Behind the Door by Mary SanGiovanniMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent of course, as always. Mary's cosmic horror is of her own making. It's not Lovecraftian, it is, as I've often said, Sangiovannian. However, very reminiscent of Stephen King's Lovecraftian fiction (though Mary's prose is also her own), her cosmic horror is entertaining, too. As much I as enjoyed Thomas Ligotti's prose, his work almost shows an ACTUAL contempt for humanity itself. Mary's work certainly shows us the pitiless horrors of the cosmic unknown, but in contrast, it serves to show humanity triumphing in SPITE of those pitiless cosmic horrors. She gives readers something to root for, which is a tricky balance to maintain - portraying the horrors of cosmic entities which view us as fodder, while creating a story which pulls the reader in for the ride.
Her characterization, as always, is spot on, and in this case, Sangiovanni deftly renders two characters as sympathetic to the audience - despite possesing terrible, revolting flaws - who could've otherwise come off horribly in someone else's hands. This shows Sangiovanni's insight and understanding of human nature.
Without a doubt, though I've thoroughly enjoyed all her works, this is my favorite of her new Kennsington/Lyrical Underground novels, and my favorite since THRALL.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment