Sometimes you read something that just leaves you speechless. The Book of Paul qualifies along those lines. This was my first exposure to Richard Long and will not be my last. As I read I questioned my own ability and drive to write. It is one of those tales that sparks imagination as you read. Leads your mind astray and questions your personal descriptions of the genre or in this case, many genres.
For those that follow this blog you probably have come to understand that the blog isn't necessarily about writing a review about the book as much as it is talking about the writing, characterizations and mechanics as a reader, yes but as a writer as well.
Seldom do I read something that crosses genres so seamlessly and so definite. The Book of Paul could read like a madman's bible as well as it could a collection of independent thrills and leads the reader down a path that only lust for words can bring.
Here you have story that defines structure and storyboarding. It moves through page after page like a film unfolding before your eyes. The feel is dark and sometimes sinister. Characters are drawn out over a short period of time but in such a manner that you feel the psychosis, their every desire and hideous thought. Where the story meets the character as if they walked into the tale as it moved along, living and breathing the words on the page.
The level of sin and gore is well placed and the evil that lives in the souls of the characters jump off the pages in The Book of Paul. Certainly Mr. Long has a taste for the macabre, a vision of demonic passion and the art of storytelling. I find this to be a tool for self discovery. The talent, the ability to breath such horror is inspiring or damning depending on your heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment