Published in 1996 and translated into French in 1998, "First Love" is a short novel by Joyce Carol Oates, a prolific American writer (to whom we owe "Blonde" and "Delicious rot" ), also known under the pseudonyms Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
For some reason which is unknown, the little Josie left his hometown with his mother to live with her great-aunt Esther, who occupies the house at the Reverend Ramsonville.
The atmosphere is not as fun in Burkhardt. Josie's cousin, Jared Jr., a young seminarian, is visiting for the summer and is the subject of attention from his grandmother.
Barely tolerated in the house, Josie and her mother are requested to keep away the young man. But one day, while her mother is increasingly absent, Josie meets this strange cousin to the river ...
Just arrived in her new place of life, Josie made the frightening encounter with a black snake, quite evocative episode for the rest of the story.
Josie poses questions to his mother on the family history but still want answers evasive.
Left to itself, the girl suffers from loneliness fueled by the silence in the house and by the absence and the unspoken mother. This solitude is seen broken by his encounter with his cousin Jared Jr., a young man 14 years her senior who takes advantage of his naivety and the fascination he exercises over his cousin, while believing that she is willing .
terrified he do wrong, Josie is resolved to stay good and keep the secret that unites Jared
Jr. is the second time I read the author and I found myself feeling a sense of unease bordering on disgust.
And yet something urged me well to turn the pages, up to make me doubt my own sanity ...
no doubt that like "Delicious rots" , "First Love" evokes the same dark theme of the encounter between good and evil, childhood perverted and become hypnotized by descent unhealthy adults.
If the story is delivered to us by Josie, sometimes it seems to be talking to itself through you - referring to those moments of fear that would have given him walk away - or that about Jared recall to his memory.
" If you enter in the marsh , you betray your body. You were not yourself, you had to name you, her little . You were surrounded by imperceptible sucking noises. Grunts toads. Similar to the grunts of a man - you had heard men grunting and whooping, whooping and grunting, long time ago that, while you were not supposed to listen. You knew what it was, already in those days: the animal trying to escape pulp strength of its box. Oozing, bubbling, gushing at last.
Good. But now you need to wash . Jared quickly rinse your fingers sticky in the river, Jared sprayed water your face moist sweat. You wanted to say I love you , Jared , but it catch you by the neck and you plunge your face in the water you left in the mouth a bitter metallic taste.
Until you choke on flailing your arms pitiful, like a goose in the middle of drowning, and that you have mercy. Oh, for heaven's sake! Nobody is going to kill you, why do you think anyone takes the trouble? "p.57
The use of adjectives and symbols strongly connoted reflects an unhealthy atmosphere reinforced by the actions of Jared Jr.
Religion has an important place in the narrative. Only male authority figure among women, Professor perverse "Delicious rot" has given way to the man of God, a young seminarian immoral and without scruples who takes a perverse pleasure to judge others and impose the worst punishment, always ready to discuss the atonement by unorthodox if I may say so. If the summary
evokes an erotic book, I call it pedophilia as it appears that this "first love" (yet another ambiguous title which the author has the secret) is far from idyllic ...
do not know if the fact of having loved this story makes me someone shot of infrequent but it is certain that Joyce Carol Oates has a psychological insight supported by a percussive style that allow it to install an atmosphere that is cold in the back, up to continue the drive until the last line.
is why I am resolved to continue my discovery of this writer:)
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