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Post by Vaughan on Sept 9, 2009 18:04:41 GMT
Not a review, just some comments.....
I'm reading this right now.
However, I'm finding it a real slog to get through.
There is an author comment at the start of the book telling us he wrote it when he was 19 - and boy does it show!
We have Lambert (the lead) and his wife having sex half the time, usually after talking about a grisly death - we have cell doors in a police station that are "twelve inches thick". We have a doctor being called to the cell because the prisoner is smashing everything up and bleeding profusely who says: "Well, there's nothing I can do, just leave him until morning" - even though we're told the sink has been torn from the wall and water is pouring everywhere. We have a medallion with mysterious words on it - THEY MIGHT BE LATIN - the first word of which is: Mortis. Yet a head librarian has no clue, and an antiques dealer doesn't either. We have an EMPTY bottle of whiskey thrown at a wall where the "brown liquid flowed down the wallpaper" (?!?!?) We've got a man, having been tied down, who tears himself free only to be overcome when daylight arrives. So what do they do? Take him to a hospital and tie him down in even more flimsy restraints.....and.................. I could go on and on.
I mean, I've actually started laughing AT the book as I'm reading.
Clearly this is earlier Hutson, and I won't hold it against him. But the writing and plotting here is really quite terrible. I'm sure he mastered his craft as he went on..... but this is my starting point, and it's really very poor, imo.
Sorry to jump in with negativity. Maybe people can read it for a laugh.
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Post by steppedonwolf on Sept 9, 2009 18:17:56 GMT
Not a review, just some comments..... I'm reading this right now. However, I'm finding it a real slog to get through. There is an author comment at the start of the book telling us he wrote it when he was 19 - and boy does it show! We have Lambert (the lead) and his wife having sex half the time, usually after talking about a grisly death - we have cell doors in a police station that are "twelve inches thick". We have a doctor being called to the cell because the prisoner is smashing everything up and bleeding profusely who says: "Well, there's nothing I can do, just leave him until morning" - even though we're told the sink has been torn from the wall and water is pouring everywhere. We have a medallion with mysterious words on it - THEY MIGHT BE LATIN - the first word of which is: Mortis. Yet a head librarian has no clue, and an antiques dealer doesn't either. We have an EMPTY bottle of whiskey thrown at a wall where the "brown liquid flowed down the wallpaper" (?!?!?) We've got a man, having been tied down, who tears himself free only to be overcome when daylight arrives. So what do they do? Take him to a hospital and tie him down in even more flimsy restraints.....and.................. I could go on and on. I mean, I've actually started laughing AT the book as I'm reading. Clearly this is earlier Hutson, and I won't hold it against him. But the writing and plotting here is really quite terrible. I'm sure he mastered his craft as he went on..... but this is my starting point, and it's really very poor, imo. Sorry to jump in with negativity. Maybe people can read it for a laugh. "A powerful novel of unimaginable evil." It was one of the funniest books I've ever read. ;D And the amount of GLOWING RED EYES...Jesus. My favourite bit is when Lambert goes to divisional HQ and tries to explain it all to his guv'nor...
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Post by Vaughan on Sept 9, 2009 18:32:48 GMT
How about the "fetid breath" and "yellow drool" that occurs over and over?
Scary or what?!? ;D
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Post by Vaughan on Sept 10, 2009 11:20:10 GMT
Well, last night I finished this book. That's something to be grateful for!
The book doesn't get any better. I started the book by being genuinely interested, then started to laugh AT the book. Eventually though that wore off, and I was left dazed by the repetition, the silliness, and madcap plotting.
Apologies upfront to fans of this one, but for me this is grade Z stuff, with a germ of a good idea hiding beyond poor poor writing. A decent editor would have done wonders for it.
So okay, Hutson was 19 when he wrote this one - so I'll cut him some slack. But make no mistake, it READS like it written by a 17 year old. So that's not saying much. When the decision was made to finally print it, why didn't they do an edit and tidy up the prose?
Terms that drove me mad: "Big salt tears", "Fetid breath", "Red orbs", "particles in the air", "wincing" (at either cold tea or cold coffee - tea and coffee instantly goes cold in this book), "Big gulp".
There are many many more. In fact, in this book Hutson seems to have one description in any given situation, and he uses it over and over. Sometimes in subsequent paragraphs. It's incredibly tedious.
Characterization is weak in the extreme too. Our lead, Lambert (a 22 year old Inspector heading up a force of ten men?!?) clearly has mental issues. He likes someone one minute, and hates them the next (usually in the same conversation). He rants, raves, and offers no leadership at all. I couldn't get a handle on the guy at all.
I wanted his wife to die. She SITS ON HIS KNEE for half the book it seems. As soon as they were in the room together I counted the words before she perched herself upon his leg.
The plotting is nonsensical (and I'm not talking about the fantastical elements of the plot here, they're accepted of course.)
**MINOR SPOILERS**
There's a black magician who, if joined together with a medallion, can raise the dead. So..... back in the 1500's..... they BURIED HIM AFTER PLACING THE MEDALLION AROUND HIS NECK. Erm.... why not destroy it, or keep it somewhere far away from the magician?!?
A character solves the riddle of the medallion, but says to our hero: "Look I want nothing to do with it, sorry." So his wife has to translate two whole books of Latin because he refuses to even tell what it's all about!
The medallion has a code on it. A CODE! You know what the code is? The words are written BACKWARDS. They notice it earlier on in the book, but when it comes time for the wife to translate, she FORGETS this important fact and it takes her DAYS to remember. The phrase in question is three words in length....
A policeman is killed during a gun fight. Lambert - our hero Inspector - asks where he's gone, concluding: "Oh well, he probably run off." No-one ever looks for the cop again, the police force simply forget him. Days go by! Nothing, no-one cares.
I'm paraphrasing so not to spoil things too much - but here is an encounter (in my words) between our hero and the Head of Divisional headquarters:
"Sir, I need six extra men to deal with 90 disappearances in my town." "What's happened to them?" "They've turned into zombies." "Well that's rubbish!" "Yes sir, but true." "Well, you're obviously yanking my chain, you can't have anyone!" "How about some guns?" "Have you ever used a gun, have your men?" "Nope." "Well.... alright then. Pull your car up out back, we have a stock of whatever you want in the basement. A pump action shotgun for every one of your men, a couple of brownings, and as much ammunition as your Capri can hold. Will that do you?"
"That'll do nicely."
I mean come on....
**END OF SPOILERS**
I found this book a real struggle. There is clearly a germ of a really good story here, but it's made ridiculous by all the problems mentioned - and many many more.
Basically it's the craft of writing that fails badly - plotting, characterization, setting a scene, a lack of variation in the descriptions, the same words being repeated over and over... the best part of this book is the cover.
I do NOT recommend.
Unless you're going on a quiz show and your subject is "Early Hutson".
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Post by Vaughan on Sept 10, 2009 11:33:52 GMT
ps: 384 pages!
384 pages of THIS!
Ouch.
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Post by ian on Sept 10, 2009 12:08:40 GMT
I hope the episode hasn't put you off reading any more of his books.
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Post by Vaughan on Sept 10, 2009 15:45:29 GMT
As is usual, I have a stack of other Hutson titles here. I can see 7 more from where I'm sitting. And of course, he wrote Slugs and Breeding Ground. So I'll get to those in due time.
I guess what I will say is.... that intro at the start of Deathday is justified, imo. In retrospect it's a fairly big warning that what is to follow isn't all that good - and he gives a reason (the age when he wrote it).
I accept it and move on. Deathday though is rubbish.
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Post by erebus on Mar 1, 2010 11:16:20 GMT
Deathday rubbish BURN HIM HE'S A HERETIC ! Just kidding. Shaun Hutson is for aquired tastes I agree. He did write this at the tender age of 19 remember and there was a huuuuge market for this stuff at the time ( wish I was this good at 19 ) He has changed over the years and I hope you do or did revist his other work as He is a good entertaining writer.
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