The Angel Maker [Hardcover]

Stefan Brijs (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (May 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0297852191
• ISBN-13: 978-0297852193
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,788,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great dark, atmospheric novel, March 7, 2009

By 

I read everything - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Angel Maker (Paperback)

This book is an story about science gone to far, a warped interpretation of religion, and the impact of childhood on an adult's world view. There were parts of the story that had a 'Shirley Jackson' feel to them. It hurdled towards it's horrible climax, and I could not look away. I highly recommend.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual and unforgettable, June 26, 2009

By 

Porter "creative348" (Huntsburg, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Angel Maker (Paperback)

This is a well written character study of a doctor who is obsessed with his genetic experiments. The author explores the doctor's sad past, which began with his being born with a hairlip and dumped in a mental institution by his parents. "Cared for" (if you can call it that) by nuns, he became fascinated with Jesus Christ, the man. The combination of how science and religion molded the man is intriguing, and the author certainly did his homework about genetics and cloning. The village setting is quaint and the triplets are unforgettable. I enjoyed everything about this book and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This would be an excellent book discussion selection because there is so much to talk about and debate. I applaud this author for creating a fine character study and for his wonderful imagination. This a great book for those who savor something truly different.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars What was Dr. Frankenstein's childhood like?, April 20, 2009

By 

C. Claiborn "Amazon Prime Fashion Victim" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Angel Maker (Kindle Edition)

The first and final thirds work beautifully. Victor Hoppe--general practitioner, fertility expert, mad scientist--is a fascinating creation, and Brijs' tantalizingly sparse descriptions left me hitting the "next page" button on my Kindle at a furious rate. There's some beautiful writing in the last few chapters as Victor's insanity shifts in a surprising, but apt, direction.

The middle third is a little less successful. Telling the life story of someone whose inner life is so alien is a difficult proposition, and I think the exposition gets a little dense. Brijs invents another narrator to tell the story of Hoppe's scientific career, but doesn't bother to flesh the character out, and when he appears again after an absence I found myself annoyed at the unnecessary complication.

Still, there's much to enjoy: Hoppe's game of deceptive truth-telling, his housekeeper's slow realization of her employer's peculiarities, the horrors of his house once things go terribly wrong. Fans of horror-tinged science fiction will be rewarded in seeking this out.