They say there is only so far you can distance yourself from something before you find yourself coming back around to it. Well, no. I said that. Just now.
I read the entire original works of V.C. Andrews back when I was a green lass of ten or so--back before I had any idea of what was actually happening in the books. They were thrilling, fraught, filthy (for a ten-year-old), and best of all, they were absolutely forbidden. These were adult books. And I couldn't keep my hot little hands off 'em. This was before I discovered real porn.
As I grew older and my reading tastes matured, I was mildly embarrassed to admit that not only had I read all the books, I could recall most of their plots in lurid detail. Say what you will about Andrews' writing style, but you can't deny the woman could come up with a riveting premise. A premise which she would then drag out for five increasingly and painfully protracted novels--but still!
I realized there was a whole generation of girls who had grown up in the V.C. Andrews hey-day and likewise read the books when they were too young to fully comprehend how bad they were. Most of these young readers have grown into thoughtful, literate, mature women who now recall the books with a mixture of nostalgia and disgust. And the rest of them like Twilight.*
My mission is to examine and comment upon the eight "canon" novels of V.C. Andrews oeuvre, largely so that I can get it all out of my system and move on with my life.
I don't know how far I'm going to get with this, to be honest. I am a full-time student with friends, deadlines, and something marginally resembling a real life. My aim is to post a review of at least one novel per month, perhaps supplemented with some commentary on All Things Andrews.
May God be with me.
*I kid. There is nothing wrong with liking Twilight. Unless you have some self-esteem.
fifth dollanganger, i totally adore you. i imagine your name would be cammie, or maybe candy. the dollangangers: precursors to the duggarwe-all-have-the-same-first-initial trend!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea. May you succeed in your mission...and similarly purge me of the same obsession.
ReplyDeleteMichelle @thebookdorks.com
I have opened up all of your reviews in separate tabs. I have also opened a bottle of terrible wine. I am not prone to hyperbole, but this is going to be the best evening of my life.
ReplyDeleteBack in 1982, when I was in middle school, Flowers & Petals was what everyone was reading. Except me. I don't know WHY I didn't want to read them--maybe I thought they were too scary.
ReplyDeleteNow, 30 years late, I'm finally reading it. I can see why it was popular with my peers -- it's so FORBIDDEN.
I grew up with V.C. Andrews as well. And even though I am still as big of a fan of her books as I was then, I came across your blog and I also think it's hilarious and I pretty much agree with all of the posts that I've read. Sadly there isn't a lot of logic in these books, but there's just something about them that makes me unable to stop loving them.
ReplyDelete