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| Author | Janet Fitch |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | JADE |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Co. |
Publication date | 2006 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback &Paperback) |
| Pages | 400 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-18274-4 |
| OCLC | 65400314 |
| 813/.54 22 | |
| LC Class | PS3556.I8155 P35 2006 |
| Preceded by | White Oleander |
Paint It Black is the third novel byAmerican authorJanet Fitch.Paint it Black is set inLos Angeles, California during the 1980s punk rock scene. There are references to artists and events of that era, such as theGerms (with emphasis on their lead singerDarby Crash) and the death ofJohn Lennon, along with insights into the art world that surrounds the protagonist, Josie.
The book was first published in 2006.
Janet Fitch's third novel was originally planned to be a lengthyhistorical novel. But after her publisher contacted her regarding themanuscript, Fitch was told that the project would most likely not be fulfilled. She was given approval to finishPaint It Black after her agent read about one hundred pages of the handwritten manuscript. Fitch originally considered this work a side project.
Some fans were unhappy with the final result, one reviewer saying, "If you enjoyedWhite Oleander, as I did, and expect more of the same inPaint It Black, you’ll be disappointed."[1] Another was quoted as saying, "HowPaint 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 inWhite Oleander, this time exploring them in an even deeper way."[2]Karen Valby, ofEntertainment Weekly, 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."[3]
Fitch herself, in anAmazon.com 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."[4]
The novel was adapted intoa movie of the same name in 2016 directed byAmber Tamblyn and starringAlia Shawkat as Josie.[5]