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So, The Fall continues the story begun in The Strain (which I reviewed here) and begins almost immediately where the last novel left off.
Our main cast (and I really should stop treating this as if it was a movie script, but I just can’t seem to) and as a reminder they are:
- flawed scientist hero
- lady scientist love interest
- scientist’s son
- old man with secret knowledge
- exterminator chappie
have not yet recovered from the shock at the end of book one which I won’t go into here, and are re-grouping to decide how they are going to deal with the big bad guy that they failed to stop and whose nefarious plan is coming to fruition. The Big Bad Plan is more extensive than anyone thought, and it becomes really, really, seriously important to discover how the vampires originally came into being, and so the search for this story’s McGuffin – an ancient text called the Occido Lumen – becomes the focus for a large portion of the book.
And that’s probably enough plot, because let’s face it, the main thing this novel has going for it is its plot, so not fair to give more away.
I’m not going to say that the writing is bad as such, but it is pretty workmanlike and totally in the service of driving the story forward. There are huge chunks of exposition throughout which were on occasions a bit distracting, as were the flashbacks (some of which at least served to give some context) and various diversions, including one to the International Space Station which, unless I missed something, didn’t really serve any purpose apart from a bit of gosh-wow-this-is-really-serious-stuff.
Having said all that I did stay up late to read the last third of the story and I will be buying the final volume just to see how on earth (if at all) they all get out of this one. But if you are planning to read this (1) don’t start here and (2) expect a certain amount of middle book of trilogy syndrome. Would still love to see it as a mini-series.
This was on my master list for RIP VI but not read as part of that challenge.
So if I was a lazy blogger I would probably just link to Raych’s post here and sit back because everything she says is absolutely right. But I do have stuff to say about this book and so will ignore my laziness and do the blogging thing.
Alexia Tarabotti has no soul (hence the title), which only a few select people know (and that doesn’t include anyone in her family). This lack of soul makes her unusual even in a Victorian society which accepts the existence of vampires, werewolves and ghosts. It also means that she can neutralise the supernatural abilities of others simply by touching them, which comes in pretty handy (pun unintentional).
The great fun of this book is its tone, which is very arch (to use an old-fashioned phrase). Actually, I could go further than that and say quite honestly that the novel is basically hugely enjoyable tosh. It has all the necessary elements:
- feisty heroine who knows more than everyone suspects but whose talents aren’t recognised;
- the handsome hero with whom she spends the whole story fighting but you just know she’s going to end up with him in huge romantic moment at some point;
- sidekicks with varying levels of acceptability;
- a nefarious plot which could represent the end of civilisation as it is known; and of course
- the obligatory evil, twisted genius who must be stopped at all costs.
Oh, and because of the period in which this is set, an appearance by Queen Victoria herself.
I just loved it; not great art by any means but an indulgent, steampunkish romp which passes the time very pleasantly. I already have (and fully intend to read) the sequels.
Well, The Strain – where to start?
OK, so a plane lands in New York and kind of just sits on the runway, totally blacked out, no sound, no nothing. Quite creepy. The CDC are called when the plane is opened and everyone on it is found to be dead and nobody knows why or how. Except of course there are one or two who have survived but things don’t look good for them for long. Or indeed for the ones that are already dead.
Then there’s the really big box with the strange carvings and filled with smelly earth which disappears behind everyone’s backs.
Is there a new kind of virus rampaging through New York or is this a more insidious and ancient evil making itself felt?
What do you reckon? Yes, its “Dracula on a Plane”!
Which does seem a bit unfair given I read the second half of this in one sitting on the first Saturday of my holiday and enjoyed it sufficiently to know that I will almost certainly get the sequel when it comes out in paperback next year. You can see the Great Guillermo’s paws all over the plot and the biology (which is lovely and gruesome), and it’s all incredibly easy to visualise.
But it isn’t as original as it thinks it is. Though to be fair maybe it doesn’t think it’s original and is just happily getting on with re-telling an old story in a modern setting with a thriller twist.
And all the thriller elements are definitely here:
- the troubled hero with family problems (divorce, custody battle, on the wagon after manful struggle with alcoholism) tasked with finding out just what we are dealing with here;
- the attractive co-worker who has been/almost certainly wants to continue being more than a friend;
- the old man who is more than he appears, with esoteric knowledge they need, a haunted past and a plan that just might work if only someone would listen to him;
- an ancient evil from the Old Country who is more powerful than you could ever imagine (some great puny mortal moments);
- a man with far too much money and a debilitating illness who will do anything to live forever;
- the friend that isn’t totally on their side and no one finds out until it’s just too late, dammit;
- oh and a range of bureaucrats who do the whole “I can’t believe what you’re telling me, will you listen to yourself” schtick and not much else until it’s all beyond our control.
I can see the mini-series galloping towards me, probably on SyFy. It will be gross if done properly. It will be silly if not. I have already started casting this in my head.
If I was participating in RIP V, then this would have been my first read.
So, despite Christmas and birthday gifts I still apparently felt that there wasn’t enough to read -n the house and got involved in a little retail therapy when things got a bit tense at work this week, coupled with a late birthday present and a freebie from a publisher.
Confession time:
- Iris Murdoch: A Writer at War edited by Peter J Conradi – combining two of my favourite things, diaries/letters and digging into the background of favourite authors; didn’t even know this was coming out
- Uncommon Arrangements: Seven Marriages in Literary London 1910-1939 by Katie Roiphe – sticking my nose into private matters once again, this includes amongst others the Bells, the Morrells and the Wells’s – almost rhymed too
- Barking by Tom Holt – a present from Silvery Dude, not an author I’ve read before, this has a cast including (apparently) unicorns, vampires, werewolves and lawyers…..
- The Strange Case of the Composer and His Judge by Patricia Duncker – a free book from the lovely people at Bloomsbury, religious sects and death in France
And with this on order, I couldn’t be happier!
So following my plea to you all here, the votes are in, and (excluding Silvery Dude’s own not-counted-cos-it’s-his-fault-anyway comment) the results are 3 for, 1 against and 1 don’t know.
I am nothing if not a woman of my word and so I will give in and watch the thing……
I’ve set myself some conditions for viewing which are:
I will watch the movie before the end of October 2009;
I will not prejudge the outcome but will keep an open mind;
I will review the film fairly and honestly on Bride of the Screen God.
However, some decent chocolate and alcohol of a suitable nature must be available to sustain me during my ordeal (describing it as such kind of undermines the not-prejudging thing, but hey, that’s me, underminer-girl)
I actually have a copy of the DVD in my possession as I could see how this was going; the pouty teen angst cover is depressing me already, hence Mr Pattinson’s mug at the top of this post.
And lord help us, the sequel is out in November……
So I have this problem. My friend the Silvery Dude has, with his good lady wife, watched Twilight. I am now under some significant pressure, indeed, I have been dared to do likewise, because:
- it’s Buffy meets the X-Files meets the OC (allegedly)
- it’s a parallel universe of teen angst which must (apparently) be explored
- it’s part of the (and I quote) “new lovey-dovey horror sub genre malarkey”
Now some of these points may be good ones (I love Buffy; I love the X-Files); but some are also bad (I care little for teen angst; I may have riposted that said parallel universe should be plunged into the nearest singularity). Also, as I understand it, these vampires are “sparkly”
There is additional evidence which needs to be take into account:
- I am 47 years old – do I really want to be reminded about being a teenager, albeit one in love with a representative of the undead (which superficially has certain attractions)?
- My favourite vampire film is Near Dark – no sparkles
- I really enjoyed (in a creeped out way) Let the Right One In – definitely no sparkles
- I have avoided reading the books because almost everyone else has been and I am nothing if not perverse
- at the risk of upsetting any 15-year-old girls, Robert Thingy’s eyes are too close together for genuine handsomeness
- I don’t do romance
Am I being unfair? Should I give it a go? Please, please, give me some advice; I promise to abide by the majority decision……..
I have to say right at the beginning that I really love stories about vampires. That’s not to say that I am uncritical; there are at least two series of vampire novels that I’ve stopped following because the the stories have become formulaic (I won’t mention any names…..). But it means that I’m always on the lookout for something interesting in the genre, and was thrilled to come across Let The Right One In by accident when browsing in a bookshop.
According to the blurb on the cover, Lindqvist has “reinvented the vampire novel” and there is “a whiff of the new Stephen King” so this was a no brainer for me. And I’m so glad that I picked it up, as it is a genuinely creepy and unsettling book which has been stuck in my head over the few days since I finished it.
We are in Sweden, a suburb of Stockholm to be exact, on a council estate. Oskar is 12 years old, being brought up by his mother alone and bullied at school. One night, while acting out a fantasy of revenge in the local play area, he meets Eli, a girl of indeterminate age, and they form a bond. She gives him the courage to face up to his problems, but it soon becomes clear that she isn’t what she seems; she is in fact a vampire who is at least 200 years old.
That’s the set-up, but there is so much more to this story. It’s incredibly bleak in places, a lot of the characters lead disappointedlives, the children are mainly from broken homes. However, the supernatural element blends in; Eli is a victim also, turned into a vampire when a child, not really understanding how it all works but knowing what she needs to do to survive. It’s incredibly gruesome in places (which I don’t mind) but also really affecting, and I found the end satisfying.
I’m not sure I’ve done this unusual story justice, but if you want something new in the vampire tradition then give this a try.
This is my third read for the RIP III challenge.
Bride of the Book God 