The Pleasures of Men by Kate Williams
18 July 2012
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Kate Williams, The Pleasures of Men, Victorian horror
Just finished reading The Pleasures of Men by Kate Williams which brings to us Catherine, an orphan living in her uncle’s house in Spitalfields in the East End of London. To quote Amazon
“The Pleasures of Men, is a gothic thriller with a splash of brutal murder.
A murderer nicknamed The Man of Crows.
A heroine with a mysterious past and a vivid imagination.
…..When a murderer strikes, ripping open the chests of young girls and stuffing hair into their mouths to resemble a crow’s beak, Catherine is fascinated, and devours news of his exploits.”
To be honest I was totally gripped with this as soon as I saw it, the cover was enough to catch my attention straight away and the description on the jacket sealed the deal. Gothic horror!! I understand that Kate Williams is a historian and it shows in her writing. I think she manages to evoke a wonderfully sinister, dark, foggy and corrupt side of London that portrays the vast differences during that period between the wealthy and the poor and also gives a view of women’s place within that society. It certainly didn’t seem to be a particularly happy place to be for women of the era – no matter what your social status.
All that being said, and in spite of the fact that I wanted to love this book, I just didn’t. There are certainly a lot of plus points. I think KW knows her facts, she’s come up with a really intriguing story revolving around a mysterious woman whose background is gradually revealed and a serial killer who seems to be picking women off the streets of London and causing terror and panic amongst its inhabitants. I think my real problem lay in the fact that most of the characters are unlikable or unsympathetic, almost to the point where I suspected everyone at one point of being the murderer! Everybody seems to be manipulative or scheming. Added to that is the internal ramblings of Catherine. Catherine has had a bit of a troubled life so far and has in fact spent some time in an institution, she basically thinks she is evil and thinks she attracts evil and with this in mind her internal thoughts can be a bit perplexing to say the least. I would say that sometimes the story telling can be confusing and sometimes disjointed. On top of that I think parts of this come across a bit disturbing – well, there’s a serial killer roaming the streets after all so I suppose that’s inevitable.
And yet, I did feel compelled to read on. The start is fairly gripping and I think that’s because we’re given one of the victims stories – which does occur again in the novel. And these little stories make for really fascinating reading which I think the novel could have greatly benefitted from having more of, little glimpses of the lives of different people.
On the whole, I wouldn’t say I disliked this and I certainly did feel like I needed to read to the end, but, I wouldn’t say I found it totally satisfying. I thought there were too many strands trying to come together, it was a bit disjointed and the characters were just all too unappealling. However, I would certainly keep my eye on KW because she clearly has a lot of talent. This one just wasn’t for me and that’s perhaps because I was expecting a more old fashioned type of read and this felt like more of a modern take.
The Pleasures of Men
Fated by Benedict Jacka
17 July 2012
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Alex Verus, Benedict Jacka, Fated, Urban Fantasy
Just finished reading Fated by Benedict Jacka, a new urban fantasy series starring Alex Verus. Alex is a probability mage who runs a small magic shop out of Camden in London. He spends very little time in the world of magic, his apprenticeship didn’t go well and the magic Council are not exactly impressed with him, hence the need for him to keep a low profile. However his attempt at leading a quiet life are about to become a lot less easy, particularly as his talents as a seer are suddenly going to become greatly in demand from both light and dark mages. An ancient artefact has turned up at the British Museum and everyone is interested in accessing it’s secrets.
As first books in series goes this was very enjoyable. It obviously has similarities to other urban fantasy series and, in fact, contains a reference within the first few pages to a certain magician who advertises his investigative services in Chicago, but they are different enough to co-exist. Alex is not an investigator, his ability as a probability mage allows him to see the path that a course of action will lead to, he’s therefore very useful at predicting trouble before it arrives or finding the right course of action, he’s not however very powerful, in fact he’s rather vulnerable to be honest and has to rely on his wit and a few simple magical items or friends to keep him alive.
This book pretty much gets straight into the action and to a certain extent I think it relies on the fact that the readers will bring a certain level of knowledge to the reading. I quite liked that, we obviously have a certain amount of looking back and world building but no major info dumps which can be a bit of a dampner on the plot. It’s a fairly basic plot, not in a bad way, and also bearing in mind this is the first in the series. We have this relic and within it is contained an artefact of great magical import. The light and the dark mages are both in a fight to obtain the relic and claim it’s power for themselves and Alex is needed to help overcome the protections surrounding this object. I hope I haven’t given too much away there, I don’t want to spoil the plot after all.
The characters are an interesting bunch. I can’t say too much about Alex as I haven’t got a really strong feel for him yet. I like him but I’m waiting to read more before I get a fuller picture of his true identity. We have Luna, one of Alex’s friends whose family has a deadly curse upon it that has lasted for centuries and affects all who come into contact with the bearer. Then we have Starbreeze, an air elemental who Alex calls upon to help him out of a tight spot occasionally. She’s very whimsical and childlike and I like her. She’s simple and innocent.
I like the magical system that Jacka has set up. The Mages are not ‘all’ powerful. Their magic is usually focused in a particular way, for example fire, whereby a fire mage can manipulate, use and control fire. Alex is therefore a seer and this is the extent of his magical ability, he relies heavily on others for protection. On top of that we have the light and dark mages but this is in no way as black and white as it at first appears for whilst the dark mages can be quite evil and manipulative the light mages are definitely not knights in shining armour. The villains, the dark mages, are most assuredly an unfriendly bunch. They take what or whoever they want and the fact that they are able to take something merely reflects the weakness in whatever it is they take, therefore if they don’t take it someone else will.
In terms of criticisms, well, I wouldn’t say that I truly understood everything around the light and dark mages but I guess this will be explored in future novels, for me they come across at this point not so much as light and dark more bad and badder! I’m not exactly clear either about developments at the end of the book but I don’t want to really go into that further for fear of plot spoilers. No major criticisms really. Probably the only irritation I had was initially to do with Alex who, appeared to be incredibly lax in terms of his own safety and the security of his place – particularly when he seemed to have a good idea what he was up against and also given his own abilities which he, admittedly, under utilised at the beginning.
Other than that this is a good start to the series. It was a quick read and the last third I found really engaging in a sort of explorer/Indiana Jones type of way. Yes, you could compare this – the Dresden Files, the Druid Chronicles or even Rivers of London – and there are obvious similarities but that being said I think it stands on it’s own. If you’re looking for a new urban fantasy this could be the one for you.
Fated
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
11 July 2012
Filed under Book Reviews, Challenges for 2011
Tags: Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book
Just finished reading the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Before I put one more thing down I must firstly say that I adored this book and I think I now love Neil Gaiman. Not that I’m about to turn into a bunny boiler or start stalking him – no, I will love him from afar and show my love by reading all his books and annoying the hell out of everyone about how good they are! Simples. This man is brilliant. His writing is so damned easy to read and his imagination is unbelievable. Yet again I wonder what took me this long to pick up this book. For starters it’s based in a graveyard – and I actually like graveyards, I don’t know if that’s a bit creepy but there it is. It’s also based firmly in the land of make believe which I love to read about. I think to be honest I didn’t pick this up because it’s a children’s book. I haven’t got anything against children’s books, I’ve certainly read enough over the course of time, but sometimes they can be just too ‘young’ in the way they’re written. This book isn’t like that. The writing is a joy to read, the graveyard and the ghosts practically come off the page and, almost in the style of children’s animated films, there is definitely some more subtle adult humour and areas that I don’t think children would pick up on – for example Silas? So, in that respect it has something for a more rounded audience. Anyway, who am I kidding, I love Harry Potter and the Pullman Trilogy – and I’m pretty sure they’re children’s books!
Anyway, I’ve gotten ahead of myself. The Graveyard Book starts off with a heinous murder, almost an entire family killed in their home by a sinister and dark man. Only one survivor, a toddler, who unwittingly, and as a result of the curious nature of one that age, has crawled out the front door – which was oddly left open. This little child manages to toddle along to the local cemetery at the top of the hill and in doing so unwittingly finds a strange bunch of unlikely saviours. The ghosts of the cemetery come to his aid and grant him their protection and the freedom of the graveyard. However, although the ghosts who adopt him together with the strange darkly clad man who acts as his guardian, do their best to protect him – the murderer is still at large and won’t be happy until he’s finished the job! For the next few years this will be the boy’s home and henceforth he shall be called ‘Nobody’, Nobody Owens, although to his friends, family and readers he will become known simply as Bod.
Basically, this is a coming of age book and given that Gaiman, in his acknowledgements, praises Rudyard’s Jungle Book as one of his favourite childhood books the inevitable comparisons I suppose are to be expected. We basically have a young boy, homeless and without family being adopted and brought up in unconventional surroundings and with a family of a different nature. This is only a short book and so we only spend short paragraphs with Bod at various stages of his life but all of them are pertinent to the tale, all of them are really enjoyable and unfortunately – all of them end too soon! I think it’s great to see Bod as he moves through his childhood. He’s an inquisitive toddler, as he becomes a little older he loves his family and the wealth of friends he has in the cemetery, then he becomes a little more difficult to manage and quick to annoy as he moves into his teenage years until finally he has really outgrown the confines placed upon him. And, it’s at this point that things become a bit more dark and the murderer returns to the scene.
I really loved Bod. He’s such a great character. He’s innocent and he’s good and kind. He’s brought up in this totally strange environment but as it’s all he’s ever known it’s all perfectly natural to him. Gaiman also manages to introduce other characters who are great to read. We obviously have all the graveyard ghosts who we briefly touch upon including Bod’s adopted parents, The Owens. We even have a ghost dating back to Roman times and all of this gives Bod a rather more in depth knowledge of history than most people – a fact that becomes a little obvious when he joins school. We have the witch Eliza – who had a great time relating her own story, also the rather, at first, stern Miss Lupescu who occasionally stands in as Bod’s guardian and of course we have Silas – Bod’s full time guardian. Very mysterious and dark, a little sad but a great protector of Bod throughout the story.
On top of this there is just this wonderful array of short stories included in Bod’s growing up, for example the Chapter headed ‘The Hounds of God’ which brings to us the Ghouls Gate or the chapter in which Bod makes a new friend and introduces her to ‘the barrow’ or more to the point the mysterious creature that lives beneath!! I don’t want to give anything away here but even the Order that the murderer belongs to is such a great take.
Anyway, clearly I enjoyed this book very much. Throughout it put me in mind of so many enjoyable reading experiences whilst not actually appearing to be like any particular one. For example, the friendship between Bod and Scarlett for some reason brought Pip and Estelle to mind from Great Expectations. I also had thoughts of the Labyrinthe – not that the book is like that, or Great Expectations for that matter – just that it made me think back to those particular reads. I really enjoyed when the ghouls were travelling with Bod and carrying him and throwing him from ghoul to ghoul as they travelled – very reminiscent and a sort of homage to the scene in the film Jungle Book where Mowgli is being passed through the tree tops by the apes.
So, well written, funny, creepy and sometimes even a little sad. Good characters, a little bit hair raising (just in a couple of parts) and overall downright enjoyable. What’s not to love?
Read it.
The Graveyard Book
Ring by Koji Suzuki
Just finished reading Ring by Koji Suzuki, the novel that inspired the movies. I’m sure this novel needs very little introduction or plot outline but basically this is a story of a journalist who, when investigating the death of four young teenagers who all died under mysterious circumstances, becomes much more embroiled than he ever imagined or would have believed possible.
I really enjoyed this book, but, for those of you who’ve seen the film and are expecting a horror story – this isn’t it. This story is much more based on the investigation carried out by Asakawa, the journalist who becomes involved in uncovering the mystery surrounding the video tape that causes the death, within one week, of anyone who watches the content but fails to carry out the charm. It’s more pyschological thriller than horror.
What I particularly liked about the book was the style it was told in – which was very simple and unadorned. I would say it almost read like a journalistic report and perhaps that was the intention given Asakawa’s profession? I also liked the journey that we went on with Asakawa and the friend he enlists to help him with his race against time. Gradually each part of the mystery unfolds and we are given a trail of breadcrumbs to follow. I must admit that the explanation in the book is much better than the film and even the name of the book/film is given its true meaning and was one of those ‘ahh’ moments. The book then ends with a twist which I won’t elaborate on other than to say I thought it was a small moment of genius.
In terms of the characters, I didn’t particularly find either of them likable – but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The main character Asakawa is not a bad character in particular although I wouldn’t say he had anything redeeming about him or any particular endearing characteristic that would make you want to call him your friend. His friend Ryuji comes across as a particularly repugnant character – although for some reason he is more readable than his ‘best’ friend and at the end you’re given some food for thought that leaves you in doubt as to his true nature. I couldn’t help wondering why the characters in the film had been changed to females??
So, whilst I wouldn’t class this as a horror book I would say that if you liked the film you should give this a go – just for the sake of completeness. I think the plot and eventual conclusion are far superior to the film(s) and whilst I wouldn’t say it was a chilling read it was certainly intriguing enough to keep things moving very quickly onwards to the final outcome which I was really keen to reach.
In terms of criticisms – I don’t really have any particular criticism, I suppose I wouldn’t have minded a bit more of a creepy tale – but I think that’s based more on my expectations given the film and once I’d got over myself and realised that the book was going to be different I was able to enjoy the read much more.
If you were to ask whether I preferred the movie (the original) or the book – mmm, a bit of a struggle. Normally my immediate answer would be ‘the book’. Always (well, nearly always). However, in this particular instance I think the producers have made an excellent job of turning this story into something really sinister and to be honest, down right scary. But, I thought the explanation in the book was much more understandable and the motivations come across much better. So – split feelings on this one. I think I enjoyed both equally.
Thanks to Jason at Genkinahito for the recommendation.
Ring
The Reckoning by Alma Katsu
Just finished reading The Reckoning by Alma Katsu which continues the story of unrequited loved started in The Taker. Once again we are taken into Lanore’s world and given a taste of the immortal life she leads. I really enjoyed this book. As with the first book we have a subtle mix of the modern and the historic. The voice of Lanore is once again compelling and I must admit that I found myself liking her much more in this novel than in the first. I also really enjoy Katsu’s writing style. Her writing flows easily and appears to be effortless, which I’m quite sure isn’t the case.
At the start of this novel we immediately pick up with Lanore and Luke as they enjoy an evening out – only to be spoiled as Lanny is suddenly overcome with the absolute conviction that Adair is free! I’m not giving anything away by that little revellation as it is already mentioned on the jacket. Unfortunately in writing this review it will of course immediately give away spoilers for book one and to be honest I would advise anybody who wants to read this story to pick up The Taker first. So, don’t read on if you don’t want spoilers!
In this novel Adair manages to escape his incarceration and is hellbent on revenge. Revenge on the two people who entombed him after he had given them the gift of immortality, Jonathan and Lanny, but more so Lanny who he had also bestowed his love upon (albeit one of a bit of a twisted variety). Now we start a dance of sorts as Lanny and Adair try to outwit each other not helped in Adair’s case by having missed over 200 yearsof development which he now has to become familiar with. We once again come face to face with some of the other immortals who have over the years split apart and spread out in the world to lead lives without the tyranny of their former leader. As with the first novel we get to look back at past events, which I found really interesting and entertaining. We spend some more time with Adair and get to take a look at his earlier years and we get to travel back and look at some more of Lanny’s story once she became free of the tyranny of Adair.
I think that this novel definitely added more to the characters involved. Lanny showed a more compassionate side – putting other’s feelings before her own but the most surprising change is in the form of Adair (nothing more on that though). He really is quite a despicable character, in fact he’s brilliant in his cruel and arrogant behaviour. Don’t get me wrong, I can see he’s not very nice but I like reading a well formed bad sort of character.
We get a little bit more insight into the beginnings of the magic that helps to make the immortals. We explore the early start and we also delve a little bit into life after death.
What I was surprised about is that this is one of the few books about immortals where the grass doesn’t necessarily look greener on the other side of the fence. It’s not the sort of book that makes you think ‘what if’ or make you want to recreate and drink that sludgy looking portion to give you the secret of longevity. Things are definitely not as rosy as they seem when you get to live this long. You don’t have the opportunity to be a real part of a family, to have your own name, to watch your children growing older or to form any really meaningful friendships. Basically it’s a fairly lonely and secretive existence spent running from place to place to avoid recognition or unanswerable questions. Also, the characters that Adair chose to embrace, were all damaged in some respect due to their prior history and being immortal doesn’t improve that fact, they have years and years to dwell on their own errors and dream of redemption.
The only criticism I would level would be that although we visit a lot of different places in this story I don’t feel that any of them were particularly well drawn. If not for the headings at the start of various chapters telling you ‘Paris’ or ‘London’ , etc, I’m not sure that it would have been noticable. But, having said that I imagine the author was trying not to go into overly lengthy descriptions which would have bulked the book out and also distracted from the tale as it unfolds.
All in all a very enjoyable read. The only drawback is the long wait for the final instalment!
The Reckoning
