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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superior Storytelling for Carroll, June 6, 2006
Jonathan Carroll is an author I read for his excellent writing technique, his just-slightly-askew-from-nature supernatural twists, and his cosmopolitan viewpoint. All this he delivers with admirable regularity; he's become a brand name and practically a genre unto himself to a lot of folks. However, I have come to expect him to lose focus towards the end of his books: he values precision in writing and plot up until the end, where he enjoys leaving lots of things unsaid and lots of threads hanging. This is ideal for book-club discussions, but not so much for me: I know Carroll considers it a feature, but it's something I have to forgive him for rather than something I buy his books for.
This book is less like that than most of his work. The story -- about a young author who finds himself betraying those closest to him and who reaps supernatural consequences -- contains liberal helpings of Carroll's delightfully eccentric characters and unusual details, written with Carroll's usual precision. And it has Carroll's trademark highly imaginative magical touches -- you'd be amazed how scared Carroll can make you with a pair of white gloves, a hat, and some wind-up birds. But it also has a tidy -- and highly disquieting -- conclusion; perhaps the best Carroll has ever created. That, and the comparatively little space the fantastic elements take up in the book, make this a likely good entry point for readers new to Carroll's work.
And, for those who are new to Carroll's work, I suggest finding an entry point. Carroll is a one-of-a-kind fantasist and one of the best authors working today; he should have cross-genre appeal for anyone who admires excellent writing and original thinking. Check him out.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful and disquieting, February 14, 2003
This review is from: Voice of Our Shadow (Paperback)
This is a wonderfully original and understated novel: a coming-of-age story with a mystery at its heart, embellished with fantasy elements that become stronger and more integral as the book heads to its conclusion. Unlike much fantasy writing these days, there's no unnecessary padding here; rather, you're left wanting more. The setting (predominantly Vienna) is evoked with a nicely economic style, while the (few) characters come to life naturally through their words and actions. The creeping unease builds gradually, and is never overdone - and the ending packs a considerable punch. I enjoyed it immensely, although if you like your fiction strictly explicable and grounded in reality you may find some of the developments a touch difficult to swallow. This recently came back into print in the UK; if you can get hold of a copy, do: you can read it in an evening and you won't be disappointed.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Family Friendship Love Jealousy Deceit Crime and Punishment, October 16, 2003
Short but intense novel on hardships of growing up, even later in life as an adult. Carroll's first book is one powerful account of an anti-hero, who is bullied and ignored in his childhood as a weak, unimportant character, left to envy others and hate himself. As suspected, his past catches up eventually, even in Vienna, thousands of miles away from home. The story drives its power from the honesty of its narrator, ringing so true that one thinks it is possibly relying on some real-life experience: a.k.a. first novel being biographical. Very interesting, original in its ideas on misperception and mistreatment of others and of oneself. I compare this one favorably against the critically appraised, award winning Carroll book "Land of Laughs".
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