Review of "The Color of Night" by Madison Smartt Bell

There is no way to compare this one to other books of its ilk--books told from the point of view of people whose masochistic and sadistic tendencies co-mingle to a horrifying whole. It's like watching a train wreck in slow-motion. Perhaps a bad analogy, as the book opens with the main character watching the destruction of the Twin Towers and happening upon a clip of an old friend running from the site. Her old friend's pose in the brief shot reminds our main character of their communal past (I use "communal" literally).

As the story continues, varying between past and present, as our main character heads to the desert near the RV in which she squats, we come to understand more of her past. She was subject to her psychopathic brother's whims and then, fascinated by a manipulative cult leader who desires his followers to kill. Our main character describes her violent actions in mythological terms, speaking of a bacchanalia, an orgy of blood.

The shortness of the novel and the brevity of the author's sentences make both the look of scenery and your knowledge of the workings of the characters extraordinary. Stylistically, the book is a dream, but it rather chaotically describes a nightmare.

The book's plot needs cohesiveness, fewer coyotes in the desert and, strangely, more direct descriptions of violence. I think I have become immune to the suggestion of it, and I hate that about myself.

Worth reading, though, if you have the stomach for the disturbing plot.

Keeping up with the readin'

Been reading..but am working on the writin'. It's November--National Novel Writing Month.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

This English author's historical novel is my best horror read of this year and of the past few years. Destined to become a classic, the story revolves around an English manor house which has seen better days. The family who own it has as well and find comfort in the good care and interest of a young doctor (the son of a former servant) who has returned to the area. There are scenes that cause genuine fright, interspersed with longer descriptions of 'normal' life that lull you into a false sense of security.

And just when you think you have this one figured out, the turns begin until the last page. You will want to pick this one up again just to find the pieces of the puzzle you missed the first time.

The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan

A haunting, poetic piece of work that is meant to provoke, frighten, and disturb, The Red Tree deserves much more attention than it will probably get. The cover (which the author didn't like) appears to make it easy to categorize--paranormal romance.

Instead, the work is a highly poetic description of a descent into madness provoked, in part, by her narrator's sudden move from Atlanta to an old farmhouse in Rhode Island. But that's just my interpretation. It could be that the autho...more A haunting, poetic piece of work that is meant to provoke, frighten, and disturb, The Red Tree deserves much more attention than it will probably get. The cover (which the author didn't like) appears to make it easy to categorize--paranormal romance.

Instead, the work is a highly poetic description of a descent into madness provoked, in part, by her narrator's sudden move from Atlanta to an old farmhouse in Rhode Island. But that's just my interpretation. It could be that the author meant for us to be horrified by something that was actually there--not just imagined by the narrator.

Kiernan borrows much from American and English folklore, legend, and horror literature, quoting everything from snippets of Poe's poetry to refrains from the "Alice" books.

This hallucinatory book is a great counter measure to Stephen King's more definite evils, sometimes less terrifying because they are so real.

Ms. Kiernan leaves room for the reader to imagine the horrors around her words.

The Haunter of the Dark: and Other Grotesque Visions by John Coulhart, including pieces by Lovecraft

If you've read any Lovecraft, check out this graphic novel. A pantheon of Lovecraftian gods and an illustrated story. Will scare the living s**t out of you. Which is appropriate for Halloween week. While you're at it, take a peek at one of Lovecraft's "tales." This book scared me so much I had to stop mid-story.

The Haunter of the Dark on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Haunter-Dark-Other-Grotesque-Visions/dp/1902197232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256605812&sr=1-1

H.P. Lovecraft Tales on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=1931082723&x=11&y=16

Dracula by Bram Stoker

If you have never taken the time to read this classic, do. You will have a hard time finding anything more frightening than the first 80 pages, when Johnathan Harker slowly finds his way to Dracula's castle and finally sees his host unmasked. Oh, and the brides are creepier than they have ever appeared in any movie.

goodreads.com

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