A bit too long, but with some real moments of horror.
Author:
Kim Newman
What They Say
In the tiny English village of Alder, dreams and nightmares are beginning to come true. Creatures from local legend, science fiction and the dark side of the human mind prowl the town.
Paul, a young academic composing a thesis about the end of the world, and his girlfriend Hazel, a potter, have come to Alder for the summer. Their idea of a rural retreat gradually sours as the laws of nature begin to break down around them. Paul and Hazel are soon drawn into a vortex of fear as violent chaos engulfs the community and the village prepares to reap a harvest of horror.
A brand-new edition of the critically acclaimed novel. This edition also contains the short stories “Ratting,” “Great Western” and “The Man on the Clapham Omnibus.”
The Review:
Paul and Hazel come to the sleepy English village, Alder, to get away from the rigors of the city to enjoy the country life. Paul is working on a thesis concerning the end of the world, and Hazel is trying to refine her pottery skills. The days are long and the summer heat brutal with no relief of rain in sight. As the heat wears on the town, the cracks in Paul and Hazel’s relationship begin to show, but that turns out to be the least of their problems. Alder also houses the Agapemone, a commune lead by the mysterious, charismatic Anthony Jago. Although the commune typically eschews the public, once a year it hosts a rock festival, and the proceeds the festival pulls in for the town is the main reason why Alder suffers the commune’s existence. However, while a commune can be dangerous enough, this one is particularly insidious due to the power of the land and the power residing in its leader. Drunk with power, deluded by Christian-themed fantasies of glory, and possessed of a powerful sexual appetite, Jago’s influence reaches past the walls of the Agapemone and brings to life the secret fears and desires of the village, building to a horrifying climax that could very well spell the end of the world for Alder.
Jago is an interesting read. I can’t help but see parallels between it and aspects of the works of Stephen King and Clive Barker. Although Paul and Hazel are ostensibly the protagonists, they actually are equal players in a larger cast, bringing to mind King’s Salem’s Lot. Mixed in with the small town setting and cast is the broad, shallow sensationalism of Clive Barker—especially when matters turn to sex. There are several scenes that bring to mind Barker’s predilection for deviant sex and monstrous procreation, but probably the best occurs when Maurice Maskell, a farmer, literally fucks his land. The scene is brutal, disturbing, and quite effective, and leads to some of the most horrifying parts in the novel.
Which brings me to the novel’s main issue: it’s too big and unwieldy. While it is impressive that Newman can juggle so many characters and weave their plotlines together into one cohesive whole, that weaving takes far too long, and moving through the story requires more effort than it should. I cannot quite pinpoint the reason why (other than the length—646 pages, not counting the bonus stories), the book just reads slowly and it took me far longer to finish than I felt like it should.
The experience might have been different had I liked more of the characters, but the majority of them were either annoying or bland. There were a few that I genuinely liked, but in order to get back to their story, I had to slog through the various other character plotlines occurring at the same time. Paul is ineffective and pompous; Hazel is likable enough until she decides to go to the Agapemone; Jeremy is whiny; and I could go on.
In an odd way my reaction to these characters speaks to the strength of Newman’s writing. It’s good to hate a character, it’s good to love a character, but it’s failure not to care at all. When Hazel left Paul to join Jago’s group, I was almost yelling at the book (“Don’t go in there, girl!”). I understood that as a character she was young, lost, and a bit flaky, but I couldn’t help but get angry over what I perceived as her monstrous stupidity. Similar situations occurred with the other characters: Paul’s pomposity and inability to communicate with Hazel were frustrating to experience, as was Jeremy’s constant fear and whininess. There were characters that I liked—Susan, Lytton, and Teddy—but I always felt like they weren’t given enough page time. I admit that this may be more a matter of my perception than the reality of the book. It could be that the characters I focus on possess certain traits that resonate with me—hence my negative reaction to them. Whatever the reason, I had difficulty finding a character to identify with and root for in this novel.
As a whole, Jago is a slow, plodding tale that never quite comes together in a satisfying way for me. That said, there are moments when the book works amazingly well. The plot concerning the Maskell family (Maurice, Jeremy, Sue-Clare, and Hannah) were terrifying and disturbing, especially considering the strong incestuous subtext to Maurice’s desire to keep his family together. Jeremy’s fear of “The Bad Dwarf” (Dopey from Snow White) ended brilliantly with the boy turning the harmful words often hurled at him by his schoolmates (and not-so-secretly thought by his father) against the maniacal shade. That moment was built up to magnificently and its resolution was incredibly satisfying. In an odd way, even though I did not particularly like Jeremy, the Maskell subplot was the richest in meaning, symbolism, and terror, and probably my favorite part. Unfortunately, the rest of the book did not quite live up to it.
In Summary:
There are times when being a writer is like being a juggler. Characters, settings, plot threads, and themes have to be kept in the air and moving in a pleasing pattern at an entertaining pace. Kim Newman had quite a few balls to keep aloft with Jago. The citizens of Alder, the members of Jago’s Agapemone, and the visitors for the rock and roll festival all come together, facing their personal demons and desires brought to life in a madman’s vision of the apocalypse. While it is impressive seeing all of the characters and plot lines Newman keeps aloft, the pacing is slow and some of the characters difficult to like. The novel is a mix of Stephen King’s fondness for small towns with Clive Barker’s sensationalistic approach to sex, and while it does contain several good, scary moments, the overall effect is rather long and tiring. Although I am a fan of Newman, this is not one of his best. Mildly recommended.
Content Grade: B-
Published By: Titan Books
Release Date: March 19, 2012
MSRP: $15.95
