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3rd out of 55 books
—
37 voters
Violet & Claire
by
Francesca Lia Block (Goodreads Author)
This is the story of two girls, racing through space like shadow and light. A photo negative, together they make the perfect image of a girl. Violet is the dark one, dressed in forever black, dreaming Technicolor dreams of spinning the world into her very own silver screen creation. Claire is like a real-life Tinker Bell, radiating love and light, dressing herself in wings...more
Paperback, 169 pages
Published
October 31st 2000
by Harper Teen
(first published September 22nd 1999)
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This is the book that started it all for me. A friend recommended I read it, and Francesca Lia Block made an immediate move to the top slot in my favorite authors list, where she's stayed ever since.
Violet sees life as a movie. There's always a scene, a mood, something unfolding. Though her own life, sadly, is lacking in some of the necessities for a great script. Conflict. Her parents, who seem to be from a completely different bloodline than she, give her none. And what little she does have is...more
Violet sees life as a movie. There's always a scene, a mood, something unfolding. Though her own life, sadly, is lacking in some of the necessities for a great script. Conflict. Her parents, who seem to be from a completely different bloodline than she, give her none. And what little she does have is...more
I have been a fan of Ms. Block’s for years since many moons ago when The Rose and the Beast was recommended to me and I fell in love. I read as much as I could get my hands on and in time have read the vast majority of her books, but it’s been years since I’ve really even looked at any of her classic stuff and thought it would be fun to re-visit an old favorite. I found that I am still very much enchanted by the author’s beautiful use of language and lush descriptions that paint crazy vivid pict...more
I had previously read many books by Francesca Lia Block, which made me very excited to start Violet & Claire. It ended up being one of my favorites. Even though it's an easy, fast read, it's jam packed with with dark, seductive sin with girlish innocence. I really liked this book because the two girls, Violet and Claire, are so universally different and yet share the same passionate souls that connect. The darker, intense Violet is passionate and film drives her. Lighter, more whimsical Clai...more
The last time I read this I was probably 15. My best friend and I read it together, and we decided that she was a Violet-Claire and I a Claire-Violet, because I was a Violet that wanted badly to be a Claire and she the opposite. This book, our talks of it, my feelings for it...have stayed with me for a long time. I'm 24 now and I think often of the time when I was Violet-Claire and we made the ordinary pain and ugliness of our homelives into something beautiful, magical and useful. We romanticiz...more
Although the summaries of Block's books always sound a bit odd to me, I decided to give her a go, seeing as her name always seems to come up when GLBT YA novels are mentioned. She has a strange style, and this is more a novella than a full novel, because although it's 170 pages in my edition, there is so much white space on the pages. A lot of the story in this is implied, which I often quite like, but here it's more of an annoyance. There's one large event that's only ever hinted at, and I'm st...more
I'm a fan of Block's and even though I'm out of her intended age market, I and many others like me, still love her work. I really WANTED to like this book more than I did. It was good, that's not at issue and it was a very well written meditation on female friendship and how sometimes society really pits girls/women against each other. So as a book on the intricacies of female friendship during the teen years and what appeared to be their very early 20's, I recommend this highly.
However: Many ti...more
However: Many ti...more
1 like · like · see review
"It was excruciating. It was excruciatingly beautiful.". its a fast paced story. As troubled and dark Violet and Claire were, they exude innocence and pure love. This story seems to be all over the place yet also all together. I may not be able to grasp the story as a whole, but it touches me somehow, somewhere. After finished reading, the first thing that came to my mind was 'wouldnt it be nice to have someone there for you, protecting you like that?'
This book is like a dream.
There's a very mystical quality when reading it. The scenes meld into one another, which can be quite disjointing when reading it initially. Pages need to be re-read and at points, nothing is quite clear. The book is very short, however, (easily read in under an hour), and so it isn't quite difficult.
The love between Violet and Claire transcends sexuality, and Violet never makes any attempt to clarify their relationship. Claire relies more on Violet, that much is true,...more
There's a very mystical quality when reading it. The scenes meld into one another, which can be quite disjointing when reading it initially. Pages need to be re-read and at points, nothing is quite clear. The book is very short, however, (easily read in under an hour), and so it isn't quite difficult.
The love between Violet and Claire transcends sexuality, and Violet never makes any attempt to clarify their relationship. Claire relies more on Violet, that much is true,...more
2 likes · like · see review
Violet is a driven girl obsessed with movies and hell-bent on being a screenwriter.
Claire is a poet who yearns to be a faerie.
Friendship, success, and love force them to navigate through complexities of life, but they learn that they always have each other.
Usually, I LOVE Francesca Lia Block. This novel was a real disappointment to me. There were a few beautifully written parts, but for the most part, the pacing was ridiculous (incredibly slow the first 100 pages, then everything crammed in al...more
Claire is a poet who yearns to be a faerie.
Friendship, success, and love force them to navigate through complexities of life, but they learn that they always have each other.
Usually, I LOVE Francesca Lia Block. This novel was a real disappointment to me. There were a few beautifully written parts, but for the most part, the pacing was ridiculous (incredibly slow the first 100 pages, then everything crammed in al...more
This is probably my favorite book by Francesca Lia Block that I've read so far. While her writing is always gorgeous, sometimes (certainly not always) it can ring a little emotionally flat. That seemed to be less the case with this one (although every book I've read by her--with the exception of Weetzie Bat--has had an emotionally stirring moment or two). The characters felt more developed, although I thought she went a bit overboard with Claire's daddy issues, to the point of implying that if h...more
Violent is the dark one, obsessed with film and the night. Claire is the bright one, in love with faeries and poetry. They are both outcasts until they meet each other and find contentment. They try to live their lives how they want and they push for their dreams, but the complexities of the real world get in the way that their friendship is threatened.
This book is quite fun as it's written as fantastical realism that Block does so well. I love this style dearly but this novel isn't my favorite...more
This book is quite fun as it's written as fantastical realism that Block does so well. I love this style dearly but this novel isn't my favorite...more
Ein schnelles Jugendbuch - und das in doppelter Hinsicht, die Handlung ist rasant und man ist sehr fix durch. Violet und Claire, schwarz und Pastell, Draufgängerin und Fee - das sind die beiden Hauptcharaktere in Los Angeles, einer Welt voller Glamour, aber auch voller Wohnwagensiedlungen, Drogen, Machtspielchen und Geld. Und mittenrein taumeln die beiden Mädchen...
Violet war mir für ihr Alter ein bisschen zu tough, zu sexy, zu abgebrüht. Irgendwie passiert viel zu viel und die ganze Geschichte...more
Violet war mir für ihr Alter ein bisschen zu tough, zu sexy, zu abgebrüht. Irgendwie passiert viel zu viel und die ganze Geschichte...more
I really did like this book, but I ultimately decided on three stars because I believe that I've, perhaps, been spoiled by Block's Echo and The Hanged Man. Nevertheless, for any Block fan I'd recommend this book and I'd also recommend it to young teenagers; the content isn't quite as dark as the aforementioned novels, but it's still a good, quick [in my case] read and I enjoyed the structure of the book: Violet, Claire, and then Violent and Claire as the third and final "act", if you will, to co...more
If there's one thing Violet wants, it's to write her own movie and catch L.A Hollywood scene by surprise, and she's going to do it with her new friend-slash-actress, Claire. The two girls are nothing alike, but together, they compliment each other; Claire, light and poetic, and Violet, dark and powerful. But their ambition to make it big could be the thing that breaks them apart.
This is the second book I read by Block, and I realized something- she gets away with things I normally can't stand in...more
This is the second book I read by Block, and I realized something- she gets away with things I normally can't stand in...more
What started out as a really cliche, goth/cutter book ended up being surprisingly good. It’s always interesting to me when writer’s write from two or more people’s perspectives in the same novel because you really get to see the depth of their voice, and Block really has one. The two girls are complete opposites and their diction really reflects that.
Violet’s narration was blunt and straightforward, mirroring her personality, and although it starts out bland and cliche, it develops into somethi...more
Violet’s narration was blunt and straightforward, mirroring her personality, and although it starts out bland and cliche, it develops into somethi...more
Violet wants nothing more than to direct movies. Dressing in black she's angry and intense, imagining camera sweeps and images she dreams of bringing to the big screen. Claire is a fairy come to life--complete with wings made of gauze and glitter. She radiates love and wishes to be a poet. And though these girls seem like complete opposites, they are the best of friends. Until the realities of life threaten to split them apart.
Told in alternating narrative between Violet and Claire, their diffe...more
Told in alternating narrative between Violet and Claire, their diffe...more
I read this book years ago and remember disliking it (as much as i could dislike an FLB book, which is not very much). I remember having issues with the end, and thinking "oh, real friends would never do that..." Chuck that up to adolescent naivete. Many years later I chose to revisit the book, and I like it so much more than I did before. Still not my favorite FLB book, but it's a good read, and a testament to the fierce love and backstabbing that can be present in girl love.
Jul 04, 2012
Caterina
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
under-18s
Shelves:
done-reviewed
This is definitely a novella, if not three interlinked short stories. In fact, the experience is better if you take it as three short stories, each with a tendril of plot-vine reaching toward the next. Typical FLB fare: Los Angeles, no business like show business, a blonde idealist, a sharp dark-haired realist (this is how she telegraphs similar personalities throughout Weetzie Bat etc.), a glance at queer culture. I was more impressed by this when I was sixteen, I think.
Oct 06, 2011
Tamara Temple
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
urban-fantasy,
young-adult
I so much enjoyed Block's Weetzie Bat books (Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books) that I have started to seek out her other writing. Most of her stuff is urban fantasy. This one seems a little more reality-driven (although still a consensual reality). I'm looking forward to this one based on the review.
Faeries and movies and poetry and acid. Best friends and first loves and running from danger. Murder, hate, betrayal. All of these are topics touched on in this book.
This is the first of Block's writing that I have read that was not short stories. Although it is a quick read, it touches on many topics. Again, Block's prose is lyrical and magical. She writes in her fantasy language that touches the English receptors in one's mind. Block relates to teens and younger with her discussion of tough t...more
This is the first of Block's writing that I have read that was not short stories. Although it is a quick read, it touches on many topics. Again, Block's prose is lyrical and magical. She writes in her fantasy language that touches the English receptors in one's mind. Block relates to teens and younger with her discussion of tough t...more
I love this book. It's such a magical treat, it's almost like Block interweaves some sort of cloud of pure lyrical prose that whisks you off to a Hollywood meets Fairy Tales plot clash. And it's great. Just flat out great.
The dynamic of the two girls is so apparent and different, but you can practically feel their connection grow deeper with every turn of the page. Highly recommended, fantastic short read.
The dynamic of the two girls is so apparent and different, but you can practically feel their connection grow deeper with every turn of the page. Highly recommended, fantastic short read.
I just got through my second read of this, but it had been several years so it was like reading it anew. It was very easy to get through and is a good quick read for someone who enjoys "young adult" lit. There's not too much to say about it plot-wise, and I don't think this is a book one reads for the plot. Or dialogue. Or imagery or symbolism, or ... I don't know. I like the way Francesca Lia Block writes, the way things are a sorta fairytale (yes, that's a Tori Amos song) but also real and som...more
This book catched my attention actually. Mrs.mann recommendeed it to me and i'm thankful she did! I would have to say this book is usually meant for teenagers around the age of high school. This book may have some very specific words not meant for ki8ds under the age of 13! If you know what I mean. Besides the bad words you can really relate to this book because it has a point of view of a teenage girl and her best friendgoing through .... you know girl stuff. I had my laughs and curious mommen...more
Fantastic musical references throughout this one, especially if you're a Tori Amos fan. Seeing as I was in high school when I first read this, I gave me a lot of direction for my taste in music. This is a lovely tale of friendship and how confusing it can be. Another one that falls into the "young adult" category but has a lot more soul than that.
I'm not sure if this is a true 5, but this is probably my new favorite FLB book. More story and dialog than many of the others. Not at all what I was expecting from the cover. I preferred Violet, but when they got to Claire's part it was interesting. The end was a little Weetzy, but overall, it was different and a good, fast read.
I don't really know what to say about this book... It's not a book I would usually go for if I found it at the library, but now I read it for this book club type of deals and yeah it's ok. I think it has a lot of topics for discussion and I think it's a good youth book. But I didn't fall in love with it at all.
Oh how this book took me back! F.L.B. was one of my favorite authors when I was in high school and it is easy to see why. Her dark and poetic outcast artist characters were perfect illustrations of all that I admired and aspired to be. This book needed to be just a little more openly gay to win my five stars. A lovely one day read.
Argh, Francesca Lia Block. If someone could get this woman an editor, her books would be amazing. She's sooooo good at atmosphere and characterization and language, but just terrible at plot and pacing and well, story. I LOVED the two girls in this story and could see them both SO clearly. But the story itself was kind of vague and meh.
![[x♥x]alilie[x♥x]](http://d.gr-assets.com/users/1269466128p2/2784547.jpg)
Jan 20, 2010
[x♥x]alilie[x♥x]
added it
Thi book was about when two friends Violet and Clare were really close. what they do all the time is that the hang out and do some sleepovers, spa treatments, and go to the salon and get their nails done. But what Violet does is that she flims mopvies and does script writing too. Claire she makes poetry writing and draws fairies. Violet always wanted this job because she imagined herself doing favors for celebrities
Dec 13, 2010
Celia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
YA fiction fans who aren't easily offended
Shelves:
own
I had already fallen in love with FLB's books by the time I picked up (or rather, got off of ebay) Violet & Claire. It is a wonderful description of the hardships and moments of a friendship between two girls who are so different but quite similar in some ways.
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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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“This was not a fearie tale. This was not the movies. This was life. It hurt more. It was excruciating. It was excruciatingly beautiful.”
—
100 people liked it
“She wished she had a little yellow house of her own, with a flower box full of real flowers and herbs – pansies and rosemary – and a sweet lover who would swing dance with her in the evenings and cook pasta and read poetry aloud.”
—
59 people liked it
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Oct 07, 2012 02:09pm