After years of estrangement, the Temple family is trying to
reconnect with a nostalgic trip to Yellowstone National
Park just as they had twenty years earlier. For George
Temple, he wants nothing more than his children's love. If
that means supporting them in their failed careers forever,
then it's a price he's willing to pay. For Scott Temple,
this trip is a chance to prove to his father and himself
that he isn't a failure, but he still needs a bit of
financial help to get himself started. For Courtney Temple,
this trip is a chance to finally get everything she feels
she deserves, all the money she needs to launch her acting
career and herself into stardom.
THE SERPENT'S BITE winds through memories of the past into
the present, creating a harsh, unforgiving picture of the
American family. Courtney is the driving force of this
story and a more unlikable character you'll be hard pressed
to find. Like the title suggests, Courtney is a poisonous
member of the family. She's very much the type that would
consume their own young if she had any. Selfish, ambitious,
conceited, and destructive, Courtney plays upon her
family's weakness, targeting each specifically to inflict
not only the most pain but to gain the most from them.
There are numerous references to Lady Macbeth in the tale,
and I can't help wondering much as I did with Lady Macbeth
what exactly made Courtney the person she was. Lady Macbeth
sadly didn't have much backstory to hint at her motivation,
but Courtney does and it is puzzling. The Temple parents
are good people. They love their children. I realistically
know that sometimes people just don't turn out the way they
should, or the way society thinks they should, but it's
hard to look at Courtney in THE SERPENT'S BITE and find the
turning point for that character, some spot where as a
reader you can look back and say 'ahhh, that's what made
her like this'.
The winding, tense journey through the park and through the
memories of each member of the family allows all aspects of
this family to be seen. I liked the multiple viewpoints
because it gave added depth but also a more realistic
portrayal of family life. There might have been one trip of
a lifetime, but all three members of the family remembered
it differently and those glimpses of differing views allows
readers to find the more accurate account of what really
happened.
THE SPERPENT'S BITE by Warren Adler is uncomfortable to
read, but all the same very interesting. The desires
portrayed are dark and twisted and the lengths to which
Courtney will go to get what she wants from her family is
nothing short of malevolent. This story isn't for the faint
of heart or those looking for an idyllic family vacation
filled with bonding, but for those who do read it, the
lingering questions will haunt you.
''How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a
thankless child'' --King Lear, William Shakespeare
This famed quote by William Shakespeare finds its modern
meaning in this taut, fast-paced, remarkable novel by
renowned author Warren Adler. The Serpent's Bite will take
you on a frightening horse trek through the far reaches of
the Yellowstone wilderness that turns a father s quest to
deal with parental guilt and reunite with his two adult
children into a nightmare of lust, betrayal, entrapment, and
death. Beyond the revelations of dark family secrets,
readers will discover how an obsession for celebrity and
blind ambition can distort familial love and turn a beloved
child into a grotesque monster. Courtney Temple is sure to
be judged as one of those most evil women in fiction,
alongside the likes of Lady Macbeth, Medea, and the Wicked
Witch of the West. Adler's latest novel takes its place next
to the iconic The War of the Roses, in which the author
exposed the true nature of marital dysfunction.
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