Colors Insulting to Nature    by Cintra Wilson Order:  USA  Can HarperCollins, 2004 (2004) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Cintra Wilson's book of essays, A Massive Swelling: Celebrity Re-examined As a Grotesque Crippling Disease, created a nationwide cult following. It stands to reason that her novel Colors Insulting to Nature will expand that following. We follow Liza Normal from a stage-mother-ridden childhood into a place she finds for herself in the entertainment field. We see her forced into outlandish, hookerish attire and makeup by age thirteen. We experience the 70s, 80s, and 90s with her. Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll – Colors is a history of our time played out by a girl obsessed with show business. Her brother is emotionally challenged, living inside a ski mask. But he manages to become a success. Liza - with little talent but a great big ambition - takes a little longer than her brother. Colors Insulting to Nature is a funny, sad, heart-wrenching tribute to the resiliency of human nature. Liza knows joy and sadness. She asks, 'And how are you supposed to store joy, for the ugly days when the bleakness returned?' If you're a little down, I recommend that you wait to pick up this book until your sun is shining. It exposes a dark side of life that we are not all equipped to handle. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews