Twisted

I listened to this book and truly enjoyed it! TWISTED is not a book for James Patterson fans. It's for those who love poetry, love to think, love the power of words. To those types of readers, I would most definitely recommend this collection of stories. I loved the imagery of Ms. Poznansky's writing. She is a dreamer and an artist, and the wild flights that her mind takes are fascinating. My favorite scene/story within this collection of four stories was the one told from a clay figure's point of view., FROM DUST. I loved how well Ms. Poznansky gets into the minds of even an "inanimate" object, bringing the statue to life with power and possibilities. Amazing. Heather Jane Hogan (the narrator) is truly outstanding. I found the first story, however, to be spoken to ponderously, too slowly. I had to speed up my playback to 1.25, which felt about "right." I never had to do that before. All of the other stories felt perfectly timed. I think perhaps it was done purposefully because of the storyline, so it's understandable. Another note: it was quite shocking to realize we were hearing the innermost thoughts of a dead woman! ;o)

This book is a collection of four stories, each one an interesting tale of mystery and intrigue. While the plots and settings are different, there is a common thread throughout them all. I found them to be captivating and I was drawn in them with the rich descriptive nature that Uvi Poznansky has with her writing ability. The bonus is exceptional too, the poem and the artwork, to me, is very introspective, simply well done and serves as the icing on the cake. This is a book that I would suggest to those who want to get lost for a few hours and be held captive till the end in an enchanting tale, albeit dark and mysterious.

Henry Ward Beecher so sagely states that ..."Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." "Twisted" is the fourth book that I have read and reviewed by talented author and artist, Uvi Poznansky. Every time I read one of her poignant works of art, I sense that Ms. Poznansky leaves a part of herself in every word she pens and in every piece of art she creates. "Twisted" is a compilation of four short stories that reads like a narrative. Each novellas is written in the first person and each of the main characters is brought to life as the reader hears the voices of these individuals as they share their plight. Job's wife in, I Am What I Am, has an encounter with the devil as she pleads with him to reclaim her own name. Ms.Poznansky quickly draws her reading audience into a familiar yet foreign setting as she creatively and unexpectedly twists the yarn as she weaves her storyline together. This gifted writer follows the same technique in each of the subsequent novellas, I, Woman...The Hollow...and, The One Who Never Leaves. There is the added bonus of "Dust" a lovely poem whereby both a male and female take turns expressing their innermost selves and how they communicate in their love/hate relationship. This exchange is followed by two photographs demonstrating the "transition a piece of art undergoes in the foundry". It is virtually impossible to resist being mesmerized by Ms. Poznansky's message as she so adeptly leaves a part of herself in her varied creative manifestations. It is apparent to me that one artistic gift freely flows into the other. Each of them is so closely connected that it is difficult for the amateur which, in essence is what I consider myself to be, to truly recognize when this actually occurs. When reading Ms. Poznansky's novel, novellas, and poetry, I sense that I am on the inside looking out at her other art forms. In other words, her written words create a voice for her lovely works of art....an explanation for how they came to be. They are alive in every sense of the word and every step of the imagination...so closely united that it is impossible to separate the two. This is when the deepest level of Ms. Poznansky gift is clearly demonstrated. Whether by every stroke of the paint brush...or in her sculptures...or in every word that she writes, this gifted author leaves a part of her soul. No matter the medium she becomes the creator that she is...just as Henry Ward Beecher states in his opinion of artists. Ms. Poznansky has not only dipped her brush into the paint but her pen as well...deeply into her soul, as she shares her many creative gifts with us. Inspirational Author & Book Reviewer ~ Dolores Ayotte

"Twisted" by Uvi Poznansky has been on my reading list for some time. After having read and adored "Home" and "A Favourite Son" I decided to save this expected treasure for a special occasion but I only lasted a week. The book is nothing short of amazing. It is a fantastic selection of four short stories, all slightly dark and - as the title promises - with their own kind of twist. My favourite story is the first, a tale about Job's wife that is based on a very imaginative and simply terrific idea. Job's wife, who in the biblical story told her husband to curse God, who is trying Job's faith with all sorts of misfortune, faces the consequences of her dis-loyal action. God and Satan's bet about Job's loyalty is one of the key stories in the bible in my view in that it asks believers to have blind faith. Job's wife just had about enough after plagues and death and what not and represents one of the most challenging and controversial figures in the Bible. Told in her own voice this is a rather fascinating and intriguing story that almost ended too soon for my liking and addictive personality. The second short story reads like a take on creationism by giving a voice to a clay figure who observes her creator. With the mentioning of Adam in this story the Biblical reference is implied albeit less specific, yet challenging one's perspective of the Eden story.  Freedom, identity and fate are some of the themes running through the stories. This is an amazing and exciting read, one that is playful as it is intellectually stimulating and founded in sharp observation. The characters created are certainly quite a long way from the norm and a firework of originality. Adding unusual elements, such as the mention of a lift and the King David Hotel in a biblical story, using the perspective of a cat and of a clay figure, these pieces take the reader deliberately out of their comfort zone and out of their experience into their head, only to draw them back into the story and the reality the characters are experiencing. A great book, not easily forgotten.

Like a unique tapestry of words, Twisted by Uvi Poznansky invites the reader to fall into each one of the four stories and come back out with their own interpretation of her words. A little on the dark side, sometimes with touches of humor, each tale is told in the first person, giving life to the character through the talent of Ms. Poznansky. I Am What I Am is the struggle of a woman dealing with the devil . The Hollow is a short tale of reality versus what is perceived. Next is I,Woman, followed by The One Who never Leaves, that is told from the view of a cat. Dark, intense, entertaining, thought-provoking and emotional, these short stories each hold their own brand of magnetisim that lasts long after the last word is read. Ms. Poznansky has given the reader a wealth of depth in few words.

In “Twisted,” Eva Poznansky tells four poignant tales that force readers out of their mental couches to grope with issues—some mental, some emotional, some psychological, all author-centric in their first-person points of view. The result is a montage of innuendo and metaphor that stretches the mind, forces the reader to question long-held views and see different and exciting possibilities. Who is Job's wife really? Is she the biblical I Am, come to set Satan straight? If so, heresy? If not, then who—then what? Is the sculptor God from clay's point of view? If so, when, exactly, does She imbue lifeless dirt with passion? If so, why does She relinquish Her creations to the potter's kiln? And who, then, what, then, is the potter? And so it goes: in each of “Twisted's” short prose pieces, nicely broken up by relevant and moving poetry, Poznansky raises questions then answers them, knowing hers is only one of myriad possibilities, that the breadth of conclusions is limited only by the number of readers. Excellent!

What is woman? Uvi Poznansky’s four curious tales in her Twisted collection find various answers to this question. Is a woman denied existence if we hide her name, or if we define her just by relationships to man? Does the female sculpture come first or second to the creator’s hand? Does death create, destroy or preserve, and can imagination fly? A haunting story of Job’s nameless wife starts this short collection and sets the tone. With pleasing plays on words and history, evoking intriguing shades of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the author renders the Biblical story of Job into a timeless world where Job’s wife stands in need of a name. It’s not hard, after these pleasing Biblical allusions, for the reader to identify with a slab of clay in the next tale and share its search for the creator’s purpose. But the slab is woman and the purpose is filled with beauty and pain. From lilting poetry to feline’s fearsome claw, these pieces draw the reader in, enticing with intriguing depths and surprising with sudden light. Twisted, puzzling, but perfectly put together, the collection has the feel that it was meant to be this way, no random grouping of fiction but a twisted exploration that turns and returns this reader to the singular question: What is woman? Disclosure: The author kindly gave me an ecopy of this book with a request for my honest review.

What a unique collection by Uvi Poznansky. The tales are laden with mystery and macabre. The first story: A dead woman lost her name and was looking for her name. She always said, “I am what I am”. It was inspired by the Biblical story of Job. It really spoke to me how Job’s wife must have felt, when Job lost everything. The next stories: I woman. The Hollow and The One who Never Leaves. The stories are about, as the first one, of a dead woman, a cat and about Satan sticking his horns where they don’t belong. Each story spoke individually to me but took me into an amazing and unexpected direction and spin around a hyper reality and course. It was amazing how Uvi’s mind is working, but left me thinking twice again. I have to say, I have never read a story so mysterious and macabre and unique. But again, I enjoyed each story, because each story had something to tell and gave a message and left me thinking. I won’t go deeper into each story, you better read the book. 5 stars

Exquisitely Warped - I loved it! The unique, artistic, intuitive and often humorous weaving of reality and alternative realities is phenomenally embedded within the collection of tales in TWISTED. Incredibly bent around mythology, theology, her art, and her poetry, Uvi Poznansky has created yet another masterpiece! APART FROM LOVE was absolutely brilliant, and A FAVORITE SON was captivating and explored the meshing of worldly paradigms. In TWISTED, the satirical portrayal of Job's wife in, I Am What I Am, was my favorite, and I enjoyed reading it again - aloud to my husband who laughed as I had when modern times intertwined with the biblical. FIVE STARS - Sherri Christian

Elements and emotions. Twisted by Uvi Poznansky The unique way in which Poznansky writes and defines stories is certainly one to be discovered. Twisted is no exception with the wrapping together of many elements and emotions, touching the soul. A perspective which will challenge the reader to explore new depths in this cleverly paced read. Nicely done to torment the senses. Highly recommended 5*****

"Twisted," a collection of four haunting and addictive stories, provides a fresh and personal interpretation of the juxtaposition of art and life. On the surface, the distinction between art and life is clear: life is real and natural, and art is artificial. But the more you think about this distinction, the more lines get blurred until the Creation and the Creator, the Art and the Artist, become one. This idea has fascinated writers and artists -- and Uvi Poznansky is both, as well as a software engineer! - since at least Victorian times. Oscar Wilde believed that "every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist not of the sitter," referring to the emotions and "soul" that the artist puts into his/her work. In Uvi Poznansky's book, you will explore this idea and many more (such as that vision is not a gift but a burden) through such characters as a clay figure, a ghostly woman, and a feline creature who never meows. Why? The answer is more complicated than you think. There is a reason this collection is titled "Twisted," and the unexpected but logical answer is on its pages.

I love Poznansky's forays into the mythos of the Old Testament. Poznansky is a brave but sensitive writer, taking a mature woman's look at the unfairnesses of Biblical times without a blink. Throughout, the prose stays fluid, lyrical, suited to her modernist (but not truly revisionist) feminine view of of the Old Testament mythology. Poznansky does not pretend the ancient world was better to women than it was; for this many sane readers thank her. Her characters bring their problems, their doubts, and their burdens of femininity into the narrative from the start in all four tales. This quartet of stories stands with one foot in myth and the other in legend, and it is strong, each tale building on the last, without ever being coarse or brash or ringing false. Could a person have said these thing, in those days long past? Thought these thoughts, in myth and in legend? These are literary views, literary tales, and meant to be, yet they ring with truth and honest exploration of important issues we faced then and face now: who are we; what will we become?. Compare Twisted to Uvi Poznasky's other works about Biblical characters and times, and you realize that the author is creating her own canon, bit by careful bit. If you've read "Rise to Power" and its sequels, you'll love Twisted. If you haven't, what are you waiting for? Poznansky is not for the frivolous reader, the careless mind, the shriveled soul, the lazy heart. It is for those of us who still explore the depths of the human condition -- and in this case, the feminine condition.

(Note - this review is for the audiobook edition of "Twisted") Uvi Poznansky's "Twisted" is collection of four short stories and a poem that, collectively, are very difficult to describe. Each of the four tales is "twisted" in its own way: "I Am What I Am" is the story of Job's wife and her fight to rediscover her name; "The Hollow" is a very brief tale of perception and reality; "I, Woman" tells (possibly) a version of the story of Adam and Eve; and "The One Who Never Leaves" gives us the perspective of an apartment-dwelling cat. The prose is both beautiful and powerful; the author (who is also an artist) paints with words as deftly as she might apply paint to a canvas, and with the same care and precision. The stories themselves are all wonderful. I found the tale of Job's wife the most affecting, personally. The author mixes sly humor in as well, especially in "The One Who Never Leaves" and "I, Woman." All four stories are quite moving; the author has great command of emotion and uses it to full effect. The narration, by voice artist Heather Jane Hogan, is every bit as good, and as powerful, as the prose. The narrator uses her voice expertly; the voice of each of the four stories is completely distinct, but never overpowering the words. She expertly conveys emotion and mood, and the way in which she voices several distinct characters (both male and female, human and otherwise) is amazing. She's also, quite simply, a pleasure to listen to. I could not recommend this work more highly; it is truly wonderful and not to be missed.