A dark but addictive read (Flowers in the Attic - Virginia Andrews)

Member Name: diamond_sparkles

Product:	Flowers in the Attic - Virginia Andrews
Date:	18/07/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The characters are the best I encountered so far

Disadvantages: May be disturbing to some

When my friend told me that Virginia Andrews novel send chills through the spine, I had to laugh at the dramatic expression on her face. But when I finally picked up her first book, I have to admit that chilling is the rightful expression for this novel. This book is the first in the Dollanger Series, and the very first novel Virginia Andrews ever wrote. In all the books I have read and studied, I have never, ever encountered one such as Flowers in the Attic.


The story is about The Dollanger family who is quite happy with the addition of twins to their family until the father dies. The mother decides to go and live with her own mother, a rich old and cruel woman who confines the four children in the attic. Left to fend for themselves in their little space, the children gradually grow and uncover the deep, dark secrets of the Dollanger family.


The main characters include Chris, Cathy, Cory and Carrie- four children who are imprisoned in the attic by their own mother and grandmother. The way that two teenagers are left to play parents towards their little brother and sister is guaranteed to bring a tear to anyone. Themes such as wealth, greed, revenge all contributed towards the predicament of the children. Certain aspects of the novel are extremely disturbing, and somewhat remiscient of the Nazi war and how Jews were forced to hide in dark cellars or the attic.


The plot is the main element which helped this book into becoming such a huge success. It is bold, daring and original, and contains taboo elements such as incest. I really admire Virginia Andrews for being daring enough to introduce such elements, especially considering the fact that she wrote and lived at a time where people were a little more conservative than now. While I myself regard incest with a certain amount of disgust, Andrews is very tactful in depicting the relationship between Chris and Cathy. When reading the book, one understands the reasons behind their attraction to each other, as well as the desperation which lead them towards all their actions.


The characters of Flowers in the Attic are by far, the liveliest and most vivid characters I ever encountered through my readings. The description and appropriate words are such that when you read the book, the characters just bounce off the pages and into your mind's eye. For example, one can just portray the grandmother in all her tall, statuesque and grey-clothed appearance. I really loved the mastery of Andrews with words, she paints with her sentences and her sense of description and detain is just absolutely amazing! I just love books where the author pays a particular attention to detail, and till now, Andrews has exceeded expectations.

Every detail described contributes to the plot, in one way or the other. This novel sets the dark gothic tone, without however, being too heavy and dark for most readers. In fact, she balances between horror and humor. Indeed, this is one book which made me cry, laugh, bite my lip in anticipation, and sigh with relief every time I turned a page. The gothic aspect of the novel mainly arises from sub-plot and sub-characters. Like any good piece of gothic literature, the description of the grandmother's house is straight out of a horror movie. A large, majestic mansion with hidden doors and horrifying secrets. Other gothic elements which are incorporated into the book include the appearance of the grandmother herself, and the slow but gradual introduction of the family butler. Both these two characters play a major role into turning this book into a genuinely horrifying one.


This book has been my first Virginia Andrews one, and the best one so far. Flowers in the Attic psychologically prepare the reader for the drama and horror which will follow in the other books in the series.

A note of warning: Certain themes and aspects of the book can be disturbing to certain readers.

Thanks for reading!

Summary: The Horrifying Secrets of the Dollanger Family