Product Description

"[Francesca Lia] Block writes about the real Los Angeles better than anyone since Raymond Chandler."-The New York Times Book Review

"[Block] uses language like a jeweled sword glittering as it cuts to the heart."-Kirkus Reviews

After enduring from afar a seemingly endless series of outside worldwide disasters-including 9/11 and the Asian tsunami-while living in earthquake-prone Los Angeles, a bereft Katrina experiences deep inner longings for some sense of permanence, meaning, and intimacy. A preschool teacher contemplating the unsettling challenges of her mid-life, she finds solace in the company of her dear friend Grace, and conflict in the arms of a narcissistic yoga instructor, Jasper.

In this intertwining series of emotionally charged stories, wistful characters weave together a dance of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, harmony and dissonance. Beautifully written, Quakeland speaks in a deeply stirring female voice to an unspoken sense of universal longing that seems quietly prevalent in these times. It is a brave, poetic work that acknowledges the pain and loss we live with every day, and offers hope-through art and through connection-of something more.

Francesca Lia Block is renowned for her groundbreaking novels and stories, including the best-selling Weetzie Bat-postmodern, magic-realist tales for all ages. Her work transports readers through the harsh landscapes of contemporary life to magic realms of the senses where love is always a saving grace. She lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #192267 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-23
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

block shakes things up
This novel contains everything I've loved about Block's work (dreamy, color-saturated prose; insider portraits of L.A.) and some qualities I didn't expect: Not only does it take a more adult approach to relationships, but it takes a turn for the meta/experimental a little over halfway through. The narrator seems to try on different voices and different ways of retelling the story of a difficult relationship. Unlike many experimental works, though, the story remains personal and emotional. It's clear that Block and/or the narrator is telling the story not to mess around with language, but to heal. The result is a beautiful and beautifully strange work, a quick read that nevertheless encompasses the reader.

One of her most personal works
As a long-time Francesca Lia Block fan I'm pleased by how Quakeland contains the themes I've come to love so well, but is also a bit darker and has more realistic tones than her other works. Parts of it seem almost autobiographical (though I have no idea if any of it is based in reality) and that made it even more fascinating. I couldn't put it down!

Bitter
I adore Francesca Lia Block. Her language is lyrical and she manages to infuse magic and possibilities into her stories regardless of their settings. Quakeland is different. The language is still gorgeous but the story is very bitter and there isn't much hope at the end. It made me wonder if FLB has had a bad experience with a man in her personal life recently. This is about the only book of hers that I don't look forward to re-reading. If this is the first book of hers that you have read, please read one of her older novels to get a better sense of her writing.