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A review by branch_c
Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers
4.0
First of all, Tim Powers has been my favorite author since I first read The Anubis Gates in the mid-80s and that still hasn't changed. This is his latest, and it showcases much of what makes him literally the best at this craft: meticulous attention to historical detail, truly original conceptualization of fantasy elements, and supernaturally plausible explanations for why historical characters behaved the way they did. Not only that, there is plenty of frenetic action with fantastic revelations around every corner. Also well-represented here are the prototypical Powers characters who are dragged into events beyond their control and then are forced to do the right thing in the face of terrible forces.
Now, although it's true, as Powers has stated, that this book is aimed at readers who may never have heard of The Stress of Her Regard, it is certainly a sequel to Stress, which I've always thought was Powers' most ambitious book, as far as the effort it must have taken to immerse the reader in the world of Byron, Shelley, et. al. We are left convinced, easily suspending our disbelief, that if it ever turns out that there is anything supernatural about the world we live in, this story really could have happened. I've also found Stress to be one of his darkest books, in the sense that it wasn't quite as much fun as some of his other works - I mean, there's always the danger of death or grievous physical, mental, and spiritual injury in a Powers book, but Stress has a grimmer tone than most; there's a chilling horror hanging over almost every scene.
Well, I'd say that Hide Me Among the Graves has taken over the top spot for Powers' gloomiest work - which may well please some fans, those who read dark fantasy for its darkness value. For me, this has never been my favorite aspect of his writing, so I found I enjoyed this book a bit less than some of his others. Sure, it's a book about vampires, so what did I expect? But Stress was too, and yet in that book the startlingly original treatment of the subject overrode the horror aspect. Here, there is a bit more emphasis on the horror than on the unique characteristics of the Powers version of these creatures - although those details are still very much present.
Powers also has a way with words, to say the least - and just reading a few lines of dialogue would give this book away as a Powers book. The characters have a realistic voice that's pretty much unmatched by any writer. But one thing I've always enjoyed about Powers is the flashes of humor in this dialogue, and the very few times we got to see it in this book only drove home for me that there wasn't enough of it. Would have liked a bit more clever humor to lighten the mood. In fact, I was interested to see a comment on the timpowers Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/timpowers/messages) that Dante Gabriel Rossetti, one of the historical figures who plays a major role in this book, was obsessed with wombats, among other things, and it was disappointing that such a quirky detail didn't make it into the book. Powers responded that he couldn't find a way to make wombats dark and horrifying. I have to agree that it might have been more at home in a James Blaylock book, but I'll bet Powers could have pulled it off! And I'd have to say my favorite scene was the one with the cats - when you read the book, you'll know the one I mean - and maybe not coincidentally it was also the most uplifting (not to say "fun") scene.
All in all, strongly recommended. Certainly not to be missed by Powers fans, and might even work as an introduction to Powers for readers of other dark fantasy and horror - though I'd suggest instead starting with Stress first. I will re-read this at some point, as I have with all of his books, and no doubt will find even more to appreciate about it.
Now, although it's true, as Powers has stated, that this book is aimed at readers who may never have heard of The Stress of Her Regard, it is certainly a sequel to Stress, which I've always thought was Powers' most ambitious book, as far as the effort it must have taken to immerse the reader in the world of Byron, Shelley, et. al. We are left convinced, easily suspending our disbelief, that if it ever turns out that there is anything supernatural about the world we live in, this story really could have happened. I've also found Stress to be one of his darkest books, in the sense that it wasn't quite as much fun as some of his other works - I mean, there's always the danger of death or grievous physical, mental, and spiritual injury in a Powers book, but Stress has a grimmer tone than most; there's a chilling horror hanging over almost every scene.
Well, I'd say that Hide Me Among the Graves has taken over the top spot for Powers' gloomiest work - which may well please some fans, those who read dark fantasy for its darkness value. For me, this has never been my favorite aspect of his writing, so I found I enjoyed this book a bit less than some of his others. Sure, it's a book about vampires, so what did I expect? But Stress was too, and yet in that book the startlingly original treatment of the subject overrode the horror aspect. Here, there is a bit more emphasis on the horror than on the unique characteristics of the Powers version of these creatures - although those details are still very much present.
Powers also has a way with words, to say the least - and just reading a few lines of dialogue would give this book away as a Powers book. The characters have a realistic voice that's pretty much unmatched by any writer. But one thing I've always enjoyed about Powers is the flashes of humor in this dialogue, and the very few times we got to see it in this book only drove home for me that there wasn't enough of it. Would have liked a bit more clever humor to lighten the mood. In fact, I was interested to see a comment on the timpowers Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/timpowers/messages) that Dante Gabriel Rossetti, one of the historical figures who plays a major role in this book, was obsessed with wombats, among other things, and it was disappointing that such a quirky detail didn't make it into the book. Powers responded that he couldn't find a way to make wombats dark and horrifying. I have to agree that it might have been more at home in a James Blaylock book, but I'll bet Powers could have pulled it off! And I'd have to say my favorite scene was the one with the cats - when you read the book, you'll know the one I mean - and maybe not coincidentally it was also the most uplifting (not to say "fun") scene.
All in all, strongly recommended. Certainly not to be missed by Powers fans, and might even work as an introduction to Powers for readers of other dark fantasy and horror - though I'd suggest instead starting with Stress first. I will re-read this at some point, as I have with all of his books, and no doubt will find even more to appreciate about it.