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

REVIEW: THE LANTERN by Deborah Lawrenson

This is yet another recent book that cements my assumption that Provence is enchanting.  Of course, in my fantasy, there is significantly less murder and suspicion than in this book (or Death at Chateau Bremont). Still, I too dream of a run down but livable field stone farmhouse, with an aging orchard and lavender fields, stretching out behind it.  My chief responsibilities would be writing, reading, wandering and gardening.  My ideas don't vary much from the main narrator.  Eve escapes from a barely rewarding career to a storybook villa in the countryside of France.  But a cloud shadows her sunny outlook when her boyfriend begins acting suspiciously.

An abandoned home in Provence / http://abandonedplaces.livejournal.com/2118536.html

The book switches between two narrators, whose stories slowly meet in the middle.  Firstly, the main, modern-day narrator deals with her growing doubts about her boyfriend's honesty.  Her efforts to gain any insight from him only drive them apart, so she resorts to her own research -- neighbors, newspapers, gossip -- and learns that he was married before, to a woman named Rachel.  She struggles between calming her racing imagination and her fears that she might be the next woman in his life to disappear. 

The second narrator, as it quickly becomes clear, is a woman who lived in the same cluster of buildings about 60 or so years previously.  Her family ran the farm as best they were able, despite one daughter's blindness, a son's familial betrayal, and a father's sudden death.  This narrative is rife with vivid descriptions of Provence's scents and sights -- particularly as the sisters embark on a lavender and perfume venture.  

The book is certainly engaging and will make you want to keep reading.  At times the switching between narratives is a bit distracting, especially when it is too frequent.  While it bears certain resemblances to the great Rebecca, I do wish the author had not so blatantly referred to it within the story.   She even calls herself out in the naming of Rachel - another of Du Maurier's lesser-known characters.  It would have best been addressed (if at all) in an author's note, explaining her fondness for the Du Maurier's stories. 

All in all, it is a solid novel and an enjoyable read.  Those who enjoy a modern gothic tale will want to check this one out.

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Thank you to the kind folks at HarperCollins for the review copy. 

Author Deborah Lawrenson's site. 

ISBN: 9780062049698

ISBN10: 0062049690

Imprint: Harper 

On Sale: 8/9/2011

Format: Hardcover

Trimsize: 6 x 9

Pages: 400, $25.99, Ages: 18 and Up

REVIEW: DRACULA by Bram Stoker

Novelist Bram Stoker

It was absolutely fascinating to look back and see where this whole Vampire obsession started.  And as with any original, I wanted to see how modern interpretations reflected their predecessors.  I was surprised at how very close and certainly recognizable many of the main characters were: Jonathan Harker, Van Helsing, Renfield and Lucy Westerna.  It was also a revelation to see just how little of the action takes place in Transylvania.  Although it certainly sets the mood with the vivid descriptions  mountain passes, castles, and frightened peasants at the outset of the novel, the bulk of it transpires in England.

Rather unexpected too was the characterization of Count Dracula himself.  Though it seems easy to snicker at anyone introducing themselves as such, I had to remember that the name "Dracula" had absolutely no connotation to the readers of 1897.  It was just a foreign-sounding name.  Yes, he is hospitable to his solicitor, but he is hardly the charmer some films portray.  The women in the book are only susceptible to him when hypnotized and sleep-walking (Interestingly, Dr. Seward and Van Helsing have an exchange about hypnotism and Dr. Charcot -- the main focus of MEDICAL MUSES, which I reviewed recently).  Most striking, to me at least, was that this Count was not clean-shaven.  He wears a distinctive moustache  -- something not seen in Nosferatu (1922) or Bela Lugosi's Dracula (1931).  

Murnau's Count Orlok in Nosferatu

Furthermore, I was a bit stunned at how "trashy" some of the scenes were.  I'm used to the understated nature of Victorian literature, even when it is Gothic in style.  Stoker hides nothing in his graphic descriptions of decapitations, stabbings, and exsanguinations.  The author finds a very modern voice for his numerous characters -- the story is related through diary entries, telegrams, newspaper clippings, etc.  While each is distinct (Stoker even recreated dialects and accents), they all seem to be ahead of their time.  All are intelligent and none are useless.  In fact, Mina Harker  is very clearly one of the strongest characters throughout.  There are no whining teenagers here.
Yet the blatant violence, danger and social implications are raw.  It truly must have been shocking and yet alluring at its publication.  A great read during a summer thunderstorm...

My book photo uses a backdrop from Edward Gorey's Dracula play set (yes, I am a nerd).  Enjoy.

QUICK REVIEW: JOHANNES CABAL THE NECROMANCER by Jonathan Howard

Faustian in nature, the first in the Cabal series is witty, wry and in general, hysterical.  The title character attempts to win back his soul from the Devil (traded for scientific secrets).  He is given a second chance and one year to collect one-hundred souls.  Aided by his bitter and vampiric brother, the two manage a sinister carnival of the rails, tempting the line-walkers to the dark side.  The Cabal Brothers Carnival is manned by the reanimated remains of idiots and freaks, brought back to (semi) life by Johannes.  As the hourglass nears empty, Johannes becomes more and more desperate to fulfill his quota with his ghoulish ways.

The story seems to live outside of a particular place or time.  While the style seems British, the names are German.  The feel is a medieval, Gothic morality play yet the carnival travels by train and there is mention of electric lights.  The existence of this netherworld works and allows for the belief in the magical acts to follow.  

Each chapter is decorated with a pen & ink drawing by Linda "Snugbat" Smith, like so (right) and a title description which hints at things to come, a la Boris Akunin.  The adventure is great fun and I was thrilled to discover there is already a sequel published, and a third on the way.  Long live (soulless or not) Cabal. 

For more fun: http://www.johannescabal.com/necromancerflash.html

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Reviewer did not receive a review copy of this book. 

Random House

Format: Trade Paperback, 304 pages

On Sale: June 1, 2010

Price: $15.00

ISBN: 978-0-7679-3076-5 (0-7679-3076-2)