Customer Reviews

Nosferatu: A Novel

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This book starts very, very well. Wonderful characters, well written and then something happens, the style of writing changes, the flow stops and becomes a unsteady pattern of drips. The ending seems an afterthought and, even though perfectly fitting, slapped on with little deference to plot or love of the characters. I would recommend the book based on its strengths over its weaknesses.

Jim Shepard's attention to detail is as always, mind boggling! Nosferatu is a fictional account of the eminent German film director F.W Murnau. The book takes you on an rollercoaster journey through Murnau's life from his humble childhood beginnings, to his time as a fighter pilot during World War I, his rise to the top of the cinematic world and then inevitably his tragic death.

The book is a great read throughout, emotive yet witty. However, the first half is far more brilliant than the second. The prose is very challenging (non veterans will need to bring out the collegiate dictionary for this one) but at the critical gain of early 20th Century elegance...

A downfall however is that the novel somehow seems to end incredibly hastly. Shepard also seems to make tremendous leaps to different stages of Murnau's life (which leaves you wondering - what happened in between???).

Overall a good read especially for the silient cinema fans and those interested in the pre/post World War I era.

There are a variety of circumstances that make this book a paradox. First, the subject matter is fascinating: Silent movie director FW Murnau's life and career. Unfortunately, because the family is ashamed of its gay ancestor, a lot of material was withheld from the author, who has to fictionalize this sort-of biography. Shifts from third- to first-person narrative would be less jarring if there was not a sudden change in quality (first person sounding much more authentic). Another problem is that the author takes a glib view of film history itself, writing this book to satisfy his childhood obsession with the horror movie Nosferatu by writing about its creator. But to only mention three of his movies, leaving off his most stunning achievements--Faust and Sunrise--is astounding. But, despite all this, Shepard paints an interesting picture of Murnau as an obsessed loner whose only joy was the lost boyfriend, Hans, and the subsequent obsession with his death (in WWI trenches) and memory. As a film history buff, it's hard not to feel the clang of what's missing here. As a look at the mournful obsession for youth and dream lost, though, it sort of work, marred again by the narrative alternation.

With stunning insight, Shepard creates a fictional history of the great filmmaker locating the roots of his mature genius in the forbidden passions of adolescence and young adulthood. One of the most compelling windows into artistic obsession and its erotic impetus I have ever seen. The descriptions of the creative mind at work in the making of Nosferatu the film are an artistic tour de force. His evocation of the transports of youthful love are among the most beautiful ever written! Check out the love letters!

Wow. This guy has a talent for cheese, saccharine, and making genuinely good subjects feel bloated with the author's own self-importance. Talk about the writer inserting his ego to detrimental effect! He packs his sentences with such a smug writerly sensibility that it's difficult to get into the story at all. Like, gag me with a spoon!

That being said, where's the movie version? Didn't I see Willem Dafoe someplace recently...? That's gotta sting! (I mean, golly, don't studios usually play the 'me too' game? Maybe they could hook the author up! Dunh dunh dunh... 'NOSFERATU,' starring, as Murnau, RICK MORANIS! And, as Shreck, in his biggest role since Diff'rent Strokes, it's KAREEM ABDUL JABBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!)