The Crow: The Lazarus Heart

I love Poppy Z. Brite. I think she is a wonderfully descriptive writer. With that said, I must say that I was once again pleased with The Lazarus Heart. To those unfamilar with Brites writing I must say that she is a strong female author that plays with the concepts of both erotic literature and dark horror fiction. If you are a person in the market for this type of book I recommend her with out hesitation. If you are not then be warned. Her writing in this book is delightful. In this novel she takes the concept of The Crow series and puts her familar Poppy twist on it. The characters are complex and facinating. The story is macabe and expertly written. I found myself so caught up in the story I read it in one sitting. The Lazarus Heart is a story of a serial killer, death, transgender underground, sex, and above all New Orleans. It is a great read. I especially recommend to people who have visited, lived, or wish to go to New Orleans. Like I previously stated I am a huge Brite fan. I recommend all her books.

First, let us establish that through the movies I never got overly attatched to the Crow series. I thought the movies were ok, but not great; not to mention that the sequel appeared to be a regurgitation of the original plot. But since Poppy Z. Brite is one of my absolute favorite writers, I had to give this book a chance (and even sprung for the nice $50 edition--this is how sure I am of Brite's writing.) This novel holds up to all of Brite's previous novel-length work, and quite possibly exceeds it. The characters are amazingly developed--but aren't they always--and for once one of her major characters is a woman! Ok, so she used to be a man, but the point is that she's strayed from the teenage gay mail a little. Brite also expands on the Crow mythos, and writes a powerful story. The main antagonist is the complete embodiment of hate and bigotry, and the hero's purposes are genuine and satisfyingly revengeful. I recommend this book for anyone who loves good horror, but I warn you that Brite is a very dark writer when it comes to her horror. Her fiction makes the works of Steven King look as cozy as a Charles Dickens novel. Enjoy!

::smiles:: I have just finished "The Crow:The Lazarus Heart" about 15 minutes ago and i wish i hadnt! this book is so good.. this is the first Poppy Z Brite book i ever read.. and it was great.. the unusual mix of the dark settings of new orleans and the surreality of the crow really grips your attention. The main character Jared Poe is so realistic.. this book is really twisted due to all the trannsexuals and homosexuals.. which are very rare components in books these days! Poppy.. if you are reading this i just wanna say.. thank you for making such a good book! and i am gonna read your others!.. the only downfall is that its only about 350 pages.. which is only about 2 days of reading for me.. .::sighs:: well.. everyone out there take my advice and get this book! :)

Don't be misled by the title and trademark, _The Crow: The Lazarus Heart_ is a Poppy Z. Brite novel all the way. A tint lighter than _Exquisite Corpse_, Brite's previous (and best) novel, _The Lazarus Heart_ is a story of justice and truth in a world where such things are hard to find. Brite uses _The Crow_ as a template to tell the story of three characters, one an artist specializing in erotic photography, another a serial killer, and the third, and most interesting, a male-to-female transsexual. As their story progresses, Brite leads the reader not only to question his/her own beliefs and prejudices, but those of his/her society. You cannot read _The Lazarus Heart_ without removing the blinders. While this is not new territory for Brite, the underlying message of _The Lazarus Heart_ is. Whereas _Exquisite Corpse_ pushes for caution and understanding, _The Lazarus Heart_ demands rebellion. If you just want neat _The Crow_-like action, you'll get plenty of it. But do take Brite's novel seriously--you may not be able to avoid it.

The problem with the concept of these CROW novels that are going to be coming out is that the mythos has been so prevalent through comics and movies that the original motive of the idea has been so watered down, it would seem to lose its impact in each succeeding volume. That is the biggest obstacle to the writers who accept this challenge.Poppy Z. Brite meets and supersedes all of these problems and actually flourishes under the tight reins she was given as guidelines for using this licensed character.Ms. Brite puts The Crow in her familiar, if alluring, New Orleans with Jared Poe, a photographer based a bit on Robert Mapplethorpe, an artist who is pushing the envelope of kinky. At one of his shows, he meets Benjamin and his transsexual twin, Lucrece. They make a fearsome threesome...until somebody murders one of them, another is found guilty of that murder and dies on Death Row and the other, with her guilt/grief, calls back the "innocent" Death Rower to reek revenge on all of those responsible.The writing is poetic, the story captivating and Lucrece is Brite's first true "female" star (if you don't count Courtney Love) to evolve into a serious character. No gore is spared when needed and Poppy has mastered the art of moving from present to past through flashback scenes that are so real, I actually had to stop reading at work for a while because NOTHING was getting done!Ms. Brite has accomplished something only a few gifted writers can; using a limiting character and mythology that's been so overexposed it seems to cry out for monotony, and just kick its butt to make it your own unique and lasting own.Most Highest Recommendation! END