Maplecroft (Borden Dispatches, Bk 1)
Author:
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror
Book Type: Paperback
Helpful Score: 2
So I've been a fan of Cherie Priest for quite a while now, but I haven't been all that great with actually reading all her novels. Then Maplecroft came out, and the twitterverse exploded with positive praise. Then again, what I saw was mostly retweets from Priest herself. So was this really positiveness? Or had she simply nailed the methods of Twitter promotion?
Then Halloween came. And Maplecroft seemed like the perfect book to be reading while the kiddies come to the door for their sugar fix. And so my local independent bookstore got another sale.
So quick summary: Maplecroft is the story of Lizzie Borden (of nursery rhyme fame), taking place a few years after the murder of her parents. In Priest's alternate history, those murders (and other creepy things going on around Fall River, MA) were due to some kind of insanity-inducing horror from the sea. The plot revolves around a threat ominously approaching, a doctor slowly losing his marbles, and the struggles of Lizzie and her sister Emma, living in a town where everyone assumes Lizzie killed her parents (despite her acquittal).
Does it sound Lovecraftian? Yeah, it's Lovecraftian. Without apology. But let me say: I've read Lovecraft. I can't stand Lovecraft. His ideas were great; his execution was painful. Priest gets the feeling spot on, and avoids all of the struggle with storytelling that Lovecraft had.
This novel was fantastic. The imagery of the book was spot on (though on a quick re-scan of the book, I'm not finding good pull-out quotes). It was some kind of gestalt of text that painted a picture of a dour place, with ominousness hanging just out of sight. Scarily, it makes me want to visit. (But then I searched for Fall River, MA on Google Maps. Don't do that. It's all sunny and peaceful, and on a large river, not the ocean.) The coast I imagine when I read this reminds me more of northern Oregon (where I've actually visited when it was overcast and cold).
The story is told in "diary entry" form, from the point of view of a number of different characters. So it's all first-person, but we shift from person to person as different portions of the story are told. It's especially effective here, where priest is trying to show the emotional unraveling of her characters.
Was it a good Halloween book? Yes, indeed. A good book for the Fall, and for Winter. And if you hate sunshine, probably good for Spring, too. :)
5 of 5 stars.
Then Halloween came. And Maplecroft seemed like the perfect book to be reading while the kiddies come to the door for their sugar fix. And so my local independent bookstore got another sale.
So quick summary: Maplecroft is the story of Lizzie Borden (of nursery rhyme fame), taking place a few years after the murder of her parents. In Priest's alternate history, those murders (and other creepy things going on around Fall River, MA) were due to some kind of insanity-inducing horror from the sea. The plot revolves around a threat ominously approaching, a doctor slowly losing his marbles, and the struggles of Lizzie and her sister Emma, living in a town where everyone assumes Lizzie killed her parents (despite her acquittal).
Does it sound Lovecraftian? Yeah, it's Lovecraftian. Without apology. But let me say: I've read Lovecraft. I can't stand Lovecraft. His ideas were great; his execution was painful. Priest gets the feeling spot on, and avoids all of the struggle with storytelling that Lovecraft had.
This novel was fantastic. The imagery of the book was spot on (though on a quick re-scan of the book, I'm not finding good pull-out quotes). It was some kind of gestalt of text that painted a picture of a dour place, with ominousness hanging just out of sight. Scarily, it makes me want to visit. (But then I searched for Fall River, MA on Google Maps. Don't do that. It's all sunny and peaceful, and on a large river, not the ocean.) The coast I imagine when I read this reminds me more of northern Oregon (where I've actually visited when it was overcast and cold).
The story is told in "diary entry" form, from the point of view of a number of different characters. So it's all first-person, but we shift from person to person as different portions of the story are told. It's especially effective here, where priest is trying to show the emotional unraveling of her characters.
Was it a good Halloween book? Yes, indeed. A good book for the Fall, and for Winter. And if you hate sunshine, probably good for Spring, too. :)
5 of 5 stars.
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