The Accursed discussion

What are your favorite Joyce Carol Oates novels?

The Tattooed Girl, I Lock the Door Upon Myself, Foxfire, Man Crazy, The Accursed

Did you like the Accursed? I just finished it and wrote a review. I liked it but lots of folk find her too descriptive and rambling (which I love).

My favorite of her books is Little Bird of Paradise, I'll Take you There, the one about the murdered mother (can't recall the title now), We Were the Mulvaneys (I think that is my favorite).

I really liked the Accursed. My other favorite of hers is Bellefleur.

I'm currently reading The Accursed and Bellefleur and I love them both. I have put aside The Accursed for ow because Bellefeur has stollen my heart. I love how Joyce Carol Oates writes, I find so many novels lately are boring and not written with enough .... 'oomph' and the way she writes is so smooth her words become a movie in my minds eye.
I'm so happy that she has many more books that I can loose myself in, however I wish Bellefleur would never end.

Glad to hear that...so many people find JCO too wordy ....glad other people enjoy her writings, as I do!

Been off gr from awhile. I love Oates--al of the above. The one with the mother who's killed is Missing Mom. I also recommend Mud Woman, the one that came before The Accursed.

I had Mudwoman in my hand yesterday and put it back because if I buy another of her books I'll have 3 on the go...lol Next book will be Mudwoman.

I've got Gravedigger's Daughter, but haven't picked it up yet. I know--just from the reviews--it's going to be rough going. But in the end, she's worth the pain. (-:

Kathy wrote: "Did you like the Accursed? I just finished it and wrote a review. I liked it but lots of folk find her too descriptive and rambling (which I love).

My favorite of her books is Little Bird of Par..."

Missing Mom. Loved that one.

What did you like about The Accursed? Did you think the historical and the supernatural blended well together? Sometimes, I found myself laughing t the absurdity of he combination. I think one of my issues with the book was that I didn't really feel invested in the characters. The book felt like a study of a moment in time, a period piece, more of a brilliant exercise in language than a tight knit novel. I have read most of Oates' novels and the epic historical sagas like Bellefleur, have never been among my favorites. I did love Blonde and some of the others I could not put down are Them, We Were the Mulvaneys, Missing Mom, Black Water and The Falls.

I loved it. What I enjoyed about it was the blending of old fashioned gothic with a modern sense of humor.