Helpful Score: 7
People who read this book will fall into one of two categories:
1) You absolutely loved the book, devoured every word, and truly enjoyed the twists and subtleties of the well-crafted plot.
2) You absolutely hated the book and realize that it is 800 pages of your life that you will never be able to get back. Ever.
Personally, I loved the book. And if you are thinking about reading it, there are a few things (no spoilers included here) that you probably need to know.
* This is not a 700 page thriller. Drood is not a major character. In fact, he is barely even a minor character. So do not pick up this book and think that you are about to embark on a deep, dark, harrowing, fast-paced tale of cat and mouse with some spectral being who dominates the text. You will be sorely disappointed. And, quite possibly, bored out of your mind.
* This book is basically a faux-Wilkie Collins autobiography and in that respect it executes its mission perfectly. Seeing the author's life through his own laudanum-clouded eyes makes for very interesting reading. Collins is an unreliable narrator at best and you never truly know what is fact, what is fiction, what is drug-induced paranoia, and what is jealousy-driven contempt or self-delusion.
* Throughout this autobiography there are several gems of dialogue between Collins and Dickens regarding their own novels. There are some great discussions about plot ideas and devices for "The Moonstone" and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". I now wonder if Simmons used these discussions about their work in order to have the same discussion with his own readers about his own work. Their collaborative banter speaks both to their current novels as well as to the plot of "Drood" as a whole. However, the importance of many of those passages will not be truly evident until the very end.
* Some consider the ending weak, but it left me thinking. It sent me back into the book once I finished it to fish out certain passages for additional clues and insights into what really happened.
* In order to get the most out of this book, I would suggest some pre-requisite reading. Of course, I would recommend Dickens' "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". I would also recommend "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins. Discussion of "The Moonstone" is found throughout this book, and if you haven't read it yet, you will find that the many spoilers in "Drood" will ruin much of its very well-crafted plot.
In summary, this is not a book for everyone. It is a treat for those who enjoy Victorian-era settings. It has moments of true creepiness that are spaced between pages and chapters of relative inactivity. It takes about 400 pages before the real Drood-inspired elements make a harrowing (but rather brief) appearance. My advice: read to page 200 or so. If the pacing and plot do not seem to suit your tastes, move on to something else. If you find enough to hold your interest, you might find this book to be a very rewarding read.
1) You absolutely loved the book, devoured every word, and truly enjoyed the twists and subtleties of the well-crafted plot.
2) You absolutely hated the book and realize that it is 800 pages of your life that you will never be able to get back. Ever.
Personally, I loved the book. And if you are thinking about reading it, there are a few things (no spoilers included here) that you probably need to know.
* This is not a 700 page thriller. Drood is not a major character. In fact, he is barely even a minor character. So do not pick up this book and think that you are about to embark on a deep, dark, harrowing, fast-paced tale of cat and mouse with some spectral being who dominates the text. You will be sorely disappointed. And, quite possibly, bored out of your mind.
* This book is basically a faux-Wilkie Collins autobiography and in that respect it executes its mission perfectly. Seeing the author's life through his own laudanum-clouded eyes makes for very interesting reading. Collins is an unreliable narrator at best and you never truly know what is fact, what is fiction, what is drug-induced paranoia, and what is jealousy-driven contempt or self-delusion.
* Throughout this autobiography there are several gems of dialogue between Collins and Dickens regarding their own novels. There are some great discussions about plot ideas and devices for "The Moonstone" and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". I now wonder if Simmons used these discussions about their work in order to have the same discussion with his own readers about his own work. Their collaborative banter speaks both to their current novels as well as to the plot of "Drood" as a whole. However, the importance of many of those passages will not be truly evident until the very end.
* Some consider the ending weak, but it left me thinking. It sent me back into the book once I finished it to fish out certain passages for additional clues and insights into what really happened.
* In order to get the most out of this book, I would suggest some pre-requisite reading. Of course, I would recommend Dickens' "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". I would also recommend "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins. Discussion of "The Moonstone" is found throughout this book, and if you haven't read it yet, you will find that the many spoilers in "Drood" will ruin much of its very well-crafted plot.
In summary, this is not a book for everyone. It is a treat for those who enjoy Victorian-era settings. It has moments of true creepiness that are spaced between pages and chapters of relative inactivity. It takes about 400 pages before the real Drood-inspired elements make a harrowing (but rather brief) appearance. My advice: read to page 200 or so. If the pacing and plot do not seem to suit your tastes, move on to something else. If you find enough to hold your interest, you might find this book to be a very rewarding read.
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