Banyan A Short Novel Cynthia A Williams 9781475225693 Books
Download As PDF : Banyan A Short Novel Cynthia A Williams 9781475225693 Books
BANYAN is a mystery revolving around one essential question--what really happened on Clara Ann's eighth birthday in 1908 which caused a cataclysmic shift in the lives of everyone involved? Like the serpentine roots of a Banyan tree, the mystery surrounding Gerald and Sayre Cuvier and their two children is sinuous and layered, drawing us into the depths of a mind confused, a mind lost in a bewildering interplay of memory and illusion. From 19th century Louisiana to tropical Florida at the turn of the century, to their insulation from the rock 'n rolling 1950s, these beautiful, hopelessly doomed people will haunt you long after the reading.
Banyan A Short Novel Cynthia A Williams 9781475225693 Books
Drenched in atmosphere, this spellbinding tale propels the reader into a world where all is not as it seems at first glance. Unsettling details emerge as the story unfolds, the suspense building until the picture shifts from exquisite beauty to terrifying horror, like the young woman/old hag optical illusion.Beautifully written, the story evokes the world of old Florida, with dense foliage, palm fronds scraping against the window screens, moss swinging from the tree limbs, sodden doors stuck shut for years. The setting is vivid and distinct. The author knows the territory. As a child, she lived in one of the grand old Florida houses on First Street by the Caloosa River where the tale is set. The result is a memorable, engrossingly good read.
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Tags : Banyan: A Short Novel [Cynthia A. Williams] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div>BANYAN is a mystery revolving around one essential question--what really happened on Clara Ann's eighth birthday in 1908 which caused a cataclysmic shift in the lives of everyone involved? Like the serpentine roots of a Banyan tree,Cynthia A. Williams,Banyan: A Short Novel,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1475225695,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Literary,Literary,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)
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Banyan A Short Novel Cynthia A Williams 9781475225693 Books Reviews
I received this book for free through a program to review books, and I really enjoyed probably the first 3/4 of the book. Well written, nice character development, and interesting story. However toward the end, when things are wrapping up, the story became hard to read and understand, and even though I understand the point was to give us insight on the mindset of the character, I think there were better ways to explore this new development. The new characters at the end explain things nicely, without needing the convoluted thoughts of the main character.
All in all, I liked *most* of the book. I even liked the end of the story, just not how it was presented to us.
I read BANYAN in one two-hour sitting. The story reveals itself slowly, and when I began, I'll admit to hanging back with a critical eye, wondering if Cynthia Williams would deliver on the foreshadowing at the start of her tale.
She does. Soon I became absorbed in BANYAN and in Williams' narrative voice. She's excellent at describing her Florida setting the mansion at the novel's center, both in its glory and in its decay; the lush, humid garden; the rains and the all-important hurricane. She navigates between characters and time periods, and I didn't have trouble following the shifts in perspective. I like this sort of mysterious tale. I was reminded in a way of Shirley Jackson (who's wonderful at building psychological horror).
Things are not always as they seem in BANYAN. Williams doesn't reveal everything at once, but gives us the answers little by little--which kept me reading until the end.
I like the way Williams writes. I still see the scenes of BANYAN in my head.
This is a different story than most. We are immersed in the memory of a time and place that isn't the same anymore. To be honest, the storyline can seem confusing, but in the end it all makes sense. We are shown a terrible tragedy and the strange affect it has on a mother.
Nothing is as it seems throughout the book, making it difficult to follow sometimes, but that is really the beauty of the story - coming to realize what is happening and why. I think this is the kind of book, even though it is very short, that could lead to some very interesting discussions.
I would recommend to those who like something different. There is the element of ghosts in the story, but it works.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for doing a review.
Sometimes the line between poetry and prose is thin. In the case of BANYAN, a novella by Cynthia A. Williams, it is gossamer.
BANYAN is a story about loss. It is about a family fatally flawed. It is the story of suffocating minds gone feral, of ghosts who are themselves haunted.
The setting is the Cuvier family home, not unlike the Burroughs House in Ft. Myers. The time of the novel is elastic, moving back and forth through the lumberyard of the author's imagination, pirouetting around the year 1905 and what turns out to be the great tragic event of the family. Family members stay inside the house most of the time, out of touch, suffocating. Family ghosts persist, drunk with madness, unsure of their identity, haunting the house just as they are themselves haunted.
In the second part of the novella, it is some fifty years later. Mrs. Dulcet conducts tours of the Cuvier home, now a national landmark and open to the public. A visitor thinks she sees a face in an upper-story window and Mrs. Dulcet, ever comfortable in her shoes, helps to disabuse visitors and readers alike of their preconceptions.
A tour de force in the Southern literary tradition, BANYAN haunts the reader with its beauty, with the rich flow of the author's stream of consciousness, not unlike the growth of a Banyan tree. At the heart of BANYAN is poetic meaning incapable of distillation.
I highly recommend reading the book at least once. I loved the Southern gothic feel of this novel, its creation of mood and the description of haunting and was shocked when the final mystery was revealed. Most of all, I loved the hurricane scene, a masterful piece of writing. I loved the character of Mrs. Dulcet. And I will always wonder who Bear is.
Cynthia A. Williams', Banyan, is a beautifully written novel. I was unable to put this one down. Her characters were mesmerizing. I look forward to reading more novels by this extremely talented writer.
What a brilliantly executed story! I was transported right into the setting. The imagery is so powerful it is like watching a movie, so real. Having lived in southwest Florida during the fifties, I can tell you for sure that this is real. If Hollywood could make this into a movie, and make it anywhere near as good as the book, it would win an Oscar for sure. It's amazing the way the author manipulates the reader into the ending. This is a really good read, and it will leave you wanting more of this extremely talented author. Let's hope there is more.
I enjoyed the read; I wanted to read it again as soon as I finished once I realized the ending! Loved it. Being from that area made it especially intriguing.
Drenched in atmosphere, this spellbinding tale propels the reader into a world where all is not as it seems at first glance. Unsettling details emerge as the story unfolds, the suspense building until the picture shifts from exquisite beauty to terrifying horror, like the young woman/old hag optical illusion.
Beautifully written, the story evokes the world of old Florida, with dense foliage, palm fronds scraping against the window screens, moss swinging from the tree limbs, sodden doors stuck shut for years. The setting is vivid and distinct. The author knows the territory. As a child, she lived in one of the grand old Florida houses on First Street by the Caloosa River where the tale is set. The result is a memorable, engrossingly good read.
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