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bookkaiju 's review for:
What Moves the Dead
by T. Kingfisher
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
T. Kingfisher’s newest book “What Moves the Dead” once again has her diving into Lovecraftian Horror. It walks the same path as “The Hollow Places” and “The Twisted Ones” by taking an older story and playing with it. This time she chose Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and she twists Poe’s tale with great effect.
Now the main character is a soldier from the fictional country of Gallacia visiting childhood friends at their ancestral home. Added to the cast is an American Civil War doctor, a Scottish batman, and the fictional aunt of Beatrix Potter that is out collecting mushrooms. Oh yes, there’s also a horse that has a big enough personality to count as a lead.
While Kingfisher has added characters, she stays true to the original Poe story. If you just describe the story by the narrative beats, it matches the original “Usher.” It is as if someone who vaguely remembered the original story tried to recount what it is about. The familiarity brings a sense of comfort to the tale, as the situation in the Usher House gets more and more bizarre.
However, there are changes she brought to the story and they are fascinating. The first one is the main character. Alex Easton is an interesting character and gives Kingfisher a chance to discuss and explore the use of pronouns. Alex, a former military officer, is from a country that has multiple different pronouns. One set is for young children, one for men, one for women, one for rocks, one for God, and the one that Alex uses the one for soldiers. It’s an interesting look at what gender means and how language influences it. Moreover, it is not superfluous, but plays a part near the end.
The major change is the mystery at the heart of the House of Usher. I won’t spoil anything, but Kingfisher brings creepiness to the tale. It was a great twist on the tale, even though the setup is rather obvious.
Kingfisher’s usual wit once again pervades the book from the snappy dialogue to the thoughtful, yet humorous prose. It makes reading it a delight. The only “complaint” I have is that the story is so quick-paced that I struggled to put it down. I ended up reading the entire tale in one night. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves light Lovecraftian horror or a Poe pastiche.
T. Kingfisher’s newest book “What Moves the Dead” once again has her diving into Lovecraftian Horror. It walks the same path as “The Hollow Places” and “The Twisted Ones” by taking an older story and playing with it. This time she chose Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and she twists Poe’s tale with great effect.
Now the main character is a soldier from the fictional country of Gallacia visiting childhood friends at their ancestral home. Added to the cast is an American Civil War doctor, a Scottish batman, and the fictional aunt of Beatrix Potter that is out collecting mushrooms. Oh yes, there’s also a horse that has a big enough personality to count as a lead.
While Kingfisher has added characters, she stays true to the original Poe story. If you just describe the story by the narrative beats, it matches the original “Usher.” It is as if someone who vaguely remembered the original story tried to recount what it is about. The familiarity brings a sense of comfort to the tale, as the situation in the Usher House gets more and more bizarre.
However, there are changes she brought to the story and they are fascinating. The first one is the main character. Alex Easton is an interesting character and gives Kingfisher a chance to discuss and explore the use of pronouns. Alex, a former military officer, is from a country that has multiple different pronouns. One set is for young children, one for men, one for women, one for rocks, one for God, and the one that Alex uses the one for soldiers. It’s an interesting look at what gender means and how language influences it. Moreover, it is not superfluous, but plays a part near the end.
The major change is the mystery at the heart of the House of Usher. I won’t spoil anything, but Kingfisher brings creepiness to the tale. It was a great twist on the tale, even though the setup is rather obvious.
Kingfisher’s usual wit once again pervades the book from the snappy dialogue to the thoughtful, yet humorous prose. It makes reading it a delight. The only “complaint” I have is that the story is so quick-paced that I struggled to put it down. I ended up reading the entire tale in one night. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves light Lovecraftian horror or a Poe pastiche.