REVIEW: THE UNINNOCENT by Bradford Morrow

I became a fan of Bradford Morrow somewhat late in the game. He's been writing, teaching and winning awards for sometime now.  Yet I only I read, loved and reviewed The Diviner's Tale last year, but I could barely wait to read more by him.  I was thrilled when I was sent an advance copy of his book of short stories, The Uninnocent.  

Working in a different format than his last novel, Morrow is freed from structure.  It's actually quite surprising how his voice changes from tale to tale.  While not really modern Gothic or supernatural, like The Diviner's Tale, these stories are incredibly dark.  Most are told in the first person, making the psychological insight all the more disturbing.  These are creatures who suffer from an extreme form of desperation, yet remind us how fine that line is for all of us.

From O. Henry's Full House (1952)

Lush is like a modern version of an O. Henry story. It recalls The Gift of the Magi and The Last Leaf, though in a completely different and dysfunctional way.  My favorite might be the eponymous tale in which a child recalls seeing the ghost of his brother.  The narrator speaks with simplicity.  He captures how a child speaks before he thinks, not restrained by the embarrassments that we acquire as we age.  And it is this naivete that makes his story even more unsettling.  Ellie's Idea is strangely amusing, but not all of the stories leave one satisfied.  This collection is not for the squeamish, and should probably be read in the daylight hours and in small doses.  But I mean that as a compliment.  Morrow draws you into the characters' minds, gets you dizzy, then leaves you to find your own way home.  It's well done and enjoyable; just be sure to drop some breadcrumbs along the way.

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Many thanks to Claiborne at Pegasus Books for the advance copy.

ISBN 978-1-60598-265-6
Size 6 x 9
272 pages
Fiction
December 5, 2011

ARMCHAIR BEA 11: Best of 2011 (so far)

I read so much, and I enjoy many things for different reasons.  It's hard to call something the "best".  But in the name of Armchair BEA, here goes...

THE DIVINER'S TALE by Bradford Morrow

Very rarely do I become completely obsessed with reading a particular book.  Reading in general, sure, but I simply had to know what would happen to the very modern, very approachable characters in this book.  Which of course means it is all the more disappointing when the book is actually finished.  A terrible catch-22 of book-reading.  

Read my review here.





POX: AN AMERICAN HISTORY by Michael Willrich

This one made the cut because I didn't know a disease could be so fascinating.  Of course, it is about much more than a single disease.  Rather it is an investigation into social standards, the advance of medicine, and a discussion of the debate still going on 100 years later -- the morality of compulsory vaccination.

Read my review here.

REVIEW: THE DIVINER'S TALE by Bradford Morrow

To be blunt, I couldn't put this book down.  I was up until the wee hours last night, determined to finish it, lest my dreams be infiltrated by the specters of this book.  

Author Morrow remains on the better side of a fine line between psychological fear and shock tactics.  He relies on unexpected appearances alongside stellar imagery for breathtaking moments.  Truthfully, the book is much scarier that way as we view the actions through a first person narrator.  Cassandra (aptly named) Brooks is a diviner, a dowser.  She comes from a long line of "witches" who have helped countless generations find water for wells.  

Victorian era dowsing

Yet her sensitivities go beyond finding water - she will often have cryptic notions of impending doom.  Her brother died all too young, despite her warning - a weight she has never managed to shrug entirely.  Now a mother, she struggles with the demons of her past and tries to determine her own path forward. 

This is not, however, a Lifetime movie waiting to happen (though it would make a great feature film, in the right hands).  Sympathetic though she is, she is no pushover.  Insistent on pursuing the answer to the visions she has had, she negotiates the pitfalls of ridicule, and her own past.  At it's heart, it is a ghost story.  And Morrow's delicious descriptions make it palpable.  

Author photograph

Furthermore, his choice of the metaphor of dowsing is neither overused or trite.  He treats it as another character, waiting in the background for its turn to speak.  Initially a skeptic himself, he discovered dowsing when a plumber recommended one for some home repair.  It became a jumping off point for the novel, but also a window into another way of thinking, believing.  Unlike other leaps of faith, one has only to dig to find out if the diviner tells the truth.  This, and other considerations of reality versus perception, pepper the book.  They serve to layer a light fog over clarity, and add to the mystery only revealed in the final pages.  A little bit Shirley Jackson, a bit Joyce Carol Oates, a touch of Du Maurier (all females, ironically), and a great deal of original vision, The Diviner's Tale deserves a place on any well-wrought mystery lover's shelf. 

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Many thanks to the folks at HMH Books for the review copy.

Me and my cat enjoying the book.

ISBN-13/EAN: 9780547382630 ; $26.00
ISBN-10: 0547382634
Hardcover ; 320 pages
Publication Date: 01/20/2011
Trim Size: 6.00 x 9.00