Customer Reviews

Finishing Touches

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one disturbingly creepy book! It's about Tom, a young-ish American guy, fresh out of medical school and somewhat unsatisfied with the "general practice" position hefell into by default when nothing else grabbed him. He decides to drop everything and take a trip to London. There he meets an older guy, a plastic surgeon, who begins to show him the seedier, hidden side of London nightlife.

One night the Tom is supposed to meet the old doc for a night out on the town (the two have become quite the club go-ers). When Tom shows up at the old doc's office he's told by a gorgeous woman with flowing black locks named Lina that the doc can't make it and she will entertain him instead. Tom can't believe his good fortune. It gets better. Lina is apparently attracted to Tom and they have wild erotic sex (that isn't detailed all that much, darn). Tom is in lurrrve immediately and Lina, though a little aloof and a tad secretive, seems to feel the same. When Tom is completely under Lina's spell he'll soon do anything (and I do mean anything) to keep her in his life. After a completely disturbing episode involving Tom, Lina and an Asian woman (whose name we never know) Tom fears Lina may be a tad, ah, off her rocker. But he's in lurrve, like I said, and can't seem to stay away from her for any length of time. . . The book tells the story from Tom's point of view and really gets into his head. We watch a normal guy play out his deepest, darkest fantasies and see how these episodes change him. It's very dark and got under my skin.

This is stuff that could possibly happen to any normal guy swayed by lust which makes it all the more creepier. Not for the fainter of heart.

This edition also includes a novella by the same author that I didn't find nearly as compelling. The horror of the novella is mostly disgusting rapes and other grossities and was very in-your-face. It's about a pea-brained man who stumbles into a modern day concentration camp. He's lured there by a gorgeously sexy woman (when will you men realize you've got to be wary of them!). They have mad sex and then some very bad things happen. I didn't enjoy this one on any level but Finishing Touches is worth a read.

Thomas Tessier has been called a master of "quiet" horror. Maybe so. He certainly is a smooth writer, good with pacing, dialogue and description. But when it comes to horror, he certainly yields no ground to any other writer. Actually his brand of horror is far worse. It gets into the mind, because there is a philosophy behind it. No better example of this is his short novel "Finishing Touches."

"Finishing Touches" tells the story of doctor to be Tom Sutherland. Sutherland has inherited a bit of money, and feeling he's lived in an educational "cocoon" for so many years, he's anxious to experience life before settling down to the suburban existence of a general practitioner. Events unfold in such a way however as to have him residing in London for a 6 month stay. It is there he soon meets Dr. Roger Nordhagen, who is of course insane. But the good (evil) doctor recognizes a like soul when he sees one, perhaps even one who can take his vision of "Now" to the next post modern level. Before long Tom and Dr. Nordhagen are crawling through the more exotic English clubs, and Tom soon meets Nordhagen's assistant, Lina. There is sex, which is the initial bait for Tom. And there is lots of it, but it's the kind of sex you might find in a Kubrick film. Detached, part of a larger Power game, that Tom senses the outlines of. And the game is one that is removed from any morality. Indeed, Nordhagen's whole philosophy is based upon immediate experience. And in a world where you have your Jeffrey Dahmers and Bin Ladens, who, he would say, can fault him? He just wants his piece of the Terror pie.

This is grim, unrelenting and poison filled stuff, wrapped in flawless prose. On a technical level Tessier succeeds brilliantly, which is why I'm giving this 5 stars. But if you allow for a human factor, you might want to give this a zero. Tessier is a superb connoisseur of atrocity, but for any serious follower of current events - isn't that more of the same? At some time Dr. Sutherland and Lina will encounter that question when the kicks of killing become endless reruns. And at that point, hopefully, they too will "return their tickets" to God.

It only takes a few pages for readers of Tom Tessier's Finishing Touches to realize they're in the hands of master, as he quickly and expertly establishes his characters and milieu, all the while setting the stage for the shocking surprises he has in store. A key element in coming to this realization is how easy it is to sympathize with his main character, Dr. Tom Sutherland, an American in London who, after completing his medical education, decides to spend some time in Europe before embarking on his career. At a major crossroads on his life, the twenty eight year old Sutherland is in a place many of us have been ourselves, unsure of himself as he embarks in a new direction.

While in London, Sutherland meets the enigmatic Roger Nordhagen, a plastic surgeon who sees himself as the man who puts the "finishing touches" on his patients. Intrigued by the strange old man, Sutherland allows Nordhagen to show him a hidden London. His education is furthered by the lovely and dangerous Lina Ravachol, Nordhagen's assistant. Together, Nordhagen and Ravachol provide some unique and decidedly disturbing "finishing touches" to Sutherland's personality and psyche.

The horror in Finishing Touches arrives relatively deep into the story, as Sutherland is seduced into accepting another reality one step at a time; how convincing this process is to you personally will depend on your belief in the transforming power of love. The intriguing thing is how Tessier ratchets up the terror-just when you're convinced it can't get worse, it does. That's the beauty and horror of reading this book-you become as hypnotized by Tessier's prose as Sutherland is mesmerized by the exquisite Lina and the new world to which she introduces him.

This book has gained a certain reputation over the years, such that it's recently been included as a "best book" in Stephen Jones and Kim Newman's follow-up to their exquisite 1998 anthology Horror: 100 Best Books, Horror: 100 More Best Books. There's a reason a Tessier novel has been featured in each of these volumes (the other one is the horror classic The Nightwalker): he's THAT good.

This early Thomas Tessier novel (first published in 1986) is one of the creepiest, most disturbing pieces of fiction I've read since Dan Simmons' Song of Kali, and it shares a similar intelligence with that seminal novel. Finishing Touches starts slowly and maintains that same pace throughout, never rising above a slow burn, but always making sure to keep the fires hot. Tessier piles on shock after shock in this tale of an American expatriate doctor and how his impulsive trip to London, and the people he meets there, irreversibly change his entire philosophy of life.

When his aunt dies, leaving him a comfortable inheritance, Dr. Tom Sutherland decides to take time off from his burgeoning medical practice and spend six months in London seeing the sights and generally taking it easy. His first attempt at absorbing the local color is to eat the majority of his meals in the local bars, and in one of these he meets Dr. Roger Nordhagen, a locally respected plastic surgeon (he puts the "finishing touches" on his not-quite-perfect clients). They spend a lot of their time together, and eventually the places they meet, as Nordhagen's behest, become more and more outlandish in their offerings.

One night, instead of meeting with Tom, Roger sends his personal assistant, Lina Ravachol, as a substitute. Tom is not upset as Lina is one of the most seductively beautiful women he has ever seen, and she takes an instant liking to Tom as well, going so far as to invite him to spend the weekend as her place. There she opens his mind to the various sexual possibilities two people can explore -- and Tom awes himself at how willingly he indulges in some of its more violent aspects. The more Tom does with Lina, the more he wants to be with her, and the readier she is to show him even darker sides of herself, but not her deepest secret. That will have to wait.

Tessier takes us in the mind of Tom through the first-person narration. We get to know exactly how he feels about everything that happens, and get to follow his emotional trek from horror to eagerness at the prospect of ever more depraved activities, eventually rationalizing his need to commit premeditated murder in order to assure his future. In so offering a protagonist that is simultaneously likeable and repellent, Finishing Touches offers some of the best psychological horror available.

Also included in this Leisure edition is Tessier's 2001 novella, Father Panic's Opera Macabre, originally published separately by Subterranean Press. The novella was even more of a disappointment, with such an evocative title leading to little more than grand guignol -- and bad grand guignol at that! Neil, a historical novelist, has his car break down and has to spend the night with a beautiful woman in a strange mansion. The cliches abound, and Tessier drags things out to the point that very little happens for the first 70 pages (out of 125); and when things do start happening, the complete lack of creativity ensures that the villains will be Nazis and the end will be predictable. A sorry waste of pages tacked onto a solid novel makes for a sadly uneven experience -- although at least you won't have to pay $40 to find out.

Here is what reading this book was like: I'm sitting there reading and thinking that the begining is kinda boring. What gives? The writing is fine, I'm thinking. But nothing is happening. Where's the terror? Where is that frisson of dread? And then, my friend, things begin to creep in. Oh yes. The everyday world seems shadowed and an uneasy chill dances around you. At more than one point in the book I didn't think I could keep reading because what Tessier does here is show us the ugliness of simply being human. I was wide-eyed and frightend (I mean that) by this book. I have never read anything like it and have NEVER had a book twist me and use me in such a way. I'll never read it again. Not because it's an awful book; far from it. I won't read it again because it made me look at human beings in a way that I never had before; a way that I never thought I could. And it gutted me. But I want you to read it. I want you to be excited/steamrolled by this book just like I was. And I can't wait to see your face when you finish the last page....

This is the second Thomas Tessier novel I've read. The first one was The Nightwalker (because of its glowing recommendation by Stephen King in Danse Macabre). I selected this novel because of its inclusion in Horror: Another 100 Best Books. Now that I've read both, I think I have a feel for Tessier's style. For one thing, he's an American who has lived in Britain so his books are filled with a love of London that only an American can have. They read a bit like travel literature, which I intend as a compliment.

Thematically, his novels seem to be about normal, seemingly decent men who become monsters. It is not usually some trauma that turns them into monsters - they just find themselves doing evil things, as if in a dream. As in dreams, his characters' reaction is usually detached fascination. The story of concerns an American doctor named Tom Sutherland, who finds himself befriended by a mysterious older surgeon named Nordhagen. Nordhagen pushes his way into Tom's life with the help of his beautiful assistant, Lina. Eventually, they lead him into a man-made hell on earth. The scares in this story are not of the killer-jumping-out-of-the-closet variety. Instead, it is just profoundly disturbing.

This edition also comes with the novella, Father Panic's Opera Macabre. I can't recommend the novella. It has some interesting travel writing but I didn't care for it. According to the footnotes it is based on historical truth, but I'd rather research the history.

Dr. Tom Sutherland is on vacation in London. There he meets a strange but intriguing doctor. The chance encounter becomes more and Tom finds himself extending his vacation. Soon Tom is deeply involved with the doctor's fascinating assistant. Tom chases her a bit like a schoolboy. Although she does become involved with him she seems far more mature and sophisticated.

As the relationship continues, Tom starts to learn more about the elusive doctor. It seems he has a secret research project going on and he might be allowed to get in on it. The assistant would really like Tom to become involved. Finally Tom learns what is really going on with the research and must make his decision. Girl? Money? Research? Morals? What will he choose.

According to the back of the book, Tom will stumble on the ultimate evil. Unfortunately, after the build up it comes off more like a scheme to steal candy from babies. I had high hopes for the book when I started it but was really let down by the end. It was almost like a shaggy dog story with a great build up but a sour ending that makes you feel like you wasted time.

Also included in this volume is another story called Father Panic's Opera Macabre. This is a strange story that offers a glimpse into some of the horrors of the past. Like the main novel, I wasn't sure what the point of this was (besides filling up pages after the too-short novel). This is definitely not a book I recommend.

One of the most frightening reading experiences anyone can encounter. I am an avid horror reader and have been hard put to find a really good read lately. Tessier's "Finishing Touches" is perfect. A truly great read. I am going right out and read all I can by this wonderful writer.

This is a book I've read twice and will probably do so again. It creeps its way steadily into the inner psychological horror of our minds (some of us). Intelligent. Lets out all the stops at the end. Very satisfying read.

I was really hoping to like this after seeing such great reviews. After looking at a few of the reviews I noticed a theme of outdated. I agree, it may have been shocking years ago but now it's lost any edge. I also thought the book was long winded and found myself skipping through various paragraphs at the end just to finish. The beginning kept my interest up until the "shocking" revelation. After that it went down hill, fast. The clean-up was way too easy and lasted way to long; no suspense. I also have a real hard time believing that the main character could go down the path he chose.