V.C. Andrews discussion
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The "Dollanganger" Series
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Jody
(last edited Sep 15, 2010 05:59PM)
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Sep 15, 2010 04:44PM
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I'm a true V.C. Andrews fan of her original works (Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind, especially). I LOVED her books, so much so, that I was inspired to write similar style books. She was my true inspiration!!I posted a tribute to her on my website. Here is the link- www.thegirlinthelighthouse.com/vcandr...
It’s so good to see people still reading her novels and talking about them after all these years. The Dollanganger series will always be the best out of the entire V.C.Andrews series of novels.
Great post, Roxane. Like you, I too LOVED V. C. Andrews' books (and the original ones, not so much the ones that are ghostwritten). Your books sounds fabulous - adding them to my TBR list now!
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There is really something lacking from the newer books. I can't say they're as gothic or dark as the originals. :( I also don't like that they only contain 1-2 in a series, as I miss the standard 5 part sets. :( "FitA" really set a mold that Andrew Neiderman has yet to fill.
I think you're right, Jody. The newer books are lacking a dark, gothic element that Flowers and Audrina had. I really wish I could read those books all over again for the first time. ;)
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Speaking of dark and gothic, I received a review last month stating my novel, The Girl in the Lighthouse, was too dark (well for her anyways). I thought, WOW, what a great compliment for me. The story was meant to be dark, or course!I recently read Pedals again. I still have my original books (thank God). I love the old covers.
I have tried and tried to read the many series written after Dawn and thought they were getting worse and worse. No special magic, I had no deep compassion for the main characters, or a real connection felt for the stories.
I happened to love Heaven. What about you ladies?
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I love Heaven! As I wrote in the "What's your favorite series?" thread, it's probably mine. It's a hard choice between that and "Dawn."
"My Sweet Audrina" was pretty dark too, so IMO it would be either that or the "Flowers" series. Roxane, I would certainly take the "too dark" review as a compliment, given that your book sounds very gothic. :) Hearing that actually makes me want to read your books more! And I too love the old, original covers. Beats the pants off the new ones.
I remember being a bit on the fence about Heaven at first, mainly because those books weren't the Dollanganger series! But I did grow to like it. I probably need to read that series again, it's been awhile.
Jody, the Logan Family series (the "Dawn" books) were the last complete series I read. I think those may have been the last ones that VC Andrews actually penned?
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"This series and all subsequent novels were written by Neiderman, but are attributed to Andrews."
Sorry, I'm a V.C. Andrews fanatic. :(
Whoops! I got my series mixed up.I think I read the first "Ruby" book but none of the others. I did read the entire Cutler series.
I haven't read any of the Andrews books since then though. :(
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I have all of the books, minus a few of the last published ones, but I can't say I've read them. It's more of a collector thing. Though I do plan to own and read each one, no matter how bad it may be. lol
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"Virginia was a young lady when my dad made arrangements to take Virginia to the University of Virginia hospital for treatment. While she was there, she developed a crush on her young doctor. He and his siblings had been locked away in the attic for over 6 years to preserve the family wealth. Obviously she cut the time back [in her novel] to be more believable. That area of the country has a lot of very wealthy people. I do not know who they were."
Jody, I heard that Flowers was based, in part, on an actual story but didn't hear all these details. Very interesting!
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Yes it was really good, although I could have lived without the knowledge of Cathy and Chris sleeping together!!
FitA was the first book i ever read when i was about 10 .. i have been hooked ever since! Al tho i will admit that the ghost writers books are no where as good as her i still like them all and have jus about everyone other then some of the newer ones! They are getting less appealing tho i dont know if its because i am getting older or if its cause they really are not that good anymore!
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lol yea same here.. and i will continue to collect them until they are no longer made haha! I even have like triples of some books...but i have slowly been giving them away to people.. i jus keep the doubles if they r hard back lol or diff editions that are put out!
These aren't the best written books, but they certainly are memorable!I've always enjoyed gothics, and I first read the series in the late '80s, and here I am, discussing. :) I was fifteen. They were my first "adult" books. :) I overheard an older cousin telling someone the plot of FITA, and about the incest, and the evil Corrine, and I HAD to read it. I'd actually seen the movie a few months before, but it hadn't left any impression.
I enjoy the whirlwind of activity in Petals, and the varied settings, after the claustrophobia of FITA.
But I think Audrina is VCA's best book, and I too am a VCA fanatic--no Neiderman for me. I don't much care for Heaven. i read (perhaps on the CompleteVCA site?) that she intended to end it after Dark Angel, which seems a perfect stopping point, IMO. And as Neiderman did write the last three in that series, I don't count them.
Then there's Garden of Shadows. I fell in love with it immediately. i loved Foxworth Hall, I loved Olivia and felt such empathy and sorrow for her. (not to disregard her actions in FITA, but that's a different era in the story.) I don't think I'd have identified so with her if I'd read it at a later age but... It isn't an easy story to reread--it depresses me, sometimes, and makes me angry. So...I wrote fan fiction based on it (under the pen name GrayRainbows, on FanFiction.net, if there is interest), which has been alot of fun, and a lot of effort, and has healed my soul. Well, okay, I am getting silly now, but you get the idea. :)
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1129333/G...
I'm pleased to see so many VCA fans still eager to talk over the books.
I read this series as a teen, more than once and also heard that it was based somewhat on truth. How clever to hate the evil grandmother in the first book but in the last book you end up feeling a sense of sympathy for this woman (not the first grandmother that will make you feel this way hehe). The final scene in Garden of Shadows when Cathy, Chris, Cory and Carrie are led into the attic room leaves you feeling so sad for them because you know what's coming, and you feel like screaming at the Grandmother to go with her first instinct to love and care for them. But then I suppose where would the story come from :)
I finished Seeds of Yesterday last night...still not sure what I'm thinking about the ending. When Chris died the tears were rolling, but I guess I was expecting something more after that. Maybe it's one of those endings that will sneak up on me...I am still sad to say goodbye to the Dollangers/Sheffields. I thoroughly enjoyed the series and I hope Garden of Shadows will be just as good.
Stephanie wrote: "I finished Seeds of Yesterday last night...still not sure what I'm thinking about the ending. When Chris died the tears were rolling, but I guess I was expecting something more after that. Maybe it..."I really enjoyed Garden of Shadows a lot more than the last 2 in the series! It was really interesting to read about the grandmother and why she acts the way she does.
I'm going to give it a go...and then I have My Sweet Audrina coming soon :)
It has been many years since I have read them, but I remember how awesome the series are! The events I seem to remember when I recall them are the evil grandma putting tar in her hair, the brothers later obsession with his sister, the younger sisters physical ailments due to her malnutrition. I like that the older sister overcomes all this tragedy and is successful in fulfilling her dream of becoming a ballerina! You know what? I have actually forgotten how it all ends! Is it a happily ever after? Does she succumb to her brothers desires? Hmmm? Do I have time to retread them all? Wish I did!
Chanda, have you ever tried audiobooks? That's how I've been re-living them lately. I listen to them while I work. Andrews did such a great job at making her books memorable though, huh?
That is actually a really good idea (audio books), especially since I have a ten hour drive both ways soon! Thanks for the suggestion! Will give me time to catch up on the newer series!
Yesterday http://the-toast.net/ had "VC Andrews" day, and even had interviews with Ann Patty, who was VC Andrews editor - apparently she's publishing a memoir about her interactions and friendship with VCA, which I can't wait to read!Also, Lifetime is remaking FITA. I'm seriously hoping that they don't butcher it like the first 1987 movie.
VC Andrews totally inspired me to write. I used to write VC Andrews fanfiction and now I've got 3 published books that are completely inspired by her! The first one I published is usually reviewed as "dark and disturbing" and I love that. That's exactly how I felt about VCA books when I first read them!
Erin wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "I finished Seeds of Yesterday last night...still not sure what I'm thinking about the ending. When Chris died the tears were rolling, but I guess I was expecting something more af..."GOS was actually really good, I thought. VCA had outlined the entire book before she died, and Andrew Neiderman finished it for her. What I like about GOS as a prequel is that it tells you things you didn't know from the first 4 books, and no other VCA prequel has done quite the same thing, IMO.
Lila wrote: "Yesterday http://the-toast.net/ had "VC Andrews" day, and even had interviews with Ann Patty, who was VC Andrews editor - apparently she's publishing a memoir about her interactions and friendship ..."The director doing it also did Confessions of a Shopaholic and I believe that was a pretty good movie. I think the Complete V.C. Andrews said that the director was trying to keep it closer to the book.
The original movie wasn't supposed to have that awful ending.
The director claims that after the filming was completed, the producers approached him to refilm a new ending, and one of the many ideas (view spoiler)
Bloom tried to talk them out of it and when he was unable to convince them otherwise, he eventually quit. The new ending, partly inspired by the ending of Wes Craven's own screenplay, was eventually filmed by someone else.
Also, Victoria Tennant is said to have stormed off the set angrily after shooting (view spoiler).
Lila wrote: "Erin wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "I finished Seeds of Yesterday last night...still not sure what I'm thinking about the ending. When Chris died the tears were rolling, but I guess I was expecting some..."Agreed!
Ms. Andrews' work also inspired my writing. I think it's awesome that so many have been inspired by her. I hear that Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl, has also been inspired by VCA and this is supposedly evident in her book, Sharp Objects. I'll definitely have to read that one.
J.N. wrote: "Lila wrote: "Yesterday http://the-toast.net/ had "VC Andrews" day, and even had interviews with Ann Patty, who was VC Andrews editor - apparently she's publishing a memoir about her interactions an..."Oh wow, those are pretty interesting factoids! Thanks for the info!
Has anyone else thought about what happened to Cory's body? Corrine claims she put him in a ravine and when Cathy mentioned the secret room with an odd smell, Corrine just stared at her. What do you think happened?
Whitney wrote: "Has anyone else thought about what happened to Cory's body? Corrine claims she put him in a ravine and when Cathy mentioned the secret room with an odd smell, Corrine just stared at her. What do yo..."I don't know how many times I've re-read that passage, but I always assumed that Corrine never took Cory outside the house but stuffed him into that room. Which is very disturbing. Reading that part always gives me the willies.
I really enjoyed reading this series. I was even more excited to see the Lifetime movie. I am getting excited for next week to see how they do the adaptation.
Kaitlyn wrote: "I really enjoyed reading this series. I was even more excited to see the Lifetime movie. I am getting excited for next week to see how they do the adaptation."I read these books many years ago and then saw the original movie which was horrible. I'm so happy that Lifetime is redoing them. It's amazing. So excited for the next movie.
J.N. wrote: "Whitney wrote: "Has anyone else thought about what happened to Cory's body? Corrine claims she put him in a ravine and when Cathy mentioned the secret room with an odd smell, Corrine just stared at..."I know! I wish it would have been resolved...
Whitney wrote: "Has anyone else thought about what happened to Cory's body? Corrine claims she put him in a ravine and when Cathy mentioned the secret room with an odd smell, Corrine just stared at her. What do yo..."I never thought about that...I'm going to have to do a reread!
Whitney wrote: "J.N. wrote: "Whitney wrote: "Has anyone else thought about what happened to Cory's body? Corrine claims she put him in a ravine and when Cathy mentioned the secret room with an odd smell, Corrine j..."That's one thing I like about the movie--it's resolved.
Am I the only that didn't like the Lifetime adaptions of Flowers In The Attic arms Petals On The Wind?
My mom recommended this book to me. It was good in the first few chapters, but after a while, i started to lose interest and stopped reading. Did this happen to anyone else?
I'm in love with this series and all the characters. I'm currently reading gardens of shadow. I can't wait to hear Olivia's story
Just to inform you 2 new books called Christopher's diary are coming out soon. 1 in October and the other in January, I believe.
Mayra wrote: "Just to inform you 2 new books called Christopher's diary are coming out soon. 1 in October and the other in January, I believe."Really? I'm a little intrigued to read them, I don't like him in the series so this could change my mind!
