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The Texas Trilogy #3
Країна припливів
«Країна припливів» – історія химерних подорожей. У кожного з героїв вона своя – хтось вирушає в Ютландію, хтось – на той світ, дехто блукає просторами океанів у примарній субмарині. Для одинадцятилітньої Желізи-Роуз – це мандрівка у дивовижний світ власної уяви, де оживають частинки поламаних ляльок, мерці перетворюються на болотяних людей, а світлячки прилітають побажати на добраніч. Це – подорож-втеча від реальності, яка пересічній людині здалася б трагічною, гнітючою та моторошною. Але не Желізі-Роуз. Вона вміє її змінювати. А ще вона вміє приготувати героїновий укол.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2000
27 people are currently reading
1177 people want to read
About the author
Mitch Cullin
20 books70 followersMitch Cullin is an American writer. He is the author of seven novels, and one short story collection. He currently resides in Arcadia, California and Tokyo, Japan with his partner and frequent collaborator Peter I. Chang. His books have been translated into over 10 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
November 26, 2009
crap book.
crappier movie.
crappier movie.
April 26, 2021
Πόσο σκληρά μπορούν να γίνουν τα παραμύθια στο μυαλό των μικρών παιδιών, όταν παλεύουν να τα πλάσουν μόνα τους για να ξεφύγουν απο την σκοτεινή και απελπιστική πραγματικότητα των ενηλίκων που τα ανατρέφουν γενικώς και ειδικώς.
Το Tideland είναι μια σκοτεινή πλημμύρα απο αναμμένα άστρα και πυγολαμπίδες ερωτευμένες με το βραδινό άρωμα των νυχτολούλουδων και την γεύση που έχουν τα φιλιά της πολύχρωμης εθισμένης στο θάνατο αγάπης.
Μέσα σε αυτό το γοτθικό πάντρεμα της
Αλίκης στη χώρα των θαυμάτων με το «ΨΥΧΩ»
αιτίες και αποτελέσματα, γεγονότα σκληρού ρεαλισμού και πλανεμένες νεράιδες που αποκεφάλισαν τις μάγισσες του σοκολατένιου σπιτιού και τις έριξαν στη φωτιά της σακατεμένης μοίρας, μεταμορφώθηκαν σε διαμελισμένες κούκλες που μπορείς να αγοράσεις με το κομμάτι.
Ένα κεφάλι απο την Μπάρμπι στυλίστρια δυο πόδια απο την Μπάρμπι μπαλαρίνα, ένα σώμα δίχως άκρα απο την κούκλα που έσπασε η καρδιά της και θρυμματίστηκε η ψυχή της όταν την πέταξαν στις ράγες που περνούσε κάθε νύχτα, σαν ταινία, το τρένο των απαρηγόρητων καημών.
Το κοριτσάκι που πρωταγωνιστεί αφηγείται
την αρχή και τη συνέχεια της ύπαρξης του ως παιδί που μεγαλώνει απότομα, καθώς το τραβάνε απ’την καρδιά. Μαθαίνει εύκολα αν και δεν πήγε ποτέ σχολείο, μαθαίνει απο τους εθισμένους στα ναρκωτικά γονείς του, πως η ζωή είναι ενοχλητική και άβολη αλλά γλυκιά και όμορφη.
Βασανίζεται απο όνειρα και εφιάλτες που συμβαίνουν σε πραγματικό χρόνο για εκείνη. Μισεί τη μαμά της και νιώθει απέραντα τρυφερά για τον παιχνιδιάρη μπαμπά της.
Η καθημερινότητα της είναι νοσηρή, τοξική, θλιβερή και μισητή.
Η Τζελίζα Ρόουζ μεγαλώνει σε έναν κόσμο ξεκάθαρα τρομακτικό, βρόμικο,πρόχειρο και παραμελημένο.
Παίζει με παιχνίδια βγαλμένα απο ταινίες τρόμου και συνομιλεί με τον εαυτό της και τις φωνές των αόρατων φίλων της διότι έτσι αισθάνεται ασφάλεια και θαλπωρή.
Η καθολική συμπεριφορά της παρατημένης απ’όλα και απο όλους, Τζελίζα, κάνει μια αυτόματη ψυχολογική και εγκεφαλική σύνδεση με τον αναγνώστη και τον κρατάει δέσμιο μέσα σε μια ασάφεια και μια αποπνικτική ατμόσφαιρα που βρομάει αποσύνθεση και υγρασία θλίψης και πόνου.
Όταν βγαίνεις απο το μυαλό της Τζελίζα και αντιλαμβάνεσαι τι έχει συμβεί πραγματικά, τότε το σοκ που επέρχεται είναι παραλυτικό.
Όταν τα παραμύθια γίνονται τραγωδίες.
Όταν τα παιδικά τραγούδια γίνονται κραυγές για βοήθεια. Όταν τα πραγματικά πρέπει να τα κατανοήσεις μόνος σου και να τα διαχωρίσεις απο την φαντασία φτάνεις στον σταθμό του αιώνιου τρένου τρέμοντας από την αγωνία καθώς νιώθεις ένα ατέλειωτο ουρλιαχτό να διαπερνά τη φύση.
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς και σεμνούς ασπασμούς.
Το Tideland είναι μια σκοτεινή πλημμύρα απο αναμμένα άστρα και πυγολαμπίδες ερωτευμένες με το βραδινό άρωμα των νυχτολούλουδων και την γεύση που έχουν τα φιλιά της πολύχρωμης εθισμένης στο θάνατο αγάπης.
Μέσα σε αυτό το γοτθικό πάντρεμα της
Αλίκης στη χώρα των θαυμάτων με το «ΨΥΧΩ»
αιτίες και αποτελέσματα, γεγονότα σκληρού ρεαλισμού και πλανεμένες νεράιδες που αποκεφάλισαν τις μάγισσες του σοκολατένιου σπιτιού και τις έριξαν στη φωτιά της σακατεμένης μοίρας, μεταμορφώθηκαν σε διαμελισμένες κούκλες που μπορείς να αγοράσεις με το κομμάτι.
Ένα κεφάλι απο την Μπάρμπι στυλίστρια δυο πόδια απο την Μπάρμπι μπαλαρίνα, ένα σώμα δίχως άκρα απο την κούκλα που έσπασε η καρδιά της και θρυμματίστηκε η ψυχή της όταν την πέταξαν στις ράγες που περνούσε κάθε νύχτα, σαν ταινία, το τρένο των απαρηγόρητων καημών.
Το κοριτσάκι που πρωταγωνιστεί αφηγείται
την αρχή και τη συνέχεια της ύπαρξης του ως παιδί που μεγαλώνει απότομα, καθώς το τραβάνε απ’την καρδιά. Μαθαίνει εύκολα αν και δεν πήγε ποτέ σχολείο, μαθαίνει απο τους εθισμένους στα ναρκωτικά γονείς του, πως η ζωή είναι ενοχλητική και άβολη αλλά γλυκιά και όμορφη.
Βασανίζεται απο όνειρα και εφιάλτες που συμβαίνουν σε πραγματικό χρόνο για εκείνη. Μισεί τη μαμά της και νιώθει απέραντα τρυφερά για τον παιχνιδιάρη μπαμπά της.
Η καθημερινότητα της είναι νοσηρή, τοξική, θλιβερή και μισητή.
Η Τζελίζα Ρόουζ μεγαλώνει σε έναν κόσμο ξεκάθαρα τρομακτικό, βρόμικο,πρόχειρο και παραμελημένο.
Παίζει με παιχνίδια βγαλμένα απο ταινίες τρόμου και συνομιλεί με τον εαυτό της και τις φωνές των αόρατων φίλων της διότι έτσι αισθάνεται ασφάλεια και θαλπωρή.
Η καθολική συμπεριφορά της παρατημένης απ’όλα και απο όλους, Τζελίζα, κάνει μια αυτόματη ψυχολογική και εγκεφαλική σύνδεση με τον αναγνώστη και τον κρατάει δέσμιο μέσα σε μια ασάφεια και μια αποπνικτική ατμόσφαιρα που βρομάει αποσύνθεση και υγρασία θλίψης και πόνου.
Όταν βγαίνεις απο το μυαλό της Τζελίζα και αντιλαμβάνεσαι τι έχει συμβεί πραγματικά, τότε το σοκ που επέρχεται είναι παραλυτικό.
Όταν τα παραμύθια γίνονται τραγωδίες.
Όταν τα παιδικά τραγούδια γίνονται κραυγές για βοήθεια. Όταν τα πραγματικά πρέπει να τα κατανοήσεις μόνος σου και να τα διαχωρίσεις απο την φαντασία φτάνεις στον σταθμό του αιώνιου τρένου τρέμοντας από την αγωνία καθώς νιώθεις ένα ατέλειωτο ουρλιαχτό να διαπερνά τη φύση.
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς και σεμνούς ασπασμούς.
February 19, 2019
I really enjoyed this book in the same way that I enjoyed "The Wasp Factory." The story reads similar in that it is a very disturbing with creepy undertones. I loved Jeliza Rose, I wanted to pick her up and hug her and take her away from all of the madness that was her life. There isn't any child that should live that type of life and yet Jeliza Rose was doing the only thing she could do to survive. She lives an odd life for a ten year old and she does things that no child should. She is more parent to her mom and dad than either of them are to her throughout the story. And that's sad. Her "dealing" mechanism had an aspect that I found to be most creepy but it got the kid through her days. The larger part of that is Jeliza Rose living in a world that she controls and she creates daily. The story is disturbing but there is a sweetness and innocence in Jeliza Rose's life, her imagination, her interaction with others, that makes the story lovable and real.
February 20, 2013
I've never been so torn over a book in my life. It has the potential to be the very worst book I've read, or the very best -- and it all hinges on whether or not I take a moment to reflect on my childhood and recall what it's like to be innocent, carefree, and to never know any better. How fitting that the novel got picked up by none other than Terry Gilliam, a director whose films I can never bring myself to grade or gather my thoughts around, but that always seem to take residence in my imagination and haunt my dreams. Now, even if I can't gather my thoughts around THIS book, and can only blather on about how I can't think what to say, it deserves the rating nonetheless for appearing time and again as a ghost in every story I've written. This is a terribly, terribly under-appreciated book.
October 4, 2019
Wow, that was.... an experience.
I have to admit, I had watched the movie before (though it was many years ago, I barely just remembered the bare-bones plot), so I was familiar with the story and it wasn't shocking for me, but. The story is still very grotesque and surreal, and while it may seem nonsensical at first glance... it actually makes perfect sense the entire way through, if you put yourself in the shoes of an abused 11-year-old that was lost in her imagination long before they arrived in the farmhouse. Mitch Cullin deserves some credit for NAILING a child's mentality and narrative voice.
What I didn't care for was all the kissing towards the end of the book. I don't care how "innocent" it was because of Dickens' mental impairment, but he was still a grown man, and Jeliza-Rose was most admittedly NOT. That bit was the only element of the story that was only put there for shock value, in my opinion.
The book only gets 2 stars because I rate depending on my personal enjoyment of the book. While I liked this one, I don't think I'll be re-reading it, or recommending it to anyone, or even looking back on it fondly (more like, uncomfortably)
I have to admit, I had watched the movie before (though it was many years ago, I barely just remembered the bare-bones plot), so I was familiar with the story and it wasn't shocking for me, but. The story is still very grotesque and surreal, and while it may seem nonsensical at first glance... it actually makes perfect sense the entire way through, if you put yourself in the shoes of an abused 11-year-old that was lost in her imagination long before they arrived in the farmhouse. Mitch Cullin deserves some credit for NAILING a child's mentality and narrative voice.
What I didn't care for was all the kissing towards the end of the book. I don't care how "innocent" it was because of Dickens' mental impairment, but he was still a grown man, and Jeliza-Rose was most admittedly NOT. That bit was the only element of the story that was only put there for shock value, in my opinion.
The book only gets 2 stars because I rate depending on my personal enjoyment of the book. While I liked this one, I don't think I'll be re-reading it, or recommending it to anyone, or even looking back on it fondly (more like, uncomfortably)
May 11, 2011
I discovered Tideland (the movie) last Spring through Netflix (I hesitate to say I was going through a Terry Gilliam phase, but I think that is how Netflix interpreted it). I was fascinated. It was grotesque. It was fantastical and disturbing. Pretty Amazing. I had to read the book.
My favorite Chicago bookstore, Unabridged, did not have it in stock, but they were more than happy to special order it for me, and within a couple days, I had the book in my hands. The look of the book was decidedly low-budget, but I was blinded by anticipation.
I began the book immediately. However, I fear I began the book TOO soon after seeing the movie, and Terry Gilliam won out - his adaptation was faithful and exact. Except he had the advantage of bringing Cullin's flat words to life through actors, scenery and gruesome props.
If you're going to do one or the other, I strongly recommend sticking with the movie adaptation. Cullin's ideas are fascinating and disturbing, but his prose simply does not do it justice.
My favorite Chicago bookstore, Unabridged, did not have it in stock, but they were more than happy to special order it for me, and within a couple days, I had the book in my hands. The look of the book was decidedly low-budget, but I was blinded by anticipation.
I began the book immediately. However, I fear I began the book TOO soon after seeing the movie, and Terry Gilliam won out - his adaptation was faithful and exact. Except he had the advantage of bringing Cullin's flat words to life through actors, scenery and gruesome props.
If you're going to do one or the other, I strongly recommend sticking with the movie adaptation. Cullin's ideas are fascinating and disturbing, but his prose simply does not do it justice.
December 4, 2012
Yeah, this is one of those works of art that seems like it is running a contest with itself to see how twisted and dark it can be and still qualify as 'art'.
Mitch Cullin must have given himself the idea for Tideland like this:
"I think every human being is completely fucked up, and I am going to write an entire book about it."
I know this method very well, because it's how I found out about this book in the first place.
When I was a teenager I was really into disturbing weird twisted art, particularly, in the form of films. I mainly liked the style of acting that went with them and the fact that a lot of them are interpretive. I appreciated Kubrick and Lynch and one night I stumbled upon the promotional website for an upcoming film called Tideland. I was in awe of it, because it had all of the aesthetics I related to and liked; an isolated imaginative child as the center and eyes of the story, and weird creepy elements like talking dolls and Alice in Wonderland references. I rented the film as soon as I could and eagerly watched it.
Later on I found out it had been adapted from a book, so I located it on amazon.com and eagerly read the excerpts, determined to read the whole thing some day.
Well, now it is seven years later and I finally scored the book from my local library.
Like most people say, it's hard to rate this story with just a simple, "I liked it", or "I didn't like it."
The best way for me to describe my rating is that there are elements I appreciate about Tideland, but the things that I don't like about it outweigh the good.
I was far more forgiving as a teenager; now, I have no respect for this art approach of, 'look how fucked up I can be'.
The same for the film, the same with the book.
The film adaptation and the book are extremely alike.
There are slight differences, like the timing at which events occur, and Jeliza-Rose's appearance (she is described as having orange hair and freckles in the book, as on the cover illustration, but in the film is portrayed by the beautiful and talented Jodelle Ferland, who has dark hair).
Some have criticized Cullin's writing on here, which I think is absurd.
There is no doubt that he can write. The first sentence, which writers know is arguably the hardest part to write, is well-crafted. The story itself is told through Jeliza-Rose, and sometimes I think her voice did veer off into sounding more 'male' which can happen since it's written by one, but overall I think it captures the essence of a young child in the given situations.
I appreciated the element where Jeliza-Rose is so lonely and eager to make a friend with just anybody as she is completely isolated and has such an abnormal upbringing, with no school. I relate to that aspect because I was home-schooled for most of my childhood. The plot is unique and must have been challenging to write, because it just follows the daily life of a kid who has an abnormal upbringing and is stranded in the middle of nowhere. I loved how Jeliza-Rose created different voices and personalities for her doll heads. The relationship between her and the dolls was definitely more effective in the film though. I also enjoyed the doll head names more in the film, as opposed to their boxed Barbie titles in the book (i.e. 'Cut N Style' is the given name for the head of the 'Cut N Syle' Barbie). It's eerie to think of how easily Jeliza-Rose's plight can happen in real life; an adult takes a child to the middle of nowhere and then the adult passes away and strands the child there, with no cell phone or computer.
I do think Cullin abuses his gift of writing by writing about the ugliness of the human soul throughout the whole book. Even children are not innocent, and if we remember well enough, we know this.
But to explore human ugliness in every form throughout an entire plot is just a waste of his writing, in my opinion.
That's the problem when artists delve into this realm of the 'fucked-up' is that, given the length of a plot, eventually,
What is the Point?
The Message of it all?
That human beings of every age, even children, even people who have been LOBOTOMIZED for crying out loud, are twisted and despicable?
Yes, I KNOW.
But then again, there are very ignorant people out there who might benefit from this fact of life being shoved in their face for an entire book.
That's the only point that I can discern from Tideland; Cullin just ticks down a check-list and reminds the reader how every stage of a human is 'fucked up':
-Child? Check.
-Teenager? Check.
-Adult? Check.
-Parent? Check.
-Elderly? Check.
-Epileptic who had a lobotomy? Check.
So there you go.
I just gave you the 'lesson' of the book and you don't have to read it now, unless you find reading about all that fucked-up shit entertaining.
Well, that would just make you a part of the crowd on this earth, and the punch line of the point.
The only part of the film that I found engaging on any level was Jeliza-Rose's character, which I now think is solely because of Jodelle Ferland's performance.
Because I did not wholly like her character in the book.
I found her to be inconsistent, to say the least.
And often un-realistic, which in part again I think comes from a young girl being written from a male perspective.
I think the ending of Tideland was abrupt, which happens often in literature.
I wonder what I would think about the book if I had not seen the film first.
To conclude, if I were asked to make someone lose all hope for the human race, one of the first things I would do is hand them this book.
Unless you want to spend a day immersed in the perverted ugliness of human beings, do not read Tideland.
Mitch Cullin must have given himself the idea for Tideland like this:
"I think every human being is completely fucked up, and I am going to write an entire book about it."
I know this method very well, because it's how I found out about this book in the first place.
When I was a teenager I was really into disturbing weird twisted art, particularly, in the form of films. I mainly liked the style of acting that went with them and the fact that a lot of them are interpretive. I appreciated Kubrick and Lynch and one night I stumbled upon the promotional website for an upcoming film called Tideland. I was in awe of it, because it had all of the aesthetics I related to and liked; an isolated imaginative child as the center and eyes of the story, and weird creepy elements like talking dolls and Alice in Wonderland references. I rented the film as soon as I could and eagerly watched it.
Later on I found out it had been adapted from a book, so I located it on amazon.com and eagerly read the excerpts, determined to read the whole thing some day.
Well, now it is seven years later and I finally scored the book from my local library.
Like most people say, it's hard to rate this story with just a simple, "I liked it", or "I didn't like it."
The best way for me to describe my rating is that there are elements I appreciate about Tideland, but the things that I don't like about it outweigh the good.
I was far more forgiving as a teenager; now, I have no respect for this art approach of, 'look how fucked up I can be'.
The same for the film, the same with the book.
The film adaptation and the book are extremely alike.
There are slight differences, like the timing at which events occur, and Jeliza-Rose's appearance (she is described as having orange hair and freckles in the book, as on the cover illustration, but in the film is portrayed by the beautiful and talented Jodelle Ferland, who has dark hair).
Some have criticized Cullin's writing on here, which I think is absurd.
There is no doubt that he can write. The first sentence, which writers know is arguably the hardest part to write, is well-crafted. The story itself is told through Jeliza-Rose, and sometimes I think her voice did veer off into sounding more 'male' which can happen since it's written by one, but overall I think it captures the essence of a young child in the given situations.
I appreciated the element where Jeliza-Rose is so lonely and eager to make a friend with just anybody as she is completely isolated and has such an abnormal upbringing, with no school. I relate to that aspect because I was home-schooled for most of my childhood. The plot is unique and must have been challenging to write, because it just follows the daily life of a kid who has an abnormal upbringing and is stranded in the middle of nowhere. I loved how Jeliza-Rose created different voices and personalities for her doll heads. The relationship between her and the dolls was definitely more effective in the film though. I also enjoyed the doll head names more in the film, as opposed to their boxed Barbie titles in the book (i.e. 'Cut N Style' is the given name for the head of the 'Cut N Syle' Barbie). It's eerie to think of how easily Jeliza-Rose's plight can happen in real life; an adult takes a child to the middle of nowhere and then the adult passes away and strands the child there, with no cell phone or computer.
I do think Cullin abuses his gift of writing by writing about the ugliness of the human soul throughout the whole book. Even children are not innocent, and if we remember well enough, we know this.
But to explore human ugliness in every form throughout an entire plot is just a waste of his writing, in my opinion.
That's the problem when artists delve into this realm of the 'fucked-up' is that, given the length of a plot, eventually,
What is the Point?
The Message of it all?
That human beings of every age, even children, even people who have been LOBOTOMIZED for crying out loud, are twisted and despicable?
Yes, I KNOW.
But then again, there are very ignorant people out there who might benefit from this fact of life being shoved in their face for an entire book.
That's the only point that I can discern from Tideland; Cullin just ticks down a check-list and reminds the reader how every stage of a human is 'fucked up':
-Child? Check.
-Teenager? Check.
-Adult? Check.
-Parent? Check.
-Elderly? Check.
-Epileptic who had a lobotomy? Check.
So there you go.
I just gave you the 'lesson' of the book and you don't have to read it now, unless you find reading about all that fucked-up shit entertaining.
Well, that would just make you a part of the crowd on this earth, and the punch line of the point.
The only part of the film that I found engaging on any level was Jeliza-Rose's character, which I now think is solely because of Jodelle Ferland's performance.
Because I did not wholly like her character in the book.
I found her to be inconsistent, to say the least.
And often un-realistic, which in part again I think comes from a young girl being written from a male perspective.
I think the ending of Tideland was abrupt, which happens often in literature.
I wonder what I would think about the book if I had not seen the film first.
To conclude, if I were asked to make someone lose all hope for the human race, one of the first things I would do is hand them this book.
Unless you want to spend a day immersed in the perverted ugliness of human beings, do not read Tideland.
September 19, 2024
Αν θα μου ζητούσαν να χαρακτηρίσω ένα μυθιστόρημα ως ιλιγγιώδες και προκλητικό, τότε σίγουρα το "Tideland" θα ήταν ένα από αυτά. Παρά το μικρό του μέγεθος, καταφέρνει να σε προβληματίσει με την τρελή του πραγματικότητα, να σου προκαλέσει ζαλάδα με τους ξέφρενους ρυθμούς του και τελικά, να κάνει το στομάχι σου να σφιχτεί, όχι μόνο από την δίνη της παραμυθένια υπόστασης που ντύνει την ιστορία που αφηγείται αλλά, από την αρρωστημένη, τρελή και ξέφρενη πραγματικότητα που δεν προσπαθεί σε καμία περίπτωση να παρουσιάσει μυθοπλαστικά αλλά, ζωντανά, δυνατά και ρεαλιστικά. Αν δεν είστε έτοιμοι να αντιμετωπίσετε μια ιστορία τόσο αλλόκοτη και παράλογη, που όπως λέει και ο υπότιτλός του συνδυάζει την μαγεία της "Αλίκης Στην Χώρα Των Θαυμάτων" με την τρομακτική συνείδηση του "Ψυχώ", τότε καλύτερα να ξανασκεφτείτε την επιλογή σας.
Η εντεκάχρονη Τζελίζα-Ρόουζ είναι η πρωταγωνίστρια της ιστορίας αυτής. Ένα μικρό κορίτσι του οποίου η αθωότητα σπιλώθηκε από τη γέννα της κι όλας καθότι πρόκειται για γόνο δύο ναρκομανών γονιών οι οποίοι και την καταδίκασαν σε μια ζωή ανάμεσα στην παραζάλη, στις ουσίες και στις αποτρόπαιες και αντιπαιδαγωγικές συμπεριφορές, που όχι μόνο δεν μπορούν να βοηθήσουν ένα παιδί να μεγαλώσει σωστά αλλά αντίθετα, το οδηγούν με μαθηματική ακρίβεια στην καταστροφή. Γιατί όταν έχεις καταφέρει να γκρεμίσεις τον υγιή κόσμο ενός παιδιού, όταν έχεις κατορθώσει να εξαλείψεις σχεδόν κάθε ανθρώπινο και φυσιολογικό συναίσθημά του, όταν το εξαναγκάζεις να αποφεύγει την πραγματικότητά του και να οδηγείται σε αλλόκοτες συμπεριφορές, τότε έχεις καταδικάσει τον ψυχισμό του, τη νόησή του, τη δυνατότητα να λαμβάνει αν όχι σωστές, λογικές αποφάσεις, και κατά συνέπεια, την πιθανότητα ύπαρξης ενός μέλλοντος με αξίες.
Ποια φυσιολογική ζωή θα επιφύλασσε σε ένα παιδάκι να νταντεύει τους γονείς του, να τους ταΐζει, να τους περιποιείται, να τους γιατροπορεύει, ακόμα και να τους ετοιμάζει την ένεση ηρωίνης που τόσο απελπισμένα λαχταράνε; Καμία απολύτως! Ακριβώς για τον λόγο αυτό η Τζελίζα-Ρόουζ έχει πλάσει με την φαντασία της έναν δικό της κόσμο, που μέσα από την υλική και συναισθηματική στέρηση που έχει βιώσει από τη γέννησή της κι όλας, προσπαθεί να καλύψει τα όποια κενά μπορεί, με όποιον τρόπο μπορεί. Καλύτερή της φίλη, μια ακέφαλη κούκλα, πρώτο ερωτικό σκίρτημα, ένας καθυστερημένος ενήλικας, συντροφιά της στο νέο κόσμο μετά τον θάνατο της μητέρας της, το άψυχο σώμα του πατέρα της. Ακόμα όμως και στις πιο φωτεινές φαντασιώσεις της παραμονεύει ο κίνδυνος, το σκοτάδι και ο θάνατος. Ζει σα να είναι στιγματισμένη από αυτά, σα να μην μπορεί να τα αποφύγει αλλά εν μέρη, σα να μην θέλει να το κάνει, λες και καλείται να ολοκληρώσει το πεπρωμένο της.
Ο Cullin δημιούργησε ένα σαδιστικό παραμύθι που αν μη τι άλλο έχει σκοπό να προκαλέσει τα νεύρα και τις αντοχές του αναγνώστη, γεγονός που δεν ξέρω κατά πόσο θα ικανοποιήσει τους μεσαίους εκπροσώπους του είδους. Η ιστορία του έχει αναμφίβολα ρυθμό, σασπένς, αγωνία αλλά παράλληλα, διακατέχεται από έναν αλλοπρόσαλλο σουρεαλισμό που ίσως να μην είναι τόσο εύπεπτος για κάποιους. Φυσικά, αυτή είναι στην πραγματικότητα η μαγεία της ιστορίας του η οποία, αν και στην πραγματικότητα πρόκειται για ένα καθαρόαιμο θρίλερ, υιοθετεί μια ιδιαίτερη ταυτότητα καθώς στολίζεται από δόσεις τρέλας, παραμυθοποίησης και ζωηρής φαντασίας, που μπορεί να μην είναι πάντα σε αρμονία ή σε ισορροπία αλλά αν το καλοσκεφτούμε, η υπερβολή σε τέτοιες περιπτώσεις είναι αυτή που κάνει την διαφορά και που χρησιμοποιείται με αυτόν ακριβώς τον σκοπό, να προκαλέσει φανερά για να προβληματίσει ενδόμυχα.
Με λίγα λόγια, το "Tideland" είναι ένα βιβλίο που είτε θα το λατρέψουν οι αναγνώστες, είτε θα το μισήσουν. Το να υπάρξει μια μέση κατάσταση, μάλλον μοιάζει απίθανο καθώς, είτε θα τους γοητεύσει, είτε θα τους σοκάρει και όσοι θα εντάσσονται στην δεύτερη κατηγορία, θα είναι οι συμβατικοί εκείνοι αναγνώστες που δεν μπορούν να κατανοήσουν τα όρια που μπορεί να αγγίξει η τέχνη, έστω και αν αυτά φαντάζουν ορισμένες φορές ευαίσθητα και λεπτά. Άλλωστε, μέσα από τον βιασμό μιας γλυκιάς εικόνας ή μιας ωραιοποιημένης κατάστασης, βγαίνει στην επιφάνεια η πιο αληθινή και η πιο σκληρή συνάμα και κατά περιπτώσεις, πραγματικότητα. Γιατί όσο απίθανο κι αν φαίνεται, το "Tideland" δεν είναι ένα αρρωστημένο παραμύθι αλλά, μια παραμυθοποιημένη αλήθεια που όπου κι αν υφίσταται και με όποια της μορφή, βρίσκεται καλά θαμμένη στα σκοτάδια.
Η εντεκάχρονη Τζελίζα-Ρόουζ είναι η πρωταγωνίστρια της ιστορίας αυτής. Ένα μικρό κορίτσι του οποίου η αθωότητα σπιλώθηκε από τη γέννα της κι όλας καθότι πρόκειται για γόνο δύο ναρκομανών γονιών οι οποίοι και την καταδίκασαν σε μια ζωή ανάμεσα στην παραζάλη, στις ουσίες και στις αποτρόπαιες και αντιπαιδαγωγικές συμπεριφορές, που όχι μόνο δεν μπορούν να βοηθήσουν ένα παιδί να μεγαλώσει σωστά αλλά αντίθετα, το οδηγούν με μαθηματική ακρίβεια στην καταστροφή. Γιατί όταν έχεις καταφέρει να γκρεμίσεις τον υγιή κόσμο ενός παιδιού, όταν έχεις κατορθώσει να εξαλείψεις σχεδόν κάθε ανθρώπινο και φυσιολογικό συναίσθημά του, όταν το εξαναγκάζεις να αποφεύγει την πραγματικότητά του και να οδηγείται σε αλλόκοτες συμπεριφορές, τότε έχεις καταδικάσει τον ψυχισμό του, τη νόησή του, τη δυνατότητα να λαμβάνει αν όχι σωστές, λογικές αποφάσεις, και κατά συνέπεια, την πιθανότητα ύπαρξης ενός μέλλοντος με αξίες.
Ποια φυσιολογική ζωή θα επιφύλασσε σε ένα παιδάκι να νταντεύει τους γονείς του, να τους ταΐζει, να τους περιποιείται, να τους γιατροπορεύει, ακόμα και να τους ετοιμάζει την ένεση ηρωίνης που τόσο απελπισμένα λαχταράνε; Καμία απολύτως! Ακριβώς για τον λόγο αυτό η Τζελίζα-Ρόουζ έχει πλάσει με την φαντασία της έναν δικό της κόσμο, που μέσα από την υλική και συναισθηματική στέρηση που έχει βιώσει από τη γέννησή της κι όλας, προσπαθεί να καλύψει τα όποια κενά μπορεί, με όποιον τρόπο μπορεί. Καλύτερή της φίλη, μια ακέφαλη κούκλα, πρώτο ερωτικό σκίρτημα, ένας καθυστερημένος ενήλικας, συντροφιά της στο νέο κόσμο μετά τον θάνατο της μητέρας της, το άψυχο σώμα του πατέρα της. Ακόμα όμως και στις πιο φωτεινές φαντασιώσεις της παραμονεύει ο κίνδυνος, το σκοτάδι και ο θάνατος. Ζει σα να είναι στιγματισμένη από αυτά, σα να μην μπορεί να τα αποφύγει αλλά εν μέρη, σα να μην θέλει να το κάνει, λες και καλείται να ολοκληρώσει το πεπρωμένο της.
Ο Cullin δημιούργησε ένα σαδιστικό παραμύθι που αν μη τι άλλο έχει σκοπό να προκαλέσει τα νεύρα και τις αντοχές του αναγνώστη, γεγονός που δεν ξέρω κατά πόσο θα ικανοποιήσει τους μεσαίους εκπροσώπους του είδους. Η ιστορία του έχει αναμφίβολα ρυθμό, σασπένς, αγωνία αλλά παράλληλα, διακατέχεται από έναν αλλοπρόσαλλο σουρεαλισμό που ίσως να μην είναι τόσο εύπεπτος για κάποιους. Φυσικά, αυτή είναι στην πραγματικότητα η μαγεία της ιστορίας του η οποία, αν και στην πραγματικότητα πρόκειται για ένα καθαρόαιμο θρίλερ, υιοθετεί μια ιδιαίτερη ταυτότητα καθώς στολίζεται από δόσεις τρέλας, παραμυθοποίησης και ζωηρής φαντασίας, που μπορεί να μην είναι πάντα σε αρμονία ή σε ισορροπία αλλά αν το καλοσκεφτούμε, η υπερβολή σε τέτοιες περιπτώσεις είναι αυτή που κάνει την διαφορά και που χρησιμοποιείται με αυτόν ακριβώς τον σκοπό, να προκαλέσει φανερά για να προβληματίσει ενδόμυχα.
Με λίγα λόγια, το "Tideland" είναι ένα βιβλίο που είτε θα το λατρέψουν οι αναγνώστες, είτε θα το μισήσουν. Το να υπάρξει μια μέση κατάσταση, μάλλον μοιάζει απίθανο καθώς, είτε θα τους γοητεύσει, είτε θα τους σοκάρει και όσοι θα εντάσσονται στην δεύτερη κατηγορία, θα είναι οι συμβατικοί εκείνοι αναγνώστες που δεν μπορούν να κατανοήσουν τα όρια που μπορεί να αγγίξει η τέχνη, έστω και αν αυτά φαντάζουν ορισμένες φορές ευαίσθητα και λεπτά. Άλλωστε, μέσα από τον βιασμό μιας γλυκιάς εικόνας ή μιας ωραιοποιημένης κατάστασης, βγαίνει στην επιφάνεια η πιο αληθινή και η πιο σκληρή συνάμα και κατά περιπτώσεις, πραγματικότητα. Γιατί όσο απίθανο κι αν φαίνεται, το "Tideland" δεν είναι ένα αρρωστημένο παραμύθι αλλά, μια παραμυθοποιημένη αλήθεια που όπου κι αν υφίσταται και με όποια της μορφή, βρίσκεται καλά θαμμένη στα σκοτάδια.
February 11, 2024
відверто не рекомендую це до прочитання. наркоманські в прямому і переносному значенні розділи.
щоразу давала собі надію, шо далі буде цікавіше, але помилилась.
щоразу давала собі надію, шо далі буде цікавіше, але помилилась.
November 14, 2022
I love the surreal genre and Tideland was surreal to a T, delivering the abstract in spades. Absolutely haunting and ambrosial.
January 9, 2023
Pierwsze zdanie tej recenzji po prostu musi brzmieć: była to jedna z NAJLEPSZYCH książek jakie przeczytałam w całym moim życiu. A oprócz tego była to także jedną z najDZIWNIEJSZYCH. Opowiadała o jedenastoletniej dziewczynce która wychowywała się praktycznie samodzielnie. Miała potworne dzieciństwo i okrutną matkę, która umiera. Więc dziewczynka ze swoim ojcem udają się do domu w Teksasie. Tam bohaterka odpływa w swój przerażający świat wyobraźni. Książka opowiada o samotności, strachu czy innym postrzeganiu z pozoru prostych codziennych czynności. Fabuła okraszona elementami grozy i owiana dziwną niepewnością. W sumie sama nie umiem odpisać dlacrzgo ta książka mnie tak poruszyła ale była po prostu napisana w takim klimacie i poruszała takie kwestie, w taki sposób że serce czasem łamało się gwałtownie a czasem powieść znów próbowała je skleić. Podczas lektury czułam ogromna ilość przeróżnych uczyć od radości po obrzydzenie i smutek. Polecam każdemu samodzielnie zagłębić się w tę książkę i samemu spróbować wysnuć jakieś wnioski co zaręczam nie będzie proste.
Tytuł po polsku: "kraina traw"
Tytuł po polsku: "kraina traw"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2019
Я не буду советовать эту книгу никому, не смотря на то, что она мне очень понравилась - эмоционально очень тяжелая. Это "Алиса в стране чудес", только наоборот: здесь девочка живет в мире кошмаров, а спрятаться пытается в мыслях, которые немногим лучше реального мира. Мира: где маму заменяет голова куклы; где кормишься тем, что найешь; где утро начинается с приготовления очередной дозы для родителей, которым все равно есть у них ребенок или нет. А потом все становится хуже и хуже. Реальный мир превращается в самый настоящий кошмар(с настоящими монстрами), из которого ребенок пытается вырваться.
Книжка временами отвратительна, просто брызжет мерзостью, а потом резко осыпает красотой детской души и фантазии.
Автор очень умело маневрирует в детском сознании. Читая книгу, я вспоминал свое детство, а именно те моменты, когда друзья по какой либо из причин со мной погулять не могли, и приходилось в одиночку создавать себе игру. Мы же все помним как мы рассчитывались зелеными листиками в песочном магазине?
Книжка временами отвратительна, просто брызжет мерзостью, а потом резко осыпает красотой детской души и фантазии.
Автор очень умело маневрирует в детском сознании. Читая книгу, я вспоминал свое детство, а именно те моменты, когда друзья по какой либо из причин со мной погулять не могли, и приходилось в одиночку создавать себе игру. Мы же все помним как мы рассчитывались зелеными листиками в песочном магазине?
June 4, 2016
I saw the film when it came out. That was ten years ago and I don’t remember much about it if I’m being honest. As I read the book some of it came back to me but only impressions. I should probably watch it again now. The book I enjoyed immensely and I can see why Gilliam jumped at the chance to direct it although I would’ve been equally excited to see a version by Tim Burton; I suppose Big Fish is the closest we’ll ever get to that.
My only real problem with the book was I didn’t know when it was being narrated. I knew who but not when and it wouldn’t have taken much to answer that question. We learn very early on in the novel something important about Jeliza-Rose:
The story is simple enough and only covers a few days. Jeliza-Rose and her sixty-seven-year-old father—her mother has died of a drug overdose—make their way back to her grandmother’s home which, for some reason, she’d named What Rocks. Jeliza-Rose never met her; the old woman died before she was born. He dad and her are only the two there. There’s no power or running water and the only hint that they’re not living a hundred years earlier is the battery-powered radio and the upturned wreck of a school bus out by the rail track. Jeliza-Rose gets to run wild and has no problems being naked even in front of her dad who sits in his chair in the living room and says nothing. She assumes he’s on a trip but a side of her—the side of her still in touch with the real world—knows he’s dead even if his death was nothing like his wife’s. She talks to him and imagines what he’d say back in just the same way as she gives voices to her various Barbie doll heads which she wear on her fingers. They came loaded with provisions so she has food and water but not enough to last any length of time.
Whilst wandering through the thick, wild grass Jeliza-Rose encounters a neighbour who she decides is a ghost lady but turns out to be her eccentric neighbour who knew her grandmother when she was alive and her dad too we learn. The woman, Dell, wears protective headgear during the day because she’s afraid of bees. She lives with her brother, Dickens, reduced to a simpleton following a brain operation to treat his epilepsy:
This is a thought-provoking novel and although it has the potential to be dark and scary Jeliza-Rose rarely comes across as a scared kid. If anything her irrepressible curiosity shows her to be quite brave albeit naïve and inexperienced. Above everything else she’s a survivor which is why I like to think that it’s a grownup Jeliza-Rose that’s telling her story which she does with some affection.
You can read the first chapter here.
My only real problem with the book was I didn’t know when it was being narrated. I knew who but not when and it wouldn’t have taken much to answer that question. We learn very early on in the novel something important about Jeliza-Rose:
[E]ven though I was eleven, I had never been in a school bus. I had never been to school.Her parents were junkies. Her dad had been a successful musician and so much of the girl’s formative years were spent on the road. Later she ends up being little more than her parents’ hand and feet:
[…]
Because my father believed public education bred dumb children, I was schooled at home, which amounted to little more than stolen library books (literary classics picked by my father, way beyond my reading ability), and afternoons of PBS.
At nine, I was given two chores—massaging my mother’s legs, sanitizing and preparing the syringe. And while I became conscientious at both, there was only enjoyment to be had in making sure the needle was ready.Had the authorities learned what her life was like they would’ve regarded her as an abuse case and shunted her off into care and yet Jeliza-Rose really doesn’t come across as a victim despite the fact she copes by inhabiting a fantasy world where her only friends are a handful of Barbie doll heads which she rescues from a thrift shop: “All Doll Parts, Mix & Match, 5 for $1.” There’s an innocence to her and yet her language is not in keeping with what I imagine an eleven-year-old girl would talk like, even a precocious one. She uses words like ‘prophylactic’, ‘askance’ and ‘precarious’ comfortably and correctly and I know plenty of adults who don’t use words like that. She also identifies the vegetation in a way no city-dweller ever could; I’ve no idea what buckthorn, Johnsongrass or sorghum is. This is why I find myself wondering if it’s the adult Jeliza-Rose that’s looking back and telling her story. It’s a minor gripe but I would’ve liked to know for sure. I would’ve liked to know what happened to the girl in the book. It’s not important we know but a short epilogue wouldn’t have gone amiss.
The story is simple enough and only covers a few days. Jeliza-Rose and her sixty-seven-year-old father—her mother has died of a drug overdose—make their way back to her grandmother’s home which, for some reason, she’d named What Rocks. Jeliza-Rose never met her; the old woman died before she was born. He dad and her are only the two there. There’s no power or running water and the only hint that they’re not living a hundred years earlier is the battery-powered radio and the upturned wreck of a school bus out by the rail track. Jeliza-Rose gets to run wild and has no problems being naked even in front of her dad who sits in his chair in the living room and says nothing. She assumes he’s on a trip but a side of her—the side of her still in touch with the real world—knows he’s dead even if his death was nothing like his wife’s. She talks to him and imagines what he’d say back in just the same way as she gives voices to her various Barbie doll heads which she wear on her fingers. They came loaded with provisions so she has food and water but not enough to last any length of time.
Whilst wandering through the thick, wild grass Jeliza-Rose encounters a neighbour who she decides is a ghost lady but turns out to be her eccentric neighbour who knew her grandmother when she was alive and her dad too we learn. The woman, Dell, wears protective headgear during the day because she’s afraid of bees. She lives with her brother, Dickens, reduced to a simpleton following a brain operation to treat his epilepsy:
"What happened to your head?”An unhealthy friendship develops between Dickens and the girl both of whom spend more time living in their imaginations than anything else. The problem is Dell is harbouring a secret and her relationship with the family clearly extended to more than her being a good neighbour.
"Nothing—except when I was little they cut inside. Well, I wasn’t that little. But when I was younger they did because I’m epileptic. Couldn’t even mow a lawn. So they cut my brain. Now I have two brains so I’m not epileptic no more, only sometimes."
This is a thought-provoking novel and although it has the potential to be dark and scary Jeliza-Rose rarely comes across as a scared kid. If anything her irrepressible curiosity shows her to be quite brave albeit naïve and inexperienced. Above everything else she’s a survivor which is why I like to think that it’s a grownup Jeliza-Rose that’s telling her story which she does with some affection.
You can read the first chapter here.
October 25, 2024
Книга має різні тригерні моменти, наприклад, жорстокість до тварин, важкі сцени буднів наркоманів.. але я все це сприйняла спокійно, в голові завжди є думка що воно несправжнє. Та вважаю що про це потрібно попередити, якщо ви чутливі до подібного - подумайте потрібно читати чи ні.
«Країна припливів» це історія дівчинки Желізи-Роуз, батьки якої колишній рокер та його фанатка, а ще вони наркомани. Ви можете уявити як вона живе і як виховується. Книга підіймає непросте питання наркозалежних батьків, їх вплив на дитину та на майбутнє дорослішання, до якого вони її не готують. Дитина непристосована до життя, вона тікає у свій вигаданий світ аби існувати, пояснити собі все навкруги та пристосуватись до реальності.
Книга тривожна, похмура, важка, дивна, трагічна, з психоделічною і викривленою атмосферою. Це дуже тонка соціальна драма, яка подається у вигляді фантасмагоричної Аліси в країні див. Проте фінал дає промінчик надії, завжди можна відштовхнутися від дна і побачити поверхню.
Увесь час, поки читала книгу мала думку, що таке життя може справді бути у якоїсь нещасної дитини, батьки якої існують на самому дні. Життя, яке скоріше за все відбувається десь у світі прямо зараз. Оце справді жахає.
«Країна припливів» це історія дівчинки Желізи-Роуз, батьки якої колишній рокер та його фанатка, а ще вони наркомани. Ви можете уявити як вона живе і як виховується. Книга підіймає непросте питання наркозалежних батьків, їх вплив на дитину та на майбутнє дорослішання, до якого вони її не готують. Дитина непристосована до життя, вона тікає у свій вигаданий світ аби існувати, пояснити собі все навкруги та пристосуватись до реальності.
Книга тривожна, похмура, важка, дивна, трагічна, з психоделічною і викривленою атмосферою. Це дуже тонка соціальна драма, яка подається у вигляді фантасмагоричної Аліси в країні див. Проте фінал дає промінчик надії, завжди можна відштовхнутися від дна і побачити поверхню.
Увесь час, поки читала книгу мала думку, що таке життя може справді бути у якоїсь нещасної дитини, батьки якої існують на самому дні. Життя, яке скоріше за все відбувається десь у світі прямо зараз. Оце справді жахає.
June 25, 2024
проста історія, котра непросто написана. про те, як одинадцятирічна дівчинка, донька наркоманів, поринає у власний вигаданий світ.
зображено це все доволі кріпово.
чим далі читаєш книгу, тим більше наростає химерність тексту, з'являються жаскі події. а реальність починає перемішуватися з вигадками.
кажуть, є ще фільм.
кажуть, теж кріповий.
перевіряти не хочу
зображено це все доволі кріпово.
чим далі читаєш книгу, тим більше наростає химерність тексту, з'являються жаскі події. а реальність починає перемішуватися з вигадками.
кажуть, є ще фільм.
кажуть, теж кріповий.
перевіряти не хочу
September 23, 2022
Яка ж вона геніальна і наскільки ж бридка
May 11, 2023
— Ти вже мертва, любонько.
— Вже?
— Примара.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2025
Це була в одночас неймовірно бридка та гарна, дивна та проста, химерна та фантасмагорична, зворушлива і відчайдушна історія-казка.
Світ очима одинадцятирічної дівчинки з доволі цікавим ім'ям Желіза-Роуз. Вона переживає важке життя, але знаходить втечу у власну уяву. Це її подорож у власний світ уяви, де поламані частинки ляльок оживають, мерці стають болотяними людьми, а світлячки дарують заспокійливий вечір. Ця подорож стає для дівчинки способом втекти від реальності, яка здається важкою, гнітючою та моторошною.
Чи сподобалось мені? Однозначно.
Чи порекомендую комусь? Я так не думаю.
Вельми недооцінена,але я щаслива, що познайомилась з цією історією.
Світ очима одинадцятирічної дівчинки з доволі цікавим ім'ям Желіза-Роуз. Вона переживає важке життя, але знаходить втечу у власну уяву. Це її подорож у власний світ уяви, де поламані частинки ляльок оживають, мерці стають болотяними людьми, а світлячки дарують заспокійливий вечір. Ця подорож стає для дівчинки способом втекти від реальності, яка здається важкою, гнітючою та моторошною.
Чи сподобалось мені? Однозначно.
Чи порекомендую комусь? Я так не думаю.
Вельми недооцінена,але я щаслива, що познайомилась з цією історією.
October 5, 2017
it started off ok & it was a quick read with some moments that weren't terrible, but I didn't really like it. I didn't really find much of a story, but maybe something just went over my head. sometimes it seemed weird for weirdness's sake but it wasn't as strange or creepy as I was hoping it would be. just left a lot to be desired, for me.
February 25, 2024
to zdecydowanie najdziwniejsza książka jaką przeczytałem w całym swoim życiu
February 8, 2024
I regret wasting my time on this book. It's weird and not in a good way. The characters are bland. The story is mediocre. There's nothing interesting happening. It's a drag.
April 6, 2009
Doug and I were at our local video rental place (TLA), not looking for anything in particular, when we happened across a copy of Terry Gilliam's movie adaptation of this book. Neither of us had seen it (or heard anything about it), and Doug is a big Terry Gilliam fan, so we rented it. The movie was odd and disturbing, but the story was strangely compelling, so when I saw that it was based on a novel by Mitch Cullin, I thought I'd pick it up at the library if we had a copy. And we did, so I did.
As it turns out, the movie is extremely faithful to the book, although the movie downplays the creepy child-molestation stuff. There is really no way to fully explain all this without providing a bunch of spoilers, so I apologize in advance. The novel is about Jeliza-Rose, a young girl (somewhere between 9 and 12 years old) who has never gone to school or interacted with kids her own age. Her parents are heroin addicts, and when her mother dies of a methadone overdose, her aging musician father whisks Jeliza-Rose off to a crumbling Texas farmhouse to hide out. Unfortunately for Jeliza-Rose, Dad soon kicks the bucket himself, and while he slowly decomposes in his rocking chair, the little girl is left to wander the desolate prairie with only her collection of Barbie doll heads for company. She soon meets her only neighbors -- a recluse named Dell and her younger brother, Dickens, whose epilepsy has been treated with brain surgery, leaving him a child in a man's body. And it just gets weirder...and weirder...and weirder from there. (Jeliza-Rose ends up having a creepy semi-relationship with Dickens that was quite cringe-inducing.)
I've read plenty of dark and macabre stuff, so my unease with the story doesn't spring from that...rather, it's the discomfort of imagining a kid having to go through this sort of nightmare. Jeliza-Rose has no knowledge of what normal, or even moderately dysfunctional, life could be like, and even though it's suggested that she's "rescued" in the end, you get the sense that her world is always going to be populated with preserved bog people and submarine captains and devious doll heads. I enjoyed Cullin's writing -- his tone was very simple and straightforward, which is to be expected when the narrator is a child, I think, and I'd be interested to see if his other novels have a similar voice.
As it turns out, the movie is extremely faithful to the book, although the movie downplays the creepy child-molestation stuff. There is really no way to fully explain all this without providing a bunch of spoilers, so I apologize in advance. The novel is about Jeliza-Rose, a young girl (somewhere between 9 and 12 years old) who has never gone to school or interacted with kids her own age. Her parents are heroin addicts, and when her mother dies of a methadone overdose, her aging musician father whisks Jeliza-Rose off to a crumbling Texas farmhouse to hide out. Unfortunately for Jeliza-Rose, Dad soon kicks the bucket himself, and while he slowly decomposes in his rocking chair, the little girl is left to wander the desolate prairie with only her collection of Barbie doll heads for company. She soon meets her only neighbors -- a recluse named Dell and her younger brother, Dickens, whose epilepsy has been treated with brain surgery, leaving him a child in a man's body. And it just gets weirder...and weirder...and weirder from there. (Jeliza-Rose ends up having a creepy semi-relationship with Dickens that was quite cringe-inducing.)
I've read plenty of dark and macabre stuff, so my unease with the story doesn't spring from that...rather, it's the discomfort of imagining a kid having to go through this sort of nightmare. Jeliza-Rose has no knowledge of what normal, or even moderately dysfunctional, life could be like, and even though it's suggested that she's "rescued" in the end, you get the sense that her world is always going to be populated with preserved bog people and submarine captains and devious doll heads. I enjoyed Cullin's writing -- his tone was very simple and straightforward, which is to be expected when the narrator is a child, I think, and I'd be interested to see if his other novels have a similar voice.
July 4, 2013
Although I finished Tideland two days ago, it took me those full two days to figure out how I actually felt about it. I loved Mitch Cullins' writing style; he has skill, no doubt, shown by his ability to use sophisticated language, simplified to fit the adolescent protagonist's voice and complement the narrative, so the reader is never hindered. The writing simply flowed. However, the story itself was...strange and disturbing, to say the least.
Young Jeliza-Rose has been traumatized countless times and escapes the horrific circumstances she doesn't understand, probably because of her young, naive age, by transforming her surroundings into a dream world. Cullins seamlessly blends Jeliza-Rose's reality with her imagination without simplifying the narrative into child's prose...which is clearly a good thing since, although Jeliza-Rose is a child, no child should ever read a book this disturbing. Drug abuse, child abuse, molestation, death, manipulation, starvation...it's all in here. Jeliza-Rose witnesses and experiences all these acts and with her young eye, describes them as straightforward and honestly as any other child.
Even worse than what Jeliza-Rose experiences is how the plot lacks a purpose for describing those scenes in the first place. If I had known that there would be no clear solution or moral, would I have even started reading this book? What did Cullins wish to achieve in writing this book, besides exposing his skill at drawing an adult reader into a child's imagination?
I don't see a purpose to the horrors in this book, besides exposing Mitch Cullins' obvious writing skill. He took a disturbing idea, twisted it until he could wring every bit of disgust out of it, and created a book that you can either love for the writing or hate for the storyline. Or maybe a bit of both. Or maybe, like me, you can be stuck awkwardly and uncomfortably in the middle.
Young Jeliza-Rose has been traumatized countless times and escapes the horrific circumstances she doesn't understand, probably because of her young, naive age, by transforming her surroundings into a dream world. Cullins seamlessly blends Jeliza-Rose's reality with her imagination without simplifying the narrative into child's prose...which is clearly a good thing since, although Jeliza-Rose is a child, no child should ever read a book this disturbing. Drug abuse, child abuse, molestation, death, manipulation, starvation...it's all in here. Jeliza-Rose witnesses and experiences all these acts and with her young eye, describes them as straightforward and honestly as any other child.
Even worse than what Jeliza-Rose experiences is how the plot lacks a purpose for describing those scenes in the first place. If I had known that there would be no clear solution or moral, would I have even started reading this book? What did Cullins wish to achieve in writing this book, besides exposing his skill at drawing an adult reader into a child's imagination?
I don't see a purpose to the horrors in this book, besides exposing Mitch Cullins' obvious writing skill. He took a disturbing idea, twisted it until he could wring every bit of disgust out of it, and created a book that you can either love for the writing or hate for the storyline. Or maybe a bit of both. Or maybe, like me, you can be stuck awkwardly and uncomfortably in the middle.
December 14, 2023
Аліса в Дивокраї під ще більшими галюциногенами, ніж оригінал, — саме так я описала б цю книгу. Вона починається досить невинно, з дитячих фантазій, ігор та пустощів, а під кінець наповнюється такими сюрреалістичними жахами, що в якийсь момент стає некомфортно читати. Проте книга коротка, її можна завершити за один захід.
Головна героїня книги — маленька дівчинка на ім’я Желіза-Роуз, якій непощастило з батьками. Тато — підстаркуватий музикант, що ганяється за власними фантазіями, поринаючи у героїнові приходи; матір — жінка, що колись фанатіла від свого чоловіка, а тепер стала привидом себе самої, втратила жагу до життя та забула, що взагалі-то має доньку. За сюжетом вона вмирає на самому початку, але слідує за Желізою страшною тінню через усю історію.
Ця книга не про сюжет як такий, вона про світ фантазій, у якому ховається маленька героїня. Сюжетів тут безліч: і казкова подорож океанами, і втеча від старої відьми, і кохання, що переростає у довгий-довгий шлюб із сусідським хлопчиком (лише в уяві!). І якщо спочатку ігри Желізи доволі веселі, то згодом перетворюються на жахи, які змішуються із реальністю. А потім ти перестаєш розуміти, де та реальність, а де вигадки дівчинки. Чи ота бридка сцена була насправді? Чи Желіза вигадала її, перебуваючи на самоті? Тут все непевне, примарне та дивне, тому кінцівка ставить у ступор: це насправді сталося чи чергова гра Желізи? А ще тут плутається час, минуле й майбутнє переплітаюся, але знову ж таки: чи насправді?
Мені сподобалося, як майстерно автор додав посилання на Алісу та мешканців Країни Див. Упродовж книги можна зустріти кролячу нору, шалену Герцогиню та інших знайомих героїв, половину з яких я, мабуть, не впізнала, бо вже забула деталі творів Керролла.
В цілому книга легко й швидко читається, бо написана очима дитини, але приготуйтеся, що мозок розплавить та розбере на гайки :)
Головна героїня книги — маленька дівчинка на ім’я Желіза-Роуз, якій непощастило з батьками. Тато — підстаркуватий музикант, що ганяється за власними фантазіями, поринаючи у героїнові приходи; матір — жінка, що колись фанатіла від свого чоловіка, а тепер стала привидом себе самої, втратила жагу до життя та забула, що взагалі-то має доньку. За сюжетом вона вмирає на самому початку, але слідує за Желізою страшною тінню через усю історію.
Ця книга не про сюжет як такий, вона про світ фантазій, у якому ховається маленька героїня. Сюжетів тут безліч: і казкова подорож океанами, і втеча від старої відьми, і кохання, що переростає у довгий-довгий шлюб із сусідським хлопчиком (лише в уяві!). І якщо спочатку ігри Желізи доволі веселі, то згодом перетворюються на жахи, які змішуються із реальністю. А потім ти перестаєш розуміти, де та реальність, а де вигадки дівчинки. Чи ота бридка сцена була насправді? Чи Желіза вигадала її, перебуваючи на самоті? Тут все непевне, примарне та дивне, тому кінцівка ставить у ступор: це насправді сталося чи чергова гра Желізи? А ще тут плутається час, минуле й майбутнє переплітаюся, але знову ж таки: чи насправді?
Мені сподобалося, як майстерно автор додав посилання на Алісу та мешканців Країни Див. Упродовж книги можна зустріти кролячу нору, шалену Герцогиню та інших знайомих героїв, половину з яких я, мабуть, не впізнала, бо вже забула деталі творів Керролла.
В цілому книга легко й швидко читається, бо написана очима дитини, але приготуйтеся, що мозок розплавить та розбере на гайки :)
November 21, 2015
As with most the Gilliam adaptation spurred me on to read the book. In a nutshell (not in front of the squirrels) Gilliam nailed the book, the differences are few and obviously to enhance the dramatic flow. The book, is good, but I would add it isnt for everyone, definately marmite on that front. The premise of the story is that Jeliza Rose our heroine and a child returns with her father to his late mothers home in Texas, after the death of her own mother due to a drug overdose. Her father, is also a junkie dies of an overdose on their first night there and the story is that to Jelizas survival. Jeliza is no ordinary child, in fact it appears she has been denied a childhood due to the substance abuse of her parents. She is expected to cook up for them and survives for days on her own between their scores. She does not like her mother who is mean and bed ridden, she appears to love her father and he tries his best to stimulate her intelect. The story crops up early about the discovery of preserved Danish bog bodies, and the journey her father tales post death is an obvious parallel to this, that nothing really dies, only the form changes. Due to her solitary existence Jeliza's only other outlet for communication are her fore disembodied Barbie heads, with who she constructs conversations. Jeliza is neither child nor adult, she has never been expected to act as a child and has only had the company of dysfunctional adults. I will spoil the story no further.
June 3, 2021
Had I known what to expect, I wouldn't have read it at all. About a year ago I came across a video on Youtube about the movie adaptation from Gilliam. Intrigued, I stopped the video after 2 minutes after learning it was inspired by this book, and wanting to avoid spoilers. So I bought the book and put it on my kindle. But didn't read it for a while, until now.
I seldom felt so oppressed reading a book. It was like being in apnea all along, diving deeper and deeper into madness. Closing the book allowed me to breath again. Getting out of the story was a relief, and thankfully the book is short. What would have happened to me if it had been longer? Disturbing thought, really.
I had absolutely nothing to hold on to, no stable ground where to rest. All was uneasiness, disgust, pity. Wanting things to end for that girl, however that might happen.
That is probably exactly what the author expected, how can it be otherwise with such a depressing story? Does that make it a good book? Probably it does for many readers.
Personally, I did not enjoy reading it, as you might have understood. And people who did... well, another disturbing thought.
I read to enjoy stories, I read so that when the book's finished I am both happy (I enjoyed it) and sad (I want more but it's over). Tideland provided none. It was written that way, I get it. But it was not written for me as a reader.
I seldom felt so oppressed reading a book. It was like being in apnea all along, diving deeper and deeper into madness. Closing the book allowed me to breath again. Getting out of the story was a relief, and thankfully the book is short. What would have happened to me if it had been longer? Disturbing thought, really.
I had absolutely nothing to hold on to, no stable ground where to rest. All was uneasiness, disgust, pity. Wanting things to end for that girl, however that might happen.
That is probably exactly what the author expected, how can it be otherwise with such a depressing story? Does that make it a good book? Probably it does for many readers.
Personally, I did not enjoy reading it, as you might have understood. And people who did... well, another disturbing thought.
I read to enjoy stories, I read so that when the book's finished I am both happy (I enjoyed it) and sad (I want more but it's over). Tideland provided none. It was written that way, I get it. But it was not written for me as a reader.
October 21, 2021
An incredible slice of life. I love the gritty realism of the setting and characters, and the authentically childlike fantasies and rationale of Jeliza-Rose. The whole story takes place after she has already arrived in What Rocks, and presumably ends when she leaves with the nice woman from the train accident. I would almost call this one of my favourite books, but there are some things I would change if I could.
While I love how we get inside Jeliza-Rose's head and become a young child again, the writing vocabulary took me out of the fantasy at first. Her speaking vocabulary is spot on, just as a kid her age would speak, and although the internal dialog in spirit is also spot on, the words and phrases themselves are far beyond what it should be. If this is a reflection on her childhood as an adult, that would make sense, but that is never indicated.
My second issue is the ending. It's so abrupt, and we never know what happens to her Captain, or what might be waiting for Jeliza-Rose after she leaves What Rocks. Granted many events in real life are like this, we often lose people and have no idea what happens to them after we have moved on from them. Still, I wish there had been some hints. It left me wanting more!
While I love how we get inside Jeliza-Rose's head and become a young child again, the writing vocabulary took me out of the fantasy at first. Her speaking vocabulary is spot on, just as a kid her age would speak, and although the internal dialog in spirit is also spot on, the words and phrases themselves are far beyond what it should be. If this is a reflection on her childhood as an adult, that would make sense, but that is never indicated.
My second issue is the ending. It's so abrupt, and we never know what happens to her Captain, or what might be waiting for Jeliza-Rose after she leaves What Rocks. Granted many events in real life are like this, we often lose people and have no idea what happens to them after we have moved on from them. Still, I wish there had been some hints. It left me wanting more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2020
An incredible story, full of cruelty, pain, sadness and confusion, and on the other hand full of comedy interwoven with black humor. My first impression after reading the book was the question: "How much and on what drugs the author was on when writing it?" Over time, however, I noticed, not without horror, that this story strongly refers to real life; all the psychedelic and schizophrenic personalities of the main characters show us how much life can be complicated, and we in this life are simply even more crazy. The book is really worth reading.
September 24, 2022
Sinister, dark, grotesque and surreal. The inner workings of a strange child's mind as she navigates the disturbing and toxic realities of her parents. Had similar vibes to the Wasp Factory by Iain Banks.
January 14, 2016
Probably lots of people don't like the story because it's too creepy. I think the little girl's imagination leads you to another world so that you can totally forget the misery. There's a deeper meaning in the story that's why it makes the book more interesting
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