A treat as Rich and Easy on the Palate as Candy Floss and Red Wine (Lost Souls - Poppy Z. Brite)

Name: Shocking Pink

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Product:	Lost Souls - Poppy Z. Brite
Date:	10/08/01 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A winking linguistic jewel ;)

Disadvantages: Gothic style not to everyone's taste - and it isn't scary.

My first point has to be that I found this book surprisingly erotic. I have come to expect sex and sensuality in books and films, and particularly in horror to be rather insipid, or at the very least a bit insulting. Butin Poppy Z. Brite world it is affirming and luxurious, at the same time as being dark and bloody.
But this is not a book about sex...
The story is pleasant and easy to read. The characters melodramatic and endearing, the metaphors colourful, kitsch, rich and delicious. Generally the plot has a 'road-trip' feel, with characters moving around, and several compelling subplots developing in different locations; including the dramatic vampire bartender, waiting the lonely years away in the heart of New Orleans, two wispish small town kids and their self absorbed fragile lives and relationships, a gang of decadent, violent vampires, and a lost, miserable disposessed vampire boy.
Usually, I prefer an altogether more pretentious type of book. But although this contained no social comment, no exploration of life-altering themes, I found it's lightness was pleasant, and contributed to the exotic effect of Poppy's poetic writing.
Overall, the book is extremely well written, with a lyrical plot and characters and lovely use of language. In stark contrast to other books in the genre, in my experience.
However, I probably wouldn't recommend it to those who find goth-kids annoying, or don't enjoy a playful 'gothic' style, as it absolutely drips with it. In fact, its not scary at all, tho as its full of vampires I guess it counts as a horror book. Some parts of the later plot get a bit silly, and slightly tarnish the lovely settings and characters that are developed so well earlier in tho book. But nobody's perfect, eh? ;) Read this one for the lovely melodramatic place it takes you to, with swirling language and imagery, rather than to find out what happens at the
end. I couldn't put it down.

Summary: