Somebody

By Laurie Blauner

Somebody is a novel about mother-daughter relationships. It is about the daughter of a distant father and an ambitious, egocentric mother. It is an unusual novel in several ways. There is the author's command of the language. As James Welch notes, her images and metaphors are amazing, so lush and lyrical that, paragraph by paragraph, the reader wants to go back and reread them. Then there are the people who populate the book. None are less than completely drawn. The most minor character is presented with such knowledge and compassion that his sorrow and humor are entirely understandable. It is a remarkable book. As Welch says: 'Somebody' is special in the way all very good novels are-simple elements in the hands of a very good writer create a complex brew. In this case, those elements involve mother-daughter relationships, mostly absent fathers, deceitful or indifferent lovers. Laurie Blauner, a fine poet with a masterly command of language and imagery, has written a wonderfully poignant novel of growing up, of getting out to seek a life of fulfillment and, possibly, happiness. I was absolutely taken with the language and the amazing images and metaphors.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0930773667
• ISBN13: 9780930773663
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Black Heron Press
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Poetic novel

I've followed Laurie Blauner's career for years. Her acute sense of language comes from growing from the poetry of novel-writiing. Language is the key to her work. Her words clearly recreate the experience of being her characters - you read from inside their heads. This can create some discomfort among readers, but I think she moves beyond the constraints of traditional story structure to recreate an accurate emotional portrayal of a dysfunctional family - and manages to transform it into something beautiful. The reader who goes with her is rewarded with a rich experience.

A Poet's Novel

This is a fine book, and I recommend it highly. Laurie Blauner is an accomplished poet and her fiction debut provides a poet's insight to family and personal relationships. This is a painful look at family, but an honest one....

A Poet writes a novel

The use of language in this book is incredible. The story is painful, illuminating and riveting, but it was the beautiful use of language and masterful writing that kept me glued to this book until I finished it. Highly recommended!

Somebody by Laurie Blauner

Somebody is a book that is fascinating, funny, and horrible at the same time. It's an exceptional book about a family, centering on mother/daughter relationships and all those pulled into the vortex of one particular family. Much happens over the span of forty years and several states. The language and the metaphors are simply wonderful. I want to reread this intense and well-written book over and over again. Each paragraph is its own world. And all the characters are fleshed out and made human. It's touching and yet a difficult book to read. I highly recommend this book.

Somebody by Laurie Blauner

"Somebody" by Laurie Blauner is a masterfully and meticulously crafted depiction of family life. Although the characters are fictional, the issues are not. This combination gives the work broad appeal. Through a richly layered series of vignettes both humorous and serious which powerfully portray many classic character roles: self-absorbed, negligent parents, wanting children, and their varied acquaintances, Blauner blends an artistic presentation of abrasive characters with the impact of their behavior on their innocent children. It is a powerful work and one to be both savored and contemplated.