Post by Bartwald on May 18, 2004 12:57:13 GMT -5
Graham Masterton [glow=red,2,300]Unspeakable[/glow] (2002) **1/2
I like Masterton - after all he's one of the first horror writers whose book I grabbed and quickly read (that was 'The Manitou', of course, and it happened some fifteen years ago). But is he a really good writer? No, he's not. His books are usually rushed, the plot often becomes too silly near the end, the dialogues are forgettable, etc. The last book by Masterton that I have read and liked a lot is 'Snowman' (from the 'Rook' series): it's also rushed and sometimes silly, but at least it has several good, shocking set pieces. Sadly, no such thing in 'Unspeakable', a more recent book by this British author.
The story here is about a young woman who works for the police as she has some useful natural skills - emphasis on 'natural', 'cause this time it ain't no clairvoyance or telepathy (I could tell you what it exactly is that haunts her/ helps her, but it would spoil a nice first chapter twist for you). After putting to jail an Indian man who almost killed his son, the woman is 'cursed' by him, the 'Thinner' way: all that she loves will be taken away by the Crow, a demon that previously took over the aforementioned son's body. Soon afterwards, the woman meets her dead husband in the street, is sexually abused by a stranger, her friends turn their backs on her... and so the story goes.
Generally, it's all kind of bland and incoherent; not much scary stuff happens anywhere in the book, and the whole plot seems to be a series of episodes sewn together and pretending to be a novel - some would call it postmodern, I just call it no good. What IS interesting in 'Unspeakable' is the sole ending: first of all, we get a dramatic twist on what went before, then we get a twist on Masterton's love towards all kinds of legends and demons, and finally - in the very last sentence - we get a twist to close all twists.
But a book that is only good at the beginning and end? I'm not going to recommend one to you.
I like Masterton - after all he's one of the first horror writers whose book I grabbed and quickly read (that was 'The Manitou', of course, and it happened some fifteen years ago). But is he a really good writer? No, he's not. His books are usually rushed, the plot often becomes too silly near the end, the dialogues are forgettable, etc. The last book by Masterton that I have read and liked a lot is 'Snowman' (from the 'Rook' series): it's also rushed and sometimes silly, but at least it has several good, shocking set pieces. Sadly, no such thing in 'Unspeakable', a more recent book by this British author.
The story here is about a young woman who works for the police as she has some useful natural skills - emphasis on 'natural', 'cause this time it ain't no clairvoyance or telepathy (I could tell you what it exactly is that haunts her/ helps her, but it would spoil a nice first chapter twist for you). After putting to jail an Indian man who almost killed his son, the woman is 'cursed' by him, the 'Thinner' way: all that she loves will be taken away by the Crow, a demon that previously took over the aforementioned son's body. Soon afterwards, the woman meets her dead husband in the street, is sexually abused by a stranger, her friends turn their backs on her... and so the story goes.
Generally, it's all kind of bland and incoherent; not much scary stuff happens anywhere in the book, and the whole plot seems to be a series of episodes sewn together and pretending to be a novel - some would call it postmodern, I just call it no good. What IS interesting in 'Unspeakable' is the sole ending: first of all, we get a dramatic twist on what went before, then we get a twist on Masterton's love towards all kinds of legends and demons, and finally - in the very last sentence - we get a twist to close all twists.
But a book that is only good at the beginning and end? I'm not going to recommend one to you.
