Every now and again you pick up a book, ignore the beginning, pick a random spot and begin reading. It is only with every ounce of the sheer force of your very-strong will that you stop reading and begin where all good stories begin, at the very beginning.
This book, this story, draws you in like a drunk to a bar, or a moth to a flame, or me to a good cup of strong, black coffee. All the rest of your life stops, or at the very least is put on hold, necessities like food, changing your clothes, using the restroom are all weighed against reading further and they are often discarded as very definitely unnecessary in light of reading.
This writing has so drawn you in that you are no longer just a woman sitting at home reading a book, no, you are, at the very least, an observer IN the story. But more often you are a character in the book. You feel every emotion the characters feel. You're angry. You're giddy. You feel that sweet spot of true love. You feel the fear. The terror, the hate. You cry. You laugh.
Dancing with The Dead by my long-time hero, Jameson Parker is just such a book. Honestly, dear reader, this book made me realize novels aren't written the same way today. This book hearkens back to the days when a novel was an enjoyable way to pass the afternoon, a place to get lost, a time for the noise of the world to disappear as you disappeared in the pages.
Dancing with the Dead is the story of Pamela and Tony. I'm not going to say too much because quite frankly, you just need to order this book for your own big boy or girl self and read it. From the prologue to the final word of the final chapter you are drawn in to a world of mental illness, Vietnam,Mississippi, lynching and murder of blacks in pre-Vietnam America, Argentina, Civil War, ponies and polo.
Jameson Parker so masterfully moves from one character to another without ever losing each individual character's voice. The plot and character development are honed so fine you don't even realize until you've finished the book and you find yourself asking, "Well, then what happened to them?"
And trust me, you will ask that question. I'm still asking it. "Then what happened? What happened to Pamela and Tony? We can't just leave them there. Yes it was a happy place, but then what???"
Plot and character development are so masterfully woven and brought to life you will never forget them. But that isn't the only thing that makes a book good. The craft of writing must be honed, and Jameson has honed it to a fine science. Any book I read that forces me to have a dictionary right next to me is a good book! And this book (as well as his blog) both require that.
Any book that leaves me wishing I could write like that and spurs me on to be a better writer, to hone my own craft and voice is an excellent book. And yes, this book did that.
This book is available through Bear Manor Media or amazon.com or you could order through your own local bookstore. I don't much care where you order it, but please just do yourself a favor and order the book! (Incidentally those links are not affiliate links. I gain nothing through your clicking or purchasing.)
It has been a long, long while since a "novel" has impacted me to this degree. This book changed me, in more ways than I realize right this moment. It's not simply because at one I had a crush on the author, it's not that at all. This book came alive in my hands and I am not ever going to be the same.
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