Ecstasia

Elysia is a city that is a carnival of light, sparkle, shimmer and joy. Sweet candy, hot house flowers, music, bars, clubs, circuses and carousels all make up this fun house city of youth and excitement. But, to stay in it you must pay the price. Only the young may stay above, when you grow old you go Under, to a labyrinth of dark tunnels and shadowy places of quiet, dark desperation, wrapped up in linen awaiting your death. In this beautiful city Calliope is a girl that has visions of the future and plays the piano. Rafe is her brother, an impulsive boy that plays the drums. They join a band called Ecstasia with a boy named Paul that writes poetic songs and sings while another boy named Dionisio, Calliope’s lover, plays guitar when show more he’s not drinking himself into a stupor.

They all want beauty and youth and gardens. They want what Elysia has to offer, but they want it real. They want real flowers that grow out of the earth, natural rain that isn’t poisoned, beauty that isn’t painted on. Will they ever find their garden of eternity? And, just what does that mean exactly?

Ecstasia is a beautiful poetic novel that tells it's story through the vehicles of poem and song, visions and dreams, third person and first person narratives, flowing from one story telling device to another as the tale unfolds. The book is full of metaphor, allusion and interpretation and to really help you get it you need to know quite a bit about Greek mythology to understand all of the references and to really help you follow everything that is going on. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something else hits you and you have to sit back and re-evaluate the message that is being given. Everything is a metaphor for something else, resulting in a novel which illuminates a social commentary on our modern day society.

I love Francesca Lia Block's writing and always have. Her words are just so poetic, so lyrical, and her descriptions so apt, interesting and thought provoking that you just savor every word and every sentence. Her metaphors and allegories weave the story together and the characters, the scenery, the dialog, everything just seems to sparkle.

Because it so open to interpretation, different people will probably get different things out of this book. But, some of the main themes are love and acceptance, the illusions of eternal youth and eternal life, the folly of merely chasing dreams and the hard truth of working to realize them. Don't go someplace to have magical things happen to you, make your own magic happen yourself.

As for the rest, you'll have to read to find out!

And, yes, this is the first half of a two book story. The sequel is Primavera.

Favorite Quote:
The circus tent was flowing pale in the rain like a fleshy flower lit from within. It seemed to bloom in the downpour. Drops of rain caught on Rafe's eyelashes, blinding him as the circus light struck them. He groped for the flap, that slit in the fabric that would reveal her to him.
She was on the rope again, her skirt flashing with tiny mirrors, hair braided with petals. He looked up at her, dizzy with it, seeing her face framed in the parasol. There were bluish shadows around her eyes. show less

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I do Block's Weetzie Bat series, and was pleasantly surprised to find myself sucked in. It's much more lucid than her other stories, and I enjoyed the many references to, and plays on, Greek mythology. The "lyrics" that preceed each chapter suffer from the fate of most "lyrics" unaccompanied by melody--they seem rather amateur and overwrought, but there are surprising bits of true poetry every now and then nevertheless. I had come to care about all of the main characters by the "Ecstasia's" end, although I wish more (read: any) time had been devoted to explaining how the three worlds (Elysia, Under, and the Desert) were maintained, given the circumstances surrounding their respective show more inhabitants. Perhaps this will be touched on in the sequel, "Primavera." At any rate, "Ecstasia" is worth a read for anyone who's a fan of the author, especially since it's finally back in print. show less

Ecstasia is a young adult, dystopian novel with metaphorical images of Greek mythology. Block's lyrical writing style comprises this story following four friends in the carnival city of Elysia. Siblings Calliope and Rafe were brought to Elysia by their parents, who have since gone Under because they aged. Calliope has visions that take her Under to see her mother. Rafe follows and finds the Doctor - a man who creates potions to bring back the dead and to fight age. Calliope, Rafe and their friends need to fight the pull of Under and the glittery addictions of Elysia.

I enjoyed Block's writing style in her other books. Ecstasia was difficult to follow as it is comprised of visions, dreams, poems, and both first & third narrative. Nothing show more is quite as it seems and the story is one big metaphor to try to wrap your mind around. To truly understand the book, I think I would need to go back for multiple rereads. show less

While this isn't my favorite Francesca Lia Block novel, Ecstasia was still an engaging read for me, filled with beauty and passion and music and colors and textures. Beneath its vibrant glittery surface and gilt edges is a deeper message one must not fail to listen to.

This was...a strange book. It switched perspective often, which didn't bother me as much as it usually does. The plot reminded me somewhat of The Giver, but without the explanations to back up why Elysia is the way it is or even how it works. The book feels incomplete.

An imaginative mix of horror and fairy-tale. The vivid descriptions were a bit long-winded, but I liked the synopsis of the book. The ending left me feeling like there should be more.

Defies description (although not to the extent that 'Weetzie Bat' did) - except that it does include some very bad poetry. I may be disappointed because, having read the sequel before I read this, I was hoping for some gay interest and there really wasn’t any. Huh.