 Review by L.B. Goddard Simultaneously seductive and repugnant, "Calpurnia's Window" will leave you wondering: "Should this have turned me on... or not?" The book's cover art, done by a talented Gin Elf, commands its readers attention, right away.The "Gin Elf" copyright symbol? A tattoo on the arm of a bare chested man who we can only assume will be murdered. Nothing shines or sparkles in this dark artwork, save for the glimmer of a knife blade, held tight by a faceless hand. You can almost feel that hand fast approaching the scene of two young lovers. And so we begin... Sometimes what makes or breaks a story is that climactic ending. With Cindy Rosmus, it is instantaneous and nonstop climax... in more than one sense of the word. She even goes so far as to make YOU the character, narrating a story so that YOU are the one committing these tawdry acts. If you get offended by the following excerpt-- "That he cares means so much, to a slut like you. A girl who sucks cocks behind bowling alleys. Above you, a warm breeze rustles the leaves. Spring should cheer you, slut or not." --then you don't have what it takes to appreciate this book. Don't get the wrong idea. "Calpurnia's Window" is not all about lewd acts and sex! No! Cindy Rosmus really gets to the heart of her characters in such a short amount of words. Anyone who has ever felt a little "outside" of what society expects, you might find yourself nodding in agreement with the thoughts and motives of these crazy characters. There is a real sense of... jealousy, mourning, loss, and even humor in these stories. "Versailles", for instance, didn't have any gore. No sex. No violence. No guts! It stood out to me, being a woman, as a frighteningly "real" experience. Sometimes the scariest things are those that happen every day. Story number five, "So In Love", made me laugh! Seriously. You'll never find a plateau of emotion with this book. Be prepared for sudden and unforeseen emotional changes. My favorite story in the whole collection? Thanks for asking! I was particularly fond of "Pink". I was young once, and looking for adventure. Thank god I didn't find it the way Mallory did. Perhaps I should let Cindy do the talking: "There's a word," he said, before it began. "A code word. I'll allow you to use it... later." Blindfolded, her eyes were still wide with fear, and... something else. Expectation, maybe? Her wrists and ankles were cuffed, and already she felt itchy. "When later?" she asked, childishly. "When the pain," he said, in an almost exhilarated voice, "Can no longer be borne." At the close of my favorite tale, "Pink", my mind began swirling with questions. I only wanted to know more. It wasn't fair to leave me hanging! With a huff of disappointment, I turned to the next story-- "So Much Red". A few sentences in, I realized something! This story was a sequel! I would get to know more! Perhaps other fans of "Pink" urged Cindy to write that sequel. Or perhaps she needed her own closure. Either way, I was surprised and delighted. My only complaint about "Calpurnia's Window" is that it ended on a sour note. The last story, "Poisoned Apples", was every bit as effective as Cindy intended. I just didn't want to end the book on a serious note. With Cindy Rosmus's edgy sense of humor, I would have preferred a closing chuckle. My overall opinion: I waited too long to order this book. If you have an extra $12 (and that includes shipping), go buy it today. You'll spend the money on gas and junk food anyway. Back To Main Page TMND MySpace Profile |