Reads: Sanctuary

5:30 PM


How I ended up reading two books in a row, centered on the theme of rape is really beyond me. However, this book is vastly different than last week's novel. 

Set in early summer of 1929, Sanctuary ties together the lives of many characters, with the kidnapping and rape of Temple Drake, a student at Ole Miss. What starts off as a date with a town boy, Temple soon finds herself in run-down house, attached to a barn which also happens to be where a crew of bootleggers live. After a few days of begging for rides back to town, she is abandoned by her date, and taken captive by a sinister man named Popeye. He claims her for his own, hiding her in a brothel, where reality finally sinks in to Temple. 

This book was horrifying and addictive all at once. It was difficult not to feel sorry for Temple, and at times I wondered why she did she not act differently in this situation. Why didn't she try leaving on her own? Why was she so dependent on a man to get her out of there? However, towards the end of the novel, a change does begin to appear in Temple. Which makes me wonder if the film adaptation of this novel, "The Story of Temple Drake" is worth taking a peak at.

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6 Musings

  1. Serious book! Rape is horrendous.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  2. Sad book... but it keep you on your feet kind of wanting to know more, and why

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  3. Always love Faulkner. Although, he has such a real horror with much of his writing. I can't remember the title to one of my favorites, but I don't think it was barn burning. But it was told from the younger kid's pov about this slave girl who'd taken care of him for the most part, but her man is coming back..and she even knows she's doomed. Great stuff.

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  4. Such a cool name Temple. I do wonder how the story would play out now on film.

    Loved the review.

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  5. I'll have to at least look for the film. I'm not familiar with this story. But I do love so much of his work.

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  6. This sounds terrifying. Seriously. I just don't deal well with books that contain rape - they freak me out because the possibility of such a horrific crime is so high. :/

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Talk nerdy to me.