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248th out of 311 books
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217 voters
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Red Audrey and the Roping
by
Jill Malone (Goodreads Author)
“This is a literary gem . . . one of the best books I’ve read this year.”—Ellen Hart
"This raw and convincing first novel is narrated by a woman who can’t help testing the limits of her ability to endure pain in her intimate relationships with men and women... the vivid characters and potent emotions keep the pages turning."—The Advocate
Occasionally a debut novel
...morePaperback, 264 pages
Published
May 1st 2008
by Bywater Books
(first published April 1st 2008)
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This novel is probably not for everyone. It's not linear. It's not necessarily uplifting. It's fragmented, but ultimately cohesive.
The prose style is rich and evocative without being overdone or overwrought. I loved this novel from page one. And indeed, it's probably the best novel I've read in a while.
But fair warning, the subjects aren't candy and puppies and neither are any of the characters. It's not a genre novel of any kind and doesn't follow a distinct formula, wh...more
The prose style is rich and evocative without being overdone or overwrought. I loved this novel from page one. And indeed, it's probably the best novel I've read in a while.
But fair warning, the subjects aren't candy and puppies and neither are any of the characters. It's not a genre novel of any kind and doesn't follow a distinct formula, wh...more
I thought this book was pretty amazing. I tore through it in a day and a half. It's intense, nonlinear (which I usually don't like but did in this case) and uses language in very surprising ways---something else I usually do not like but did with this book. At times I found it hard to believe the extremes in this character---professional Latin teacher and hard drinking masochistic surfer woman could really coexist in the same woman. But I found it very compelling nonetheless.
Jill Malone is the girlfriend of one of my good friends. I went to one of her book readings here in Portland. So far the book is really good, it is not linear, so I'm still trying to fit the pieces together, but I do believe that is the point, since that is what the narrator is doing as well after coming out of a coma.
While the prose style is clever, this bisexual protagonist is such an arch brat so far. Everything about the story should be interesting, and yet I feel kept at arm's length by a combination of nihilism and grooviness. I'm only on page 60, so I'll give it another 60 pages to "rope" me in as it were.
Let me sum up this book:
My mommy abandoned me. I cannot face the fact that I am a homo, so I'll let men "abuse" me. By golly do I ever love extreme sports. Every...more
Let me sum up this book:
My mommy abandoned me. I cannot face the fact that I am a homo, so I'll let men "abuse" me. By golly do I ever love extreme sports. Every...more
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Update: Red Audrey has made the short list for a Lambda literary award for debut fiction.
This debut novel by Jill Malone is simply brilliant, the best book I've read in a long, long time. It is remarkable to find the depth of skill and ease with language, with tone and style, with setting and dialogue, with pacing and tension and all the things that make a good book, in a first time author. I am ranting, I know, but I recommend everyone order a copy of this book now. If there is just...more
This debut novel by Jill Malone is simply brilliant, the best book I've read in a long, long time. It is remarkable to find the depth of skill and ease with language, with tone and style, with setting and dialogue, with pacing and tension and all the things that make a good book, in a first time author. I am ranting, I know, but I recommend everyone order a copy of this book now. If there is just...more
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When I attended BookExpo America in May, I met two women from a small lesbian press. The best and worst thing about going to a book expo is the amount of books that are pressed into your hands—so many that your shoulders ache from carrying them. (Not the worst problem in the world, I know.) But one of these women told me that I would genuinely love Red Audrey and the Roping. It wasn’t a sales pitch; she just believed in the book. She was right. I’ve become wary of non-linear narratives since the...more
When I attended BookExpo America in May, I met two women from a small lesbian press. The best and worst thing about going to a book expo is the amount of books that are pressed into your hands—so many that your shoulders ache from carrying them. (Not the worst problem in the world, I know.) But one of these women told me that I would genuinely love Red Audrey and the Roping. It wasn’t a sales pitch; she just believed in the book. She was right. I’ve become wary of non-linear narratives since the...more
"Her wide mouth like a place of extinction I kept returning to, looking for evidence, for precedent, for some archaeological proof of my existence."
That sentence pretty much sums up this novel for me. The author is so talented with language, she can write nonsense that carries you along as if you were surfing the Hawaii coast. This sentence is a summary in another way, too: the narrator has so little sense of self that she just barely kept me with her. (She does make a cons...more
That sentence pretty much sums up this novel for me. The author is so talented with language, she can write nonsense that carries you along as if you were surfing the Hawaii coast. This sentence is a summary in another way, too: the narrator has so little sense of self that she just barely kept me with her. (She does make a cons...more
Bywater Books
added it
Winner of the Bywater Prize for Fiction.
"A lyrical, passionate novel about desire, about danger, and about the need for self-forgiveness. A wonderfully impressive writing debut." -Sarah Waters
"A surfer chick who teaches Latin! The smart, adrenaline-addicted protagonist of Red Audrey and the Roping is irresistible." -Lucy Jane Bledsoe
"A lyrical, passionate novel about desire, about danger, and about the need for self-forgiveness. A wonderfully impressive writing debut." -Sarah Waters
"A surfer chick who teaches Latin! The smart, adrenaline-addicted protagonist of Red Audrey and the Roping is irresistible." -Lucy Jane Bledsoe
I didn't even want to acknowledge the time I spent reading this dreadful, awful book. It was for my bookgroup......and it was an inexcusable waste of time.
Yuck.
Yuck.
Saundradawn
added it
Such a great book! Not your typical novel, but very fulfilling.
I couldn't stand this book and only finished it because it was for book group.
Definitely written at a higher level than the average bear in lesbian fiction, but didn't meet my "grab me by 20 pages in" requirement for book reviews. Problem: I didn't feel like I had a reason to care about what happens to the main character by that point. Writing style was solid enough (an accomplishment in its own right in this genre) that I will give Malone's next book a shot.
This is a wonderful scary novel, an emotional roller coaster. I think I was holding my breath most of the time while reading it.
Going to re-read it at once, breathing this time!
Going to re-read it at once, breathing this time!
Karen
marked it as to-read
jenn
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Kim
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Charlotte
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Msmurphybylaw
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Christy
marked it as to-read
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I grew up all over the place in a military family, and live now in Spokane with my partner and son, our three dogs, and tons of outdoor gear. I have no proper profession. My first novel is set in Hawaii, where I lived for high school and college. At present, I'm working on a second novel. I play guitar and am a sucker for mangos.
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