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andrueb 's review for:
Blackwater: The Complete Saga
by Michael McDowell
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
6 out of 5. Simply a pleasure to read from start to finish. I can't remember the last time I just didn't want a book to end. Even at 800 pages, I feel it could've been expanded, and yet I respect McDowell's commitment to succinct, punchy storytelling. This is a gothic classic in every sense, and I'm so glad it's in print again. Had it not been published in this single volume, I'm sure I never would've found it.
If you love characters, relationships, and personality, this is something that will work for you. The conflicts and intimacies shared between every single character are so vivid. Even though this is a horror book, it reminded me of my experience of reading Anne of Green Gables many years ago. Everyone feels so alive, and you care even for the villains.
McDowell's prose is my favorite sort to read. Elegant and eloquent, it's nonetheless concise. Even though you might have to look up the occasional five dollar word, that word is inevitably chosen for a reason. Sentences are kept short, and the pacing progresses briskly and consistently for the duration of the series. In so doing, the author evokes the brevity of life. Whatever happens, for good or ill, it will soon be over so you'd better enjoy it.
The book could be read as a LGBT novel, as nearly all of the characters find their way into unconventional relationships, and yet this is accomplished so gracefully that the book never feels preachy. Any reader could approach the text and this angle might not even occur to them. All the same, it's a powerful work from a homosexual southern author who must've had lived experience similar to that of at least a few of these characters.
The treatment of Black servants is interesting, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. The Sapp family serves the Caskey family for the entire series, and we're rarely given any glimpse into their inner life. And yet, they're important. I believe that this was a comment on their role in family life of the era described: respected and even treasured fixtures in the family, but only superficially. The moments we get to peek into Ivey Sapp's life, she immediately becomes among the most interesting characters in the books, but we only get this glimpse when her personality is of immediate use to Sister Caskey. Just as soon as she's served this purpose, Ivey goes blank again. The same goes for Zaddie and Bray.
The Caskeys are all immaculately drawn characters. I could see their faces clearly in my mind, even as they aged. Even with similar characters, like Lilah and Miriam, the characters aren't duplicates. They simply reflect one another. Mary-Love, old Oscar, James, and Frances are all highlights, but you can latch onto any of them.
The scares are delicious. This is a southern gothic novel, so for the most part these are gentle terrors, but that's selling certain moments short. Some scenes, which pop up only every 100 pages or so, will stand up to anything else in the horror genre. This is especially true near the end, when certain storylines also become intensely sad.
I'm even more impressed by McDowell's horror scenes because he almost always spoils them in advance! We know how the book is going to end hundreds of pages before it actually concludes. I keep wanting to describe McDowell as a "gentle" writer, because even though his horror scenes do have teeth, he always warns you of what's coming up. Then the scene comes and he doesn't pull punches, and you feel surprised even though you knew this was going to happen. Some of the biggest shocks are delivered in a single sentence.
This is an all time top 10 book for me. I'm a sucker for southern gothic and this is the best I've read. It's like nothing else I've ever read.
If you love characters, relationships, and personality, this is something that will work for you. The conflicts and intimacies shared between every single character are so vivid. Even though this is a horror book, it reminded me of my experience of reading Anne of Green Gables many years ago. Everyone feels so alive, and you care even for the villains.
McDowell's prose is my favorite sort to read. Elegant and eloquent, it's nonetheless concise. Even though you might have to look up the occasional five dollar word, that word is inevitably chosen for a reason. Sentences are kept short, and the pacing progresses briskly and consistently for the duration of the series. In so doing, the author evokes the brevity of life. Whatever happens, for good or ill, it will soon be over so you'd better enjoy it.
The book could be read as a LGBT novel, as nearly all of the characters find their way into unconventional relationships, and yet this is accomplished so gracefully that the book never feels preachy. Any reader could approach the text and this angle might not even occur to them. All the same, it's a powerful work from a homosexual southern author who must've had lived experience similar to that of at least a few of these characters.
The treatment of Black servants is interesting, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. The Sapp family serves the Caskey family for the entire series, and we're rarely given any glimpse into their inner life. And yet, they're important. I believe that this was a comment on their role in family life of the era described: respected and even treasured fixtures in the family, but only superficially. The moments we get to peek into Ivey Sapp's life, she immediately becomes among the most interesting characters in the books, but we only get this glimpse when her personality is of immediate use to Sister Caskey. Just as soon as she's served this purpose, Ivey goes blank again. The same goes for Zaddie and Bray.
The Caskeys are all immaculately drawn characters. I could see their faces clearly in my mind, even as they aged. Even with similar characters, like Lilah and Miriam, the characters aren't duplicates. They simply reflect one another. Mary-Love, old Oscar, James, and Frances are all highlights, but you can latch onto any of them.
The scares are delicious. This is a southern gothic novel, so for the most part these are gentle terrors, but that's selling certain moments short. Some scenes, which pop up only every 100 pages or so, will stand up to anything else in the horror genre. This is especially true near the end, when certain storylines also become intensely sad.
I'm even more impressed by McDowell's horror scenes because he almost always spoils them in advance! We know how the book is going to end hundreds of pages before it actually concludes. I keep wanting to describe McDowell as a "gentle" writer, because even though his horror scenes do have teeth, he always warns you of what's coming up. Then the scene comes and he doesn't pull punches, and you feel surprised even though you knew this was going to happen. Some of the biggest shocks are delivered in a single sentence.
This is an all time top 10 book for me. I'm a sucker for southern gothic and this is the best I've read. It's like nothing else I've ever read.