'd read these as they came out instead of all within the past year. I have a queue of her work that I will be spreading out over another year or so.
I related to the main character in this one a lot because I break glass a lot. So does she. And I believe in the power of the tarot cards. This one recognizes the importance of people who come into our lives when we need them and fade out when we don't.
Absolutely beautiful and relatable. I love the poetic, fantasy air given to a common problem amongst teens. Francesca Lia Block just sweeps you into a world of her words and you never wanna let go. Definitely one of my favorite books. Ever!
One of the reviews called her writing "tenderly intoxicating" ... And her use of language really was lovely to me. However, all the pretty words were not enough to keep me interested. I couldn't find a story. I got bored.
I remember very little about this one, because Block’s style and subjects are always so similar. But I remember liking the main character a lot, and I’ve become moderately interested in tarot recently.
This is my favorite book of all time. I love all of Francesca Lia Block's books, but there was something about this one that caused me to cry for about four hours straight the second I closed it.
I read this book for the first time 14 years ago. That's when I became a HUGE Block fan! I have read this same book many times since and each time I find a new fondness for it within.
The Hanged Man is about Laurel, who has an eating disorder and lots of problems. Strange things happen sometimes that she doesn't understand, and people take interest in her in ways that excite and frighten her. Every chapter in the book is named after a Tarot card (hence the title "The Hanged Man"), and it uses imagery from Tarot sometimes. Much of the book seems slightly surreal and very stream-of-consciousness, and after you finish reading it you're not sure how to explain what it was about....more
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Francesca Lia Block was born in Los Angeles to a poet and a painter, their creativity an obvious influence on her writing. Another influence was her childhood love of Greek mythology and fairy tales.
She has lived in the city all her life, and still resides there with her daughter, Jasmine Angelina (about whom she wrote her book Guarding the Moon), her son Samuel Alexander, and her two dogs: a spr...more
More about Francesca Lia Block...
She has lived in the city all her life, and still resides there with her daughter, Jasmine Angelina (about whom she wrote her book Guarding the Moon), her son Samuel Alexander, and her two dogs: a spr...more
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Nov 25, 2007 05:15pm
They both have a style, but aft...more
Jan 08, 2009 09:44am