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Cavedweller
Cavedweller
Author: Dorothy Allison
When Delia Byrd packs up her old Datsun and her daughter Cissy and gets on the Santa Monica Freeway heading south and east, she is leaving everything she has known for ten years: the tinsel glitter of the rock 'n' roll world; her dreams of singing and songwriting; and a life lived on credit cards and whiskey with a man who made promises ...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780349111056
ISBN-10: 0349111057
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 448
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 11

3.6 stars, based on 11 ratings
Publisher: Abacus
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Cavedweller on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I love Dorothy Allison! A really good, enjoyable read. She is a great writer.
ouischbabe avatar reviewed Cavedweller on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Normally I love Dorothy Allison, but this book just didn't do it for me. Not only was the story molasses slow, but the characters were wholly unlikeable, and the plot was muddled, like the writer was had no idea where the story should go. It just sort of... ended. Like she got sick of it. It reminded me of those exercises you did in English class where you had to write non stop for 10 minutes just to see what you could come up with. I was disappointed and will not read this book again. If you want quality Allison work, read Bastard out of Carolina. It was such a good book that Hollywood could not even destroy the movie.
reviewed Cavedweller on + 137 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book is one of those that is written with such a richness not only of language, but also of story line, that you want to read it slowly. I had to read it twice so that I could glean out some of the impressions that I tend to miss when I read too fast. I highly recommend this novel.
alleigh avatar reviewed Cavedweller on + 15 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Cavedweller tells the story of a mother and her three daughters living in Cayro, Georgia. The mother, Delia, ran away from Georgia to escape her abusive husband, which also meant leaving her two daughters, Amanda and Dede, behind. In the 10 years that she as away, Delia built a new life for herself in Los Angeles, which including joining a band, becoming a famous singer/songwriter, and having a third daughter, Cissy. However, even though she saved herself from the abuse, Delia was overwhelmed with the need to go back to Georgia, reclaim her daughters, and make a life of her own.

When Delia returns to the small town with Cissy, the situation she left behind has changed, but her problems are not resolved. Amanda and Dede harbor a significant amount of resentment because they were abandoned, as does the rest of Cayro, but Delia is determined to win back their love and her rights as a mother, regardless of how the town feels about her decisions. Dorothy Allison does a wonderful job explaining the complicated motivations of each character and the inner turmoil that each decision creates, so the reader is always left wondering who s/he would do in each characters place.

The book is extremely well-written, and the plot is very engaging. Allison successfully carries the reader through the lives of these four women. However, unlike in The Bastard Out of Carolina where the reader cant help but wince at the physical and emotional pain that is inflicted upon the main character, Allison doesnt actual make the reader feel the suffering and the struggle that each character experiences, so there is always a feeling of wanting more. It is a flaw that keeps the reader from becoming fully lost the powerful story, but not enough of a problem to make the novel unenjoyable.
reviewed Cavedweller on
Helpful Score: 1
It's not Bastard Out Of Carolina but the dialogue is snappy and real and the characters are characters.
Read All 15 Book Reviews of "Cavedweller"

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reviewed Cavedweller on + 134 more book reviews
Didn't emotionally capture me like the incredibly powerful "Bastard Out Of Carolina", but still a good read. Allison's writing is great as always, just wasn't as drawn in by the story or the characters. Seemed to become more interesting as it went along.
althea avatar reviewed Cavedweller on + 774 more book reviews
I picked this up after having read Allison's most famous work, Bastard out of Carolina, which was one of the most harrowing emotional reading experiences I have ever had. This book is not nearly so rough to read, but it is still a cutting, insightful and frank exploration of the small-town lives of people often dismissed as "white trash." Not my usual favorite topic, but Allison is an absorbing and talented writer, really able to draw the reader in.
I am STILL impatiently waiting for Allison's promised sci-fi book - an 'excerpt' was published in 1996 which was a truly great story... I don't know if she never finished it, or didn't find a publisher (seems unlikely!)
No fantastic elements in this book, although the main character is a science-fiction fan, and there's enough titles/authors mentioned in the text to send a lot of people in the right direction! (It's not a big part of the story, though.)
mgmdawkins avatar reviewed Cavedweller on + 2 more book reviews
Well written, this story covers all of lifes twists and turns and you can't put it down until the last page.
missbe avatar reviewed Cavedweller on + 14 more book reviews
I have just started reading Dorothy Allison books. This lady is great! Cavedweller catches you right from the beginning. Be prepared to relax for awhile, it's one of those books you just can't put down.

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