Candy Girl Review for "Sweet Violent Femmes" by Holly Kothe

Sweet Violent Femmes by Holly Kothe

Book Summary

"Within a month, my romantic, Lost Generation fantasy of the city had sharpened into reality. The only moveable feast I'd found in Paris was of the fleshly variety - a constant supply of lithe, undulating bodies presented under glass, offering every view to the clientele."

In this dark and disturbing collection, Kothe explores themes of the damaged, the devious, and the deranged heroine, and examines the consequences of pushing the female heart one step too far.

The Glass Room
An American girl maintaining her comfortable Parisian lifestyle as a high-end brothel escort faces off with a mysterious client whose sadistic dependencies threaten her livelihood.

Tethered
After a passionate quarrel with her conflicted lover, a woman realizes that the best kind of relationships are the eternal kind. Sometimes the man just needs a little push...

Seeing Black
A lonely librarian nursing a broken heart gathers liquid courage in preparation for her sister's visit, and struggles with a peculiar ailment she's had since puberty.

Feminist Theory
A troubled but diligent chemistry student reacts to the unsavory intentions of a predatory psychology professor.

 

 

Candy Girl's Review

 

Sweet Violent Femmes is as a title very accurate. In the center of each of those four short stories is a sweet femme fatale; anti-heroines who destroy themselves on their quest for revenge.

 

My favorite story is the first one ´The Glass Room.´ An American girl in Paris working in a "high-end brothel escort" and a sadistic client.

 

A bow to Hemingway, subtle integrated, describes it best, and is also one of my favorite quotes from the book.

 

Within a month, my romantic Lost Generation fantasy of the city had sharpened into reality. The only moveable feast I’d found in Paris was of the fleshly variety - a constant supply of lithe, undulating bodies presented under glass, offering every view of the clientele.

 

As much as those outbursts of extreme violence are, the calmness that foreshadows those acts is as mind-boggling. Almost all of those women have experienced an abusive past; sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, or are on the road to psychosis and self-abuse. The violence in ´The Glass Room´ or ´Seeing Black´ is happening under circumstances that almost doesn’t allow any other outcome.

 

Whereas in the fourth story ´Feminist Theory´ the vengeance is planned and researched, and as bloody and cold as possible. Which makes it even more horrible. However, once settled into the mind of the protagonist I couldn’t help myself but to cheer for Paige. Which leaves me question my values and morals, and one I’d rather not think about in my sheltered and carefree life.

 

The writing itself is extremely descriptive, but Holly Kothe knows when to take a backseat and leave the real horror to the readers imagination. As every good storyteller she is surely aware that the shadows around the corner are often more horrible and scarier then the monster itself. This is true for all of those stories, nevermind a dead body or two.

 

Only ´Tethered,´ the second story, doesn’t seem quite fit into the collection. It circles around its own axis, moving in different directions from the supernatural to the realization of death and despair and, even at odds, a weird understanding of love. Still, it was too predictable into which direction this is going, and the author lost me half way through the story. The idea itself I can appreciate, the execution in parts less so.

 

I do love those three other stories, and if there is a lesson to be learned, even it’s a troubled one: never underestimate the willingness of a woman out for revenge. We are a bloody lot.