Vermilion
by Phyllis A. Whitney
Our Price: $1.95
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Phyllis A. WhitneyEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Published)
Published: 1981
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 278
Publisher: Doubleday and Co.
Book Reviews of Vermilion
Book Review: Cliche Mary-Sue
Summary: 1 Stars
This book came up in the search as "Vermillion" by Phyllis A. Whitney. The Phyllis A. Whitney book with this title is reviewed below.
I am going to break this to potential readers gently. This is a pathetic story and a tired, frayed cliche. Don't waste your time.
Lindsay Phillips is the protagonist. Half-Navajo and half-Anglo, she chafes at being born out of wedlock and being raised by her stepmother and half sister. Her father, Jed is killed at the opening of the story and he sounded like a thorough rat. Lindsay's mother dies at or shortly after childbirth, so Jed takes the girl to his wife to be raised with his other daughter, Sybil. Lindsay has a maternal half sister named Alice, whom we meet later in the story.
Sybil is a cliche literary sociopath. Resentful of Lindsay from the outset, she torments the girl, cuts up her doll clothes (Lindsay's interest in making doll clothes led to a career as a clothing designer in N.Y.) and throws a pair of scissors at her, narrowly missing her face. Sybil is the classic spoiled antagonist who, unlike wine, does not improve with age.
Jed favors Lindsay and all but ignores Sybil. This is not good for family relationships. It is interesting that the stepmother, who has no name and is only mentioned in passing, readily accepted Lindsay and her father's open admission of adultery. Was she a saint or a martyr? That is never answered.
Sybil is consistently described as cruel and ill tempered. She does, however, marry one Rick Adams and move to Arizona. Out of this union is a daughter named Marilla. Lindsay has had a crush on Jed since she first met him at age 17. (She and Sybil were 8 years apart).
When Jed dies after a wild life in Arizona (Sybil and Lindsay were raised in Connecticut), Lindsay flies to Arizona to trace her heritage. Once there, she learns from her brother-in-law that her natural mother died shortly after her birth and that she, Lindsay, was born in Arizona. Lindsay was so clueless about her own history and Rick filled in the blanks. Interestingly, Jed was Rick's mentor. Sybil springs the news of Lindsay's half-sister, Alice on Lindsay.
Marilla keeps a safe distance from Sybil, who as we can guess by now, frowns on idealism, dreams and artist. Sybil resented Jed for rejecting her all of her life and dismisses his art as worthless. When Marilla shows artistic talent in pottery, she has to keep it a secret from the slithery Sybil.
Rick and Lindsay, as one could readily predict inside of 5 minutes end up as lovers. Sybil is killed after she plans to recreate the meal and the setting where Jed was killed. The list of possible suspects is rather long as nobody was sad to see her go.
Lindsay and Alice connect, Sybil is out of everyone's way and Lindsay and Rick become the cliche couple. This was a trite story and you couldn't even like the characters save for Marilla and Alice.
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Golden Unicornby Whitney Phyllis A.
Doubleday & Company, Inc.; Published: 1976; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.27
Domino (Windsor Selections S)by Phyllis A Whitney
Chivers P; Published: 1987-06-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $100.00
Poincianaby Phyllis A. Whitney
Doubleday; Published: 1980-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops:
Silverhillby Phyllis A. Whitney
Doubleday; Published: 1967-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $34.50
Hunter's Green: A Novelby Phyllis A. Whitney
Doubleday and Company, Inc.; Published: 1968-06-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.99
Listen for the Whispererby Phyllis A., Whitney
Doubleday; Published: 1971-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.99
The Red Carnelianby Phyllis A. Whitney
Mysterious Pr; Published: 1989-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $25.00
Dreams of Orchidsby Phyllis A. Whitney
Doubleday; Published: 1985; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.97
The Glass Flameby Phyllis Whitney
Doubleday & Co.; Published: 1978; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.00
Silverswordby Phyllis A. Whitney
Doubleday; Published: 1999; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.98