Dan Simmons - Drood (Book Review)

----

"DROOD" (Amazon: UK, US)
by DAN SIMMONS
Format: Paperback, 816/784 pages
Publisher: Quercus / Little, Brown and Company (Feb 2009, first edition)

-
-
Last summer, I've written a post regarding books we like and how hard it can be to review them – can you remain objective? Should you remain objective? Drood is one of such books and I can't really decide whether I'm infatuated with it or it really is that good.

"Drood", like "The Terror", is neither fantasy nor science fiction – it's historical fiction, but unlike " The Terror", "Drood" concentrates more on 'historical' than on 'fiction'. Our narrator is Wilkie Collins, who introduces us to his life as a writer, one of Charles Dickens' closest friends and a member of 19th century's London upper class.

"Drood" presents Dickens and Collins in the time when they were both already established writers, praised all over England, neither of them short on money or company. Their lives, as well as everyone involved, are subject to their various whims and thus often a fine source of gossip; while Dickens dismissed his wife and forbid her to enter his house again, Collins is unmarried but has two lovers who don't know about each other. While both authors readily cooperate, they just as readily dismiss each other's work as petty, unimaginative or just plain bad writing. The older they get, the wider the gap between them becomes – with a little help from the mysterious Mr. Drood, whose past and skills obsess Dickens.

In most reviews of "Drood" I've read, people mostly complain about "Drood" being too long and mostly just Dickens' biography. Neither of these bothered me. I actually enjoyed how SIMMONS took his time and 'spent' many pages to create a perfect atmosphere and explain the background of the story. Admittedly, this was probably a bit easier for him than if he set his story in a fictional place, because a lot is known about 19th century London and its upper class, but it still takes a certain amount of skill to present it as intriguing and engrossing as SIMMONS did. "Drood" hardly reads as a history textbook or a biography, more as a work of pure fiction. One of the possible reasons to why its length didn't really bother me might lie in the fact that I've recently read a lot of first-part-of-the-series novels, and they rarely left me satisfied because they centered more on action, offering an immediate, but not lasting satisfaction, and less on explanation and wholeness – there is enough time for the latter in one of the sequels. "Drood," though, is a standalone novel, and as such has to offer some explanation, background and so on.

As for the biography part of criticism – well, I can't really say, since in all those years I spent in school, we only mentioned Dickens a couple of times. And when I say mentioned, I mean exactly that – we listed his name along with other writers of his era, but we never got further than that. We never had to read any of his works, and I never knew that Wilkie Collins existed. Because of that, reading "Drood" was in a way like watching a great documentary; biography was just a logical part of the book and I found it more interesting than boring.

As mentioned, SIMMONS takes a step forward from "The Terror" here; by introducing an unreliable narrator, he successfully manages to blur the line between facts and fiction and thus piquing reader's interest. The book starts as a tale of two 19th century writers' everyday life, but slowly evolves into a gripping and unexpected tale, full of suspense. Highly recommended.

~Trin~

_________

I'm totally out of practice, guys. I don't remember the last time I read so little. I've read maybe 10-20 books since June, which is just SAD. I have written 2 (unfinished) reviews. Sucks to be me, I guess?

Richard Matheson - I Am Legend (Book Review)

-

"I Am Legend" (Amazon: UK, USA)
by Richard Matheson (Wikipedia)
Format: Paperback, 160 pages
Publisher: Gollancz

-

Before I get on with the review let me caution you that there are a few major spoilers included - I just couldn’t write a coherent review without them; so if you haven’t read the book yet or are strictly against knowing in advance some of the important issues that the book raises, you should consider not reading further.
-
I bought this book based on many recommendations, most of them coming from trusted sources, and I’m glad to say that they’ve once more hit the spot. I bought I Am Legend with a bunch of other books last month, when I was visiting Croatia for one of their biggest SF conventions – SFeraKon (the guest of honor was no other than Richard Morgan). I was determined to be thrifty, but when I decided that I needed every other book on sale at the convention…then the spending spree was inevitable (In my defense, this time around I went for “pure” quality…I bought several titles from SF Masterworks series). My to-read-pile is enormous and since I don’t have an exact schedule worked out I never know which book I’ll read next. I picked up I Am Legend on a pure whim. What I heard about the book before I bought it is that it’s good and while I really wanted to see the movie (starring Will Smith) I decided against it…at least until I read the book first.
-
I have to agree with all the praise and really cannot question its inclusion in the fabulous SF Masterworks series – it’s absolutely stunning. I was actually surprised when I found out that it was written way back in 1954 because it could as easily be conceived by any of the current writers – any talented writer at any rate. Matheson set the story in the late seventies (so it counts as a near future post-apocalypse story; at least by that era’s standards). One of the rare clues that give away the fact that the book was written more than five decades ago is the lack of modern technology (computers, mobile phones,…), but while the lack of mobile phones is understandable -- the last man on earth really has no need for them – a microwave and a few other modern gadgets would come in quite handy if he had them at disposal. The depiction of vampires is quite outdated (naïve) as well, especially for post-Interview With the Vampire-era, where Buffy the Vampire Slayer inspired series and urban fantasy literature thrives. But I guess it could easily reflect the view of a modern person that never cared about any horror movies and vampire series.
-
The post-apocalyptic urban setting devoid of life and the main protagonist -- a middle-aged American, practical and witty by nature – remind me heavily of Stephen King’s The Stand and The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I suppose it’s one of the main reasons why this novel is called an ageless classic :). Besides, regardless of the year in which the book was conceived it takes the events on a whole new level.
-
When “post-apocalypse” is mentioned, one inadvertently envisions a bleak and ravaged setting that usually entails the following elements: (1) a small number of survivors coping with chaos and imminent extinction and (2) those same survivors striving to reestablish some sort of order (civilization). In I Am Legend Matheson chose a bit different approach – the society is being actively rebuilt all right, but not by humanity as we know it. The harbinger of the apocalypse in this case is a bacterium that causes people to transform into vampires, and since nobody actually dies from the infection (or rather – they don’t stop living), there is plenty of the so called “survivors” that can rebuild the civilization as they see fit. The apocalypse in this case does not devastate, but trans-morphs – it presents a switch between two modes-of-being that brings the extinction of one race and the birth of another. Hence the title of the book – as the vampire society comes to be, so the human society drifts into myth and becomes a legend almost overnight.
-
The main protagonist, Mr.Neville, presents a glitch in this new system, a true anachronism, but otherwise a likable and sympathetic fellow (from the readers perspective that is) – a perfectly ordinary person, not the brightest or the strongest, but definitely one of the most stubborn and resilient, a true survivor (the reason behind why he hasn’t changed is a mere coincidence). He adapts, studies books learns the hard way how to improve his chances of survival against the vampire society. In time he comes to accept the fact that they are not as brainless and evil as he believed them to be – they are as intelligent race of individuals as we are – or, in this case, were. It’s just as hard as with many brilliant works of fiction that manage to touch you in a profound and emotional way, to be one hundred percent objective and analytic – you are prone to let yourself go and just enjoy the ride. This is exactly why this book earned its place with the rest of the SF Masterworks. Strongly recommended and something that fans of post-apocalyptic fiction need to read, if they want to call themselves that.
-
-
(you should bear in mind that this is a very subjective grade – even more so than usual, and is based more on my reading experience than any objective analysis I could muster up)
-
-
-
-
~ Trin ~

Matthew Woodring Stover - Heroes Die (Book Review)

-

The notorious Caine, also known as the Blade of Tyshalle, is one of the best assassins in the whole land of Ankhana. He comes and goes, but wherever he is, people live in fear of him and the tales of his killings spread like fire. But no one is aware of Caine's whereabouts in between his missions. That's because he returns to another world - home to Earth, where he is not Caine, but Hari Michaelson, a virtual Actor that is well-known and adored for his adventures in Ankhana. His forays into the alternate world provide visceral entertainment for billions of his admirers. And even though, he is the most famous of Actors, the strict caste system still bounds him to the whims of his betters and has to wait for their indulgence before entering the world of Ankhana. The circle of events is rigid and unbreakable, but then his wife Shanna gets stuck there, lost for everybody on Earth - Caine is allowed to go there and try to save her ... but only if he is prepared to pay a certain price....
-

***

-
I've only heard one thing about Heroes Die (Acts of Caine series) before I read it - that it's one of the most overlooked fantasy novels of the last decade – and now I believe this to be true. This terrific novel by Matthew Woodring Stover was recommended to me on a passing whim by my trusted friend before I decided to buy it; and when I scribbled the keywords 'heroes' and 'die' in Google search I found (1)two or three reviews written back in 1999; (2)a thread on SFFWorld forum discussing 'front cover art' (the cover of the print I own looks kind of cheesy to be perfectly honest, but it's still way better than the Russian or the French covers *giggles*); (3)an entry on the book inside Wikipedia (4)and a bunch of pretty much unrelated stuff - so it's obviously not a very well known book (I actually found several more reviews, though I had to add the word 'stover' to the search bar and/or look further than the first 6 or 7 offered pages). What I'm trying to say is that this shroud of mystery that surrounds the novel makes me frown with disbelief, since it gave me one hell of a ride, in the best possible sense.
-
You probably know the feeling when a certain book gets a hold of you and it's impossible to put it down before it's read? Well, ladies and gentlemen, Heroes Die is definitely one of those books and more. When I opened it one wintery evening, hoping for noting more than a mediocre and a mildly enjoyable tale, but what happened was me being totally mesmerized by the experience. I read it until I fell asleep from exhaustion, continued reading it all through my school lessons (don't follow my example kids :), during breaks and my ride home, I even skipped my dinner so that I could keep reading undisturbed and when I turned the last page and awareness of the outside world returned to me the night was already pitch black when I looked out of my bedroom window. It's been a long time since a book griped me in such a wholehearted manner. I wouldn't call reading that what I was doing (not even gobbling up); it was a compulsive obsession with the book. And what is worse, the totality of the immersion only expanded as the story progressed and the tension rose. I admit that I had to take a short break towards the end in order to cool my tempers and relax my tired eyes.
-
The "problem" I had with Heroes Die is not unique, but resembles the one I had while reading Daniel Keyes' sf masterwork Flowers for Algernon – vivid characterisation coupled with skillful world-building bewitched me completely and made it nigh impossible for me to objectively and thoroughly judge the style, plot or any other literary elements of the book. All I can stutter out in this elevated state is that it was utterly refreshing to come across a fantasy novel where the main character has absolutely no youthful innocence left or is he the most brilliant and morally upright individual around. If you let me paraphrase his own words - Caine is the most famous of Actors, but even though he is highly skilled, he couldn't do it without a fair amount of luck. But in my eyes, he's a true badass who knows what he's up against, keeps things realistic and uses his wit as often and as much skill as his knives.
-
The half fantasy & half sf setting is a splendid idea that gives a whole new perspective to the book. It somehow feels easier to get caught up with the story when the main character shares your world, even though it's years in the future.
-
I've read a lot of books that entail wannabe devious and twisted plots in the last couple of months and I'm glad that this holds true for Heroes Die as well...only without the wannabe part. This book makes up for all the others that I've read lately and somehow failed to impress me – but here the reader witnesses plans within plans, plots hidden behind plots, until it makes no more sense and makes your head dizzy from trying to figure everything out. I was being outsmarted on every single page and the humbling experience did wonders for my ego. I gradually realized that it's better to just go with the flow and enjoy the ride as everything slowly unravels in the most pleasing fashion. Finishing the book came as a relief from all the strain I've put into reading it, but it also left me wishing for more. Lucky for me, I've still got two sequels to look forward to - Blade of Tyshalle (though the book is out-of-print and how I'm furious about the fact!) and Caine Black Knife, that is set for release on October 14th. But in truth, Heroes Die can be taken perfectly well as a standalone...In fact, it worked so well for me that I can do nothing else but wholeheartedly recommend it.
-
-
-
-(no less than a full cohort of Fruitcakes...and they are raving about the book too!)
-
-
-
-
~ Trin ~

Daniel Keyes - Flowers for Algernon (Book Review)

-

Warning – this review includes minor spoilers!

***

-

If I had to say only one thing about this work of fiction it would be that it moved me deeply.
-
The plot itself is fairly simple, yet the idea for the story is wonderfully original; we follow a sequence of 'progress reports' of a certain scientific experiment to raise one subject's IQ permanently. It is mostly due to the first person point-of-view that the reader is connected so tightly to the main character Charlie Gordon. He is a good-natured and kind person, but not what one would call a bright one (since he only has an IQ of 68). Charlie, however, has a great will to learn and thus presents a unique candidate for the experiment.

-
The experiment is considered a success by its conductors and we can observe Charlie's swift evolution in front of our own eyes afterwards - we see him gain vast theoretical knowledge but sadly lacking in its practical and social implementation. The evolution of the subject is done with grace and skill – a reader gets to notice the slight and gradual improvements in the style of writing throughout the book that reaches a whole new level at the end.

-
“Flowers for Algernon” is in fact a book dealing with man's basic feelings and his dealings with the overwhelming entity that encompasses him and determines his fate - the society. In a way, this is a story about growing up and finding out for yourself that nothing is what it seemed to be when you were young; at the same time it is a story about a bottomless desire to learn and to become a wiser person. This wish lies at the foundations of Charlie's personality, for he is as willing to learn when his IQ is well below average, as well as when his IQ tops the 180 mark. And although everyone tries to convince Charlie that he has changed, he never really does – not in any essential way anyhow.
-
The tragic part of the novel is the part that deals with the agony of a man who braces the world in the cup of his hand but at the same time knows that he won't even be able to spell words properly in a short amount of time. Daniel Keyes is an extremely convincing storyteller in my eyes and who managed to bring the main protagonist dangerously close to my irrational side and therefore somewhat sabotaged my earnest intent to do a careful and in-depth analyses of the novel's style and plot (which is what I usually strive for in my reviews). This book feels too vivid and emotive to allow you to do anything else but to read it in one big swallow. It actually begs for a re-read, and that sooner rather than later - which is rare in a book.

-
I cannot recommend this strongly enough – even if you're not a big sf&f fan. This book defies being classified, because it would constrict it too much.

-

-

(the second perfect score I gave after "The Terror" by Dan Simmons)

-

-

-

-

-

-

~ Trin ~

Dan Simmons - The Terror (Book Review)

-
-

"The Terror" came as a welcome refreshement after all the fantasy I've read lately. There are absolutely no dragons involved, neither is there any magic or mighty knights strutting out of the pages. Yay! (There are, however, some affluent and snotty snobs, but in the terms of the 19th century England's upper class rather than medieval nobility.) This is one of the things that gives "The Terror" such appeal and a particular feeling of substantiality.
-
At first, I've had some second thoughts about buying the book, since I've read a couple of reviews that left me confused and unconvinced. While some reviewers praised the book as if they had been paid for it, others complained about it being long-winded and including too many complex and unfamiliar nautical terms that really bear down on the story.

This last thing must've been written by some ''spoiled'' native speaker, because although I still haven't got a slightest idea who a caulker could be (or more specifically, what his job is), I understood well enough that he has some kind of a professional function on the ship and I'm completely satisfied with that. If English is your mother tongue, you can take your time and look up the unknown words in the dictionary – there really aren't that many in the book. And if you're not a native speaker, you don't need to worry, because not being able to discern different parts of the deck will not rob you of jour reading experience. Besides, everybody knows that constant skimming through the dictionary is a time-consuming activity that usually breaks the flow of the reading process. (I looked up what the hell a 'sperm whale' could be, though, and it figures out that it's the Moby Dick one. I nearly died laughing afterwards. :)
-

Secondly, the book is eons away from boring. Simmons' style of writing is brilliant (as I've already induced from reading "Hyperion" and its immediate sequel) and keeps the reader awake and alert – at least until s/he decides that the stuff is getting too scary since it's very, VERY dark outside and maybe s/he should stop reading the book until tomorrow when there's plenty of light. The amount of scary you feel probably depends on your personality and while I don't consider myself the kind of girl who gets scared easily, I really dislike the idea of an unknown evil lurking in the dark (it's always better to know exactly who or what you are up against). Especially since the arctic night lasts for 24 hours a day; it's pretty damn frustrating. I have to admit I was very glad when there was someone else in the room with me when I was reading. That helped to prevent my imagination from going wild, but the book in consequence lost some of its effect.

Another thing I've noticed is how impossibly knowledgeable Simmons is and how much effort he put into researching the book's topic. While explaining just about everything that is of any relevance regarding the expedition (I read a Wikipedia article about it afterwards and it only proved that, excluding the 'evil' thing, "The Terror" follows the recorded facts faithfully, thus being a (partly) historical novel as well as a horror one); he studied and explained the Esquimaux's culture as well. What I also loved is the hommage to E. A. Poe (mentioned in the novel as 'that American writer' – one of my favourite chapters in the book is a tribute to his "The Masque of the Red Death").

When I try to find a weak spot that would mar the book, I seem to fail. Maybe the ending will not be to everyone's satisfaction since it is pretty unusual, but for me presents an interesting alternative to the 'classical' endings we are so familiar with. I actually liked the loose ends left hanging. I'm ordinarily against giving a perfect score – I agree with Thrinidir's take on this point – but at the same time, I don't know what more could I expect from a book of this genre. "The Terror" is a brilliant book, but as I already mentioned, it was otherwise met with mixed feelings. Give it a try, though; I say it's worth it.

A perfect mark (five out of five):

-

~ Trin ~