Wasteland (Block novel)
Encyclopedia
Wasteland is a novel written by Francesca Lia Block
and published in 2003.
The book is about the tragedy of love between family, incest
, and the guilt, anger, and suicide
of one of the siblings. It switches narratives and persons throughout the book, bouncing between the siblings Marina and Lex, Lex's journal, and Marina's friend West. Through flashbombs of lyrical prose peppered with symbolism and mythological references the reader is given the fragmented story of this relationship, why Lex committed suicide and the tensions that have been surrounding the two since birth.
Because of the themes of incest, child abuse, drinking, and substance abuse, combined with the constant perspective switches, Wasteland is suggested for mature readers. The title comes from the T.S. Eliot poem and if a tying thread of the story, a quote near the end summing up the conclusion aptly.
Francesca Lia Block
Francesca Lia Block is the author of adult and young adult fiction, short stories, screenplays and poetry, most famously the Weetzie Bat series. Block wrote her first book, Weetzie Bat, while a student at UC Berkeley; it was published in 1989 by Harper Collins. She is known for her use of imagery,...
and published in 2003.
The book is about the tragedy of love between family, incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, and the guilt, anger, and suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of one of the siblings. It switches narratives and persons throughout the book, bouncing between the siblings Marina and Lex, Lex's journal, and Marina's friend West. Through flashbombs of lyrical prose peppered with symbolism and mythological references the reader is given the fragmented story of this relationship, why Lex committed suicide and the tensions that have been surrounding the two since birth.
Because of the themes of incest, child abuse, drinking, and substance abuse, combined with the constant perspective switches, Wasteland is suggested for mature readers. The title comes from the T.S. Eliot poem and if a tying thread of the story, a quote near the end summing up the conclusion aptly.