''Paint It Black'' is the third novel by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

author

Janet Fitch Janet Fitch (born November 9, 1955) is an American author. She wrote the novel ''White Oleander'', which became a film in 2002. She is a graduate of Reed College. Fitch was born in Los Angeles, a third-generation native, and grew up in a fam ...

. ''Paint it Black'' is set in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

during the 1980s punk rock scene. There are references to artists and events of that era, such as the Germs (with emphasis on their lead singer

Darby Crash Jan Paul Beahm (better known by his stage name Darby Crash, formerly Bobby Pyn; September 26, 1958 – December 7, 1980) was an American punk rock vocalist who, along with longtime friend Pat Smear (born Georg Ruthenberg), co-founded the punk ro ...

) and the death of

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

, along with insights into the art world that surrounds the protagonist, Josie. The book was first published in 2006.

Background

Janet Fitch's third novel was originally planned to be a lengthy

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

. But after her publisher contacted her regarding the

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...

, Fitch was told that the project would most likely not be fulfilled. She was given approval to finish ''Paint It Black'' after her agent read about one hundred pages of the handwritten manuscript. Fitch originally considered this work a side project.

Reaction

Some fans were unhappy with the final result, one reviewer saying, "If you enjoyed ''White Oleander'', as I did, and expect more of the same in ''Paint It Black'', you’ll be disappointed." Another was quoted as saying, "How ''Paint It Black'' holds up for readers under the scrutiny of comparison remains to be seen, but Fitch's fans should know that while the plot is very different, her new book returns to many of the same settings and themes she introduced in ''White Oleander'', this time exploring them in an even deeper way." Karen Valby, of ''

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'', is quoted in her review as saying, "The two lash at each other's jugulars, their shared misery both a balm and a repellent. Would that Fitch had left the little punk to her vodka and speed, and zeroed in on the wicked older woman." Fitch herself, in an

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blog dated December 4, 2007, said, "''Paint It Black'' started as a gothic little short story, which became the emotional core of the book, like a secret windowless room at the heart of a haunted mansion. Then I built outwards from that room, into the outer life of the book, until I finally got the beginning, and then the ending, which is the doorway out, into the sun."

Adaptation

The novel was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2016 directed by

Amber Tamblyn Amber Rose Tamblyn (born May 14, 1983) is an American actress and writer. She first came to national attention in her role on the soap opera ''General Hospital'' as Emily Quartermaine at the age of 11. She followed with a starring role on the pr ...

and starring

Alia Shawkat Alia Martine Shawkat ( ; ar, عليا مارتين شوكت; born April 18, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in '' The Old Man'', '' State of Grace'', Maeby Fünke in the Fox/Netflix television sitcom ''Arrested Develop ...

as Josie.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paint It Black (Novel) 2006 novels Little, Brown and Company books Novels set in Los Angeles Fiction set in the 1980s