The Mineral Palace
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Like many first novelists Heidi Julavits attempts to pack a big punch in her debut, The Mineral Palace. The plot revolves round the fate of Bena Jonsson, a young mother who moves with her doctor-husband and infant son in 1934 to the depression hell-hole of Pueblo, Colorado, to begin what the couple hope will be a new life. But the signs are ominous. En route from Minnesota, Bena encounters Bonnie, the famous lover of gangster Clyde, who presses a medallion into the young mother's hand. There is little room for optimism when the couple reaches Pueblo, which seems full of corrupt townspeople hiding many secrets and indulging in much bad behaviour.
Unfortunately, there is simply far too much happening in this novel and what might have been a compelling tale spills over into melodrama. Bena befriends a cowboy named Red who is, in turn, involved with Maude, a pregnant prostitute who was also his childhood friend. He supplies Maude with laudanum and sympathy but cannot prevent her from perpetuating terrible, violent retribution against the townspeople who have abused and ridiculed her. Unfortunately Maude's character is so incredible and her crime painted in such garish strokes that it taints some of Julavits' stronger and more sympathetic characters. It is also hard to take Julavits' portrait of Pueblo in the 1930s as an accurate historical backdrop as the character's behaviour seems suspiciously contemporary. Bena, with her baby son only weeks old, heads off to become a journalist on the local newspaper with her breast pump in her bag and the blessing of her husband.
By the novel's end, there seems to be corpses littered everywhere as the seemingly innocent Bena and her husband, begin their own cycle of hiding horrors in their freshly constructed closet. Despite a few lovely touches, this is a debut that suffers from an overly ambitious plot and far too much gratuitous blood. --Julie Wheelwright
A magician with language (PUBLISHERS WEEKLY)
A compelling debut by a strong new voice in fiction (ELLE)
A novel of daring imagination (VOICE LITERARY SUPPLEMENT)
Like many first novelists Heidi Julavits attempts to pack a big punch in her debut, The Mineral Palace. The plot revolves round the fate of Bena Jonsson, a young mother who moves with her doctor-husband and infant son in 1934 to the depression hell-hole (Unfortunately, there is simply far too much happening in this novel and what might have been a compelling tale spills over into melodrama. Bena befriends a cowboy named Red who is, in turn, involved with Maude, a pregnant prostitute who was also his child)
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
£ 3.72
Within U.S.A.
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: As New. No Jacket. Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.35. Seller Inventory # G0399146229I2N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00073515130
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00061671068
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 12481935-6
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: The Yard Sale Store, Narrowsburg, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. RELIABLE library withdrawal in the plastic, protective cover. Stamped at the page edge with a card pocket page on the inside. Light scuff to the plastic cover. This edition is PRESENTABLE!. Seller Inventory # HCLibNov21VI21
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GF Books, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 0.8. Seller Inventory # 0399146229-2-3
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Book Deals, Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.
Condition: Fine. Like New condition. Great condition, but not exactly fully crisp. The book may have been opened and read, but there are no defects to the book, jacket or pages. 0.8. Seller Inventory # 353-0399146229-lkn
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.8. Seller Inventory # bk0399146229xvz189zvxgdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books End Bookshop, Syracuse, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good+. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good+. First Edition; First Printing. 9.10 X 6.30 X 1.20 inches. Seller Inventory # 172664
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Tangled Web Mysteries and Oddities, Kennebuunkport, ME, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First edition, first printing, full number line. Appears unread, minor shelf and/or handling wear on edges. Providing superior service since 2001. Dropshippers heartily welcomed. Seller Inventory # 81803
Quantity: 1 available