There were good times and bad times, but in the beginning there were more good times. When I first met Candy those were the days of juice, when everything was bountiful. Only much later did it all start to seem like sugar and blood, blood and sugar. . . It's like you're cruising along in a beautiful car on a pleasant country road with the breeze in your hair and the smell of eucalyptus all around you. The horizon is always up there ahead, unfolding towards you, and at first you don't notice the gradual descent, or the way the atmosphere thickens. Bit by bit the gradient gets steeper, and before you realise you have no brakes, you're going pretty fucking fast.
'Candy' is a love story. It is also a novel about addiction. From the heady narcissism of the narrator's first days with his new lover, Candy, and the relative innocence of their shared habit, Candy charts their decline. Candy becomes a prostitute, the narrator becomes a scam artist, and smack becomes the total and only focus of their lives. But this is not just another junkie novel: Davies is a very fine writer and 'Candy' is confronting, painful, sexy, tender and at times darkly hilarious. A remarkable novel.
Candy
First and foremost, Candy is a love story. It is also one of the most realistic depictions of drug addiction, and the dizzying highs and spiralling lows that accompany it. Reading almost like a biography, the narrator chronicles his life from the day he met Candy, when their love was innocent, new and exciting, up until the heartbreaking point when she barely recognizes him. Raw and gritty, this book will grip you from page one. Reviewed by 01jl.
QBD, 10/09/2014
Couldn't put it down!
Absolutely loved this book and later watched the film which was highly disappointing in comparison. The story is one of love and shows great insight into the life of two young people affected by an unbeatable addiction to heroin. Despite the actions of the characters, as a reader you are never taken towards a path of prejudice or dislike towards them but more so one of understanding, companionship and helplessness as we witness their lives unfold. Loved the story, loved the writing and probably a book I will pick up and read again sometime. The only extra thing I would add is for some readers to beware if they are easily offended by certain language and explicit details. Other than that, my favorite read in a long time.
Carla, 13/12/2008
