As we meet on the last Wednesday of the month, and people aren't around on the last Wednesday of December, we choose 3 books on a theme to read. This year the theme was Horror...
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Wikipedia on the background to the book
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Salem%27s_Lot#Background
"While teaching a high school Fantasy and Science Fiction course at Hampden Academy, King was inspired by Dracula, one of the books covered in the class. "One night over supper I wondered aloud what would happen if Dracula came back in the twentieth century, to America. 'He'd probably be run over by a Yellow Cab on Park Avenue and killed,' my wife said. (In the Introduction to the 2004 audiobook recording that Stephen King read himself, he says it was he who said "Probably he'd land in New York and be killed by a Taxi Cab, like Margaret Mitchell in Atlanta", and it was his wife who suggested a rural setting for the book. That closed the discussion, but in the following days, my mind kept returning to the idea. It occurred to me that my wife was probably right — if the legendary Count came to New York, that is. But if he were to show up in a sleepy little country town, what then? I decided I wanted to find out, so I wrote 'Salem's Lot, which was originally titled Second Coming""
A 5 Star Review
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3FGNEBUQ6OSK9/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1444708147
"Other than the excellent writing and careful respect of "classical" vampire mythology, the interest of this book resides also in the importance of one of the characters in later King's books in "The Dark Tower" series. The main vampire is also a very, very impressive creature, one nobody would EVER want to meet... Frankly, the Master from "Salem's Lot" is as fascinating, maleficent and scary as Dracula himself.
And then, there is also a very skillfull treatment of Christianity, when it comes in contact with vampire lore. Unlike in so many other modern vampire books or movies, here the importance of REAL faith is crucial (pun very much intentional). Crosses, holy water and prayers are described as being much, much more than just some "magic talismans". The questions of faith, sin, innocence and impurity are also raised - a lot. And as the result of this the character of local Catholic priest, Father Callahan, is not only one of the most important but also in the same time one of the most complex, touching and tragic in all King's books."
Horns by Joe Hill
Wikipedia on the background
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horns_%28novel%29#Background"Approximately a decade ago, Hill wrote an epic fantasy novel entitled The Fear Tree... that involved a character with the ability to divine people's most closely guarded secrets. This concept was reworked for a novel Hill wrote entitled The Surrealist's Glass, wherein the protagonist acquired a magical lens which allowed him to see people's secrets. Hill describes The Surrealist's Glass "as a confused, corrupt, first draft of Horns" to the degree that "several scenes in Horns appeared in a cruder earlier form in [The Surrealist's] Glass." According to Hill, "writers tend to revisit the same themes, tropes, places, and concerns, again and again, until they figure out how to use them in a satisfying way," which is what he did with this premise until he "finally got it right with Horns.""
A 4 star review
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R28Z6XFLE9QR8J/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B003EH18S4
"First off this is a brilliant story, powerful and thought-provoking. It’s the kind of book that affects your mood and leaves you thinking about it for days after reading. There’s a lot of symbolism, unexpected twists, horrifying shocks, and even a dash of humour. I thought the way the plot unfolded was unusual. The story jumped around a bit, starting in the present and moving to the past to reveal the relationship dynamics of several characters before jumping back to the present again. This made the pacing faster at the beginning and end, with a slower paced middle that added layers to the story which then paid off later on."
A 2 star review 'The son still has to learn from his father'
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1SRXYKS8K4SY8/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0575099992
"Clunky writing at its best. I had high expectation, still that does not explain the terrible disappointment with this book. It is all over the place, hard to get a real sense of the main `s character emotions, felt unable to connect with his issues, did not care much whether he killed his girlfriend or not, for it was so detached and clinical. It was a bit like reading news in the paper, a feeling of distaste at what is happening, but overall indifference at who is involve. I have no idea why on earth they give such high reviews, then again, I never understood the fascination with twilight, so maybe I am just not mainstream enough to appreciate this book. Though I loved his dad`s works, King is a masterpiece at development, the son definitely has more to learn from his father."
All The Birds Singing by Evie Wyld
Wikipedia on Evie Wyld - she grew up on a sugar cane farm in Australia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evie_Wyld
A 4 Star review
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R296I3UXSI8JK0/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0224096680
"Moving backwards and forwards in time, Evie Wyld's novel is an unsettling and very intriguing read that, if possible, is better read in one or two sittings. The sections set in Australia are cleverly executed, and it is in these chapters that the reader gradually learns of the unpleasant events which led up to Jakes's present predicament, and these make for very engrossing, if rather disturbing reading. With themes of mental and sexual manipulation and abuse, this novel is obviously not one to choose for cosy, bedtime or relaxed holiday reading; it's an unusual and gritty story of suffering and survival and it doesn't come with a neat, entirely resolved ending - but some of us don't necessarily always want nice, cosy stories, and if you don't, then this might be what you are looking for."
A 2 star review (with comments)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1XGAGCOWFCW8I/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00CJEG0HM
"A dislocated novel with little narrative drive and superficial characterization. Willfully confusing and self-consciously clever, it seems more interested in provoking opinion than stimulating thought. More a collection of unpleasant vignettes, than a fully formed novel."Comment:
"I am not Evie Wylde's mother or anything but I think it is better than you say; not as great as other reviewers on here are suggesting but a lot better than you indicate. Otto is a fabulous character. Really well drawn. Jake is a pretty good character too, it isn't easy to write an unsympathetic heroine. Structurally, it is interesting and in my view she keeps control of her narrative. I agree with others that she lets herself down with the present-tense shepherd story, there just isn't enough going on and there isn't enough to say. Lloyd is poorly introduced and handled and feels like a device quite quickly. The other present-day characters are all ciphers, really. I still have no idea why she keeps a hammer under her pillow but the author maintains a strong sense of dread for most of the time and that is probably good enough for me.
I like dark, `girl in jeopardy' novels so I was already biased towards it but I can tell good from bad and for me at least, it more or less worked."
