Customer Reviews

Dark Sleeper: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Though you find this book categorized under Science Fiction, you shouldn't expect any spaceships. 'Dark Sleeper' is a complex work of realistic fantasy, and only the first in a series of books that the reader will look forward to reading even before finishing this introductory novel. Yes, there are hints of possible parallel universes, and some ties to the world we are familiar with. But the tenor of this novel is such that it reads like the horror novel Dickens never wrote, the lost collaboration between HP Lovecraft and Arthur Conan Doyle. There are explicit references to both 'The Call of Cthulhu' and the Holmes and Watson stories, but the combination that Barlough strikes is very unique, and never seems derivative.

Barlough uses a rich, Victorian-style prose to create a world much like our own, but one in which mammoths and 'sabre-cats' co exist with stagecoaches and gas-lit streets. To the inhabitants of this Victorianized Wild West that never was, these things are normal. It's the walking dead, the flying demons, the breached ship in the harbor that refuses to sink that send the characters into action.

Like Dickens, Barlough spends a lot of time with his characters, filling in every detail so that the readers can better enjoy their predicaments and better believe in this unreal world he creates. The storytelling style that Barlough uses is a character as well, for we are occasionally reminded that someone is narrating the tale. The finished weave is complex and satisfying.

Fans of Stephen King and Peter Straub's 'The Talisman' will enjoy this book, as well as those who liked Mark Frost's 'The List of Seven' and Tim Powers' 'The Anubis Gates'. It's a surprising blend of the weird and the gentle, for unlike many books in the Dark Fantasy/almost horror genre, it doesn't go overboard with violence, gore or general depravity, and it certainly doesn't suffer as a result. 'Dark Sleeper' is highly recommended; it's worth your time, your money, and when you're finished, you'll certainly want to visit Barlough's peculiar corner of the world again.

This tale is written with a great degree of style, with obvious borrowings from Dickens, both in terms of the language and composition of the narrative, as well as the bevy of Pickwickian characters. Similarly set within an alternate world that could easily front for 19th century England, but for the presence of Pleistocene mammals and a post-apocalyptic destruction of Europe, the author goes to great lengths to echo and reinvent the Victorian masteršs prose within the context of contemporary fantasy fiction. In terms of the prose, he is largely successful, recapturing Dickensš often mocking, at times sardonic humor in his portrayal of his characters, using authorial intrusion to emphasize observations of character and setting, as well as to establish authorial imprimatur. If the author had achieved as much in terms of the content of his story as he has in terms of style, this story would have proven more successful. Unfortunately, the plot at times seems more in the service of the authoršs stylish characterizations and compositional conventions, in the end too neatly wrapped up and declaratively presented to be convincing.

Despite an earlier revieweršs observations, I found this story more macabre than frightening, offering little in the way of true suspense. Though several short episodes of horror take place early in the story, they are presented in a manner more strange than horrifying, the bulk of the first two hundred pages devoted primarily to characterization and setting than any unfolding of plot. As events begin to progress in the latter half of the book, more often than not the foundation of what is happening is presented as exposition, doing much to enervate any real presence of suspense, as well as contributing to a sense of contrivance in the manner of which the author has chosen to handle and reveal his plot line. Everything falls in place at the storyšs conclusion too abruptly and conveniently to be convincing, and the summation taking place in the postscript, while a common 19th century literary convention, true to the authoršs stylistic choice of composition, only contributes further to the readeršs sense of mild disappointment after having been led on for almost five hundred pages.

While I do feel this novel represents an example of style superseding substance, there is little question as to the authoršs success in terms of his prose. As this is a first novel, and the author shows great skill in his composition, characterization and description, as well as his ability to mirror literary mannerisms, little doubt exists in my mind that, should the author be able to develop and improve his story telling abilities, one could expect great things of Mr. Barlough in the future. He is an author who I will continue to watch.

Jeffrey Barlough's 'Dark Sleeper' is a masterpiece. Barlough weaves his prose delicately and powerfully. This is a book that doesn't turn up often anymore. Barlough's words are reminiscent of the greatest authors from decades past; Melville, Dickens, Conan Doyle.

The coastal town of Salthead is disturbed when the ghost of a deceased sailor begins to haunt its citizens. Who are these diffident newcomers to Salthead, Mr. Hunter and Mr. Hilltop? Will evil Josiah Tusk ruin the local mammoth-transport trade? I won't say more for fear of giving it all away.

Words cannot express the depth and soul of 'Dark Sleeper'. The characters are lively and real. The setting is gorgeous. Even though the sun is shining outside, while I read this book I feel as though I'm wreathed in fog. Barlough's writing brings to mind that of Tim Powers (who, not coincidentally, has written a cover blurb). I wouldn't be surprised if in future generations, this book is pointed to as a classic of the genre. Regardless of others' opinions, 'Dark Sleeper' is a book that I will recommend to friends and foes alike. It's made my very, very short list of books that I must have on my bookshelf. I give it my very highest recommendation.

It seems as though Mr. Barlough is more in love with he English language as spoken in the 1800s than he is devoted to the developement of his plot. There is page after page of meaningless dialogue among - admittedly interesting - characters, which does nothing to advance his plot.

For a book with demons and aristocracy from the Etruscan culture, come back to lay claim to domination over humanity, still existent Mastadons and sabre-tooths, and reference to some cataclysm called "the sundering", the plot promises much but just plods only to be loosely tied up at the end. The book jacket references a Professor Tiggs as the protagonist, we are to suspect.

For awhile it seems as though Prof. Tiggs and his doctor friend will be off an a joyful and dangerous escapade such as Holmes and Watson. This never happens! Tiggs does nothing in this book, except listen to others tell him about horrifying events.

I could have loved this book if it wasn't so slow. I liked the authentic Dickensian language, I thought the characters were interesting (to a degree), but this was just terribly unsatisfying.

One of the impacts of twentieth century culture on the art of novel writing has been an increased emphasis on the importance of plot. In my more sarcastic moments I blame this on the rise of the cowboy movie. We have become adventure story addicts, and are perplexed when something doesn't happen in every paragraph. In earlier years, plots were sometimes less developed, but emphasis was primarily on characters, dialog and description, i.e., on the power and beauty of the language itself. Too often, best selling books consist of nothing more than stick figure characters mouthing predictable verbiage as they run from event to event on a two-dimensional stage. These can still be fun to read, and there is such a thing as a well-written adventure story, but I sometimes miss the carefully crafted prose of our greatest storytellers.

Fortunately, there are always authors who buck the trend. Recently, China Mieville stands out, with "Perdido Street Station" and "King Rat." Now another new face has appeared, Jeffrey Barlough, whose first work, "Dark Sleeper," is a tour-de-force of finely styled writing. Mr. Barlough, through his service as an editor or older English writing, has a delightful facility with prose, which he has used to concoct a story that is both horror story and lugubrious farce. Imagine, if you will, that "The Pickwick Papers" had been co-written Charles Dickens and H. P. Lovecraft.

"Dark Sleeper" is hardly lacking in plot. Set in an alternate earth where the cataclysmic strike of a comet triggered an ice age during the 18th Century. The world is a wasteland, surrounding a narrow band where civilization managed to hang on. The story takes place in the prosperous town of Salthead `an ocean and a continent' away from where France used to be. It is now three hundred years or more since the cataclysm, but for all practical purposes it is still the 18th Century. Carriages are horse drawn, and candles light the night. Other than a single, silver pocket watch there is no evidence of mechanization. Guns do not exist. The wilderness has reverted, and forests now abound with giant mammoths and saber-toothed tigers.

Unexpectedly, Salthead finds itself haunted by the supernatural. An undead sailor wanders the streets and a ghost ship arises from the ocean. An ill-tempered mastiff becomes a creature from hell. There are rumors that a wizard has moved into the city and demonic figures are seen on cliff tops. Professor Titus Tiggs and his companion Dr. Daniel Dampe are determined to investigate. They come, via a harrowing carriage ride through the mountains to the village of Pease Pottage and the Eaton Wafers estate. There they uncover the roots of a terrible secret that has unleashed a nightmare from ancient times. Salthead and its environs is threatens by an immortal cultist who is determines to reinstate the time of ancient Italy, filling the world with the spirits of dead Etruscans.

All this makes for a dandy plot. But what makes the book special is the author a great deal of time elaborating on the characters, their foibles and faults, and the rich fantasy landscape in which the action takes place. Subplots are introduced and worked to satisfactory conclusions in a novel clearly intended to survive more than one reading. There is already a second volume in preparation for the series. "Dark Sleeper" may not be for everyone, but I believe that it will greatly reward those readers who enjoy such entertainments.

The problem with your typical fantasy novel is that it's so. . . typical. The quest, the young man or lady with unusually strong powers, the evil bad guy (or girl - let's be fair).

This book has a fine dose of evil, but the rest is a breath of fresh air. If I had to pick a modern-day author to compare Barlough to, it would have to be Tim Powers. The writing is most reminiscent of Charles Dickens', but unlike Charles' novels, I had no trouble getting through this one.

Instead I found myself drawn into an eerie world filled with incredibly charming characters. Even the "bad" guys are charming! This is storytelling at its finest. Nothing is predictable. We are made to experience the amazing events of this world through the eyes of some quite interesting people.

The only problem I had with this book is that I felt compelled to share some of the many very funny scenes in this book with my husband, to find that he'd have to understand the backgrounds of the characters to fully appreciate them. Ah well, guess he'll have to read it too!

So if you are in the mood to savor a different, spooky, funny and richly written novel, you definitely need to read this book. It's the same feeling you get when you go to see a great movie in the middle of a mediocre movie season. "Finally!"

This is one of the more unique novels that I have encountered in the last year. It has element of alternate history and science/fiction fantasy, but is equally a mystery in the tradition of Arthur Conan Doyle. Moreover, the writing is undeniably similar to Dickens, and his contemporaries.

If I had to pick, I would have to classify this book as a mystery, because the other elements are mostly window dressing for a story that could occur in a multitude of settings. That's not to say the other elements aren't impressive; they most certainly are. The novel takes place in what is apparently a remote corner of Europe after some sort of extraterrestrial impact devastated most of the planet. Furthermore, either Ice Age mammals never died out, or they are enjoying a renaissance as a result of the cataclysm. This unusual, creative scenario help create a real sense of desperation and isolation among the characters. Although there lives are relatively comfortable, they have been marginalized and pushed to the brink, so anything out of the ordinary is an even greater cause for concern.

As for the story itself, it's hard to comment without giving away details. Suffice it to say that it touches upon the supernatural, but not in the ways one might expect. Regarding some of the complaints I've seen about the book being anticlimactic, I think it is necessary to consider Barlough's style when leveling criticism. He seems to be a writer for whom the journey is as important as the conclusion. I happen to like this style of storytelling, but if you need non-stop action, this may not be the book for you.

All in all, I found "Dark Sleeper" to be an original, witty novel with a remarkably unique narrative style. Enjoy!

Barlough is a breath of fresh air. Well written dark fanstasy and horror that is also original is a rarity but he succeeds on both accounts splendidly. The characters are marvolous and well constructed as is the background plot. His ability to mimic 19th century english is superb. It feels like you are reading a Dickens novel until Barlough hits you with the horrors that tie the story together. My only real complaint is that the book sometimes gets dragged down in the plethora of subplots but since all the charaters are interesting and thier stories compeling i didn't once object. Not quite as strong as his second outing, "House in the High Wood", but still highly recommended.

Dark Sleeper is an odd duck of a novel, a Weird Tales-style story told in the form of a Dickens pastiche. Though perhaps unlikely sounding, the idea is reasonably fresh, a quality sorely lacking in currently published fantasy.

Bafflingly, though, Barlough has chosen to pastiche not Dicken's skill with description and character, but his most annoying depictions of behavioral and verbal "comic" grotesquerie -- rather than capturing the tone and feel of Dickensian storytelling, Barlough instead conjures the most horrendous bits of Nicholas Nickelby and The Pickwick Papers, eccentrics talking nonsense for pages to finish out Dickens' weekly word quota.

After fifty pages or so this gets pretty tired, but at least there's some nominally creepy Lovecraftian spookiness going on. This holds one's attention to mid-book, at which point the entire mystery is explained in thudding exposition. This recreates the worst of Lovecraft: the rare bits when he stopped to explain what hell was going on. From that point on Dark Sleeper is just silly.

Still, two stars for intent: this isn't another cynically motivated would-be bestseller. Barlough clearly loves the material he pastiches -- he just hasn't managed to pull a successful novel out of it.

I felt distinctly cheated after reading this book. I liked the characters and I liked the main theme, but I think the problem was that I expected the two to interact in some way and they really didn't, at least not in any active way. The characters just observe what is going on rather than participating, so there is no center to the book, I ended up not really caring what happens as there was no real conflict amongst the main characters to drive the story. Basically it's two books, the plot occurs amongst minor characters with little impact on the reader, and the main characters though interesting just stand around doing little.